2nd Grade Report vs Randwick - Petersham - Semi Final |
The Stags B-siders saved their most complete team performance for the two most important days of the season to date. Hosting the semi-final at Chaaaaaaatswood, "senior Thornborough twin" Garratt won the toss and had no hesitation letting his four-strong wolf pack loose under swing conducive skies. Garratt leads from the front with his blade, getting the side across the line They did not disappoint. Adair "I consider myself a bit of a loner" Durie (3/20 off 17 overs) set an ever high bar, bowling through the entire first session and never allowing the Randwick Petersham bats to settle into their work. The pack quickly grew by one with James "I changed my facebook name too... to Jimmy" Campbell (3/15 off 11.4) producing as miserly a spell as ever before wait a second, could it be? there was a third in the pack with "Banana bending" Beau Sadler (3/13 off 11) ripping through the Randy Petes middle order. The pack was superbly supported by a committed fielding display, highlighted by an excellent early catch at 3rd slip by "Mr" Beau Sadler and four handy (including one very special) graps by "the younger Thornborough twin" Thornborough behind the sticks. Randwick Petersham 86 all out in 45.4 overs.
With only 54 overs of play remaining, Randy Petes threw everything at the B-Stags, piling on 9(dec)/ 149 in 22 overs, with Adair "Kong" Durie collecting yet another triple (3/ 60 off 9) and "JC-Bomb" Campbell (2/55 off 9), Ben "Benjamin James" Garratt (2/ 19 off 3) and Beau "Beau" Sadler (1/10 off 2) all chipping in to stem the flow of runs by taking wickets. With the exception of a howler of a drop from an unnamed left arm opening swing bowler, the fielding and catching standards were maintained in tricky conditions and this is sure to be a key ingredient in the trophy tilt. With 56 runs required in 30 overs for outright points, Cameron "Captain Waterproof" Eccles (38 off 42) was having nothing of merely seeing out the day, smashing the ball to all parts to bring home the win in style inside 14 overs. |
A semi-final win over Randwick - Petersham secures a Grand Final spot for 2nd Grade
After a stuttering start to the second day, Craig "Busboy" Thornborough (56* off 75) showed his potential with the blade by mixing defence and controlled aggression to score 47 of the last 60 runs, securing a first innings lead of 94 (Gordon all out 180 in the 80th over). Ever hard to suppress, the contributions of wolf pack leaders Campbell (a 28 ball duck) and Durie (2 off 18) cannot be overlooked in enabling CT to do his thing and build the lead. If all ten wickets were sold at such a price the captain wouldn't be losing so much of his hair.
