3rd Grade Report vs Sydney Uni. - Round 9

3rd Grade vs Sydney Uni

The Stags all arrived on time at Sydney Uni, for the first T20 of the season. Conditions were slightly overcast. Hoppa cleverly lost the toss for a record 8 times in a row, to save having to make the decision to bowl or bat, and the Stags were sent in to bat.

Ed 'Hoppa' Howitt takes apart the Students' attack early

We lost a wicket early, but that did not stop Ed Howitt accelerating through the early overs with some quick fire runs. Most notably, hitting successive sixes over mid wicket in one disastrous over for the students, he finished with 40 off 21 balls. Crosland kept the runs ticking over while punishing the bad ball to the boundary, scoring 15 progressing the score to 60. We looked in a very dominant position until we lost 4 for 9 runs.

Pascal watched on as the middle order were slowly collapsing, but when Beverley came to the crease they built a partnership, looking determined to get the team back on track. Beverley was then caught behind for a well played 16 getting the score to 111. Pascal scoring at more than a run a ball showing good cricket shots are still effective in this shortened version of the game, finishing up with 39. Lines went in at the end, looked to hit some boundries, and added 13 runs off as many balls to bring the total to 142, which was considered a par score on this ground.

Opening bowlers Fleming and Lines both bowled on the spot keeping the runs down in the early overs. The students opening batsmen got off to a steady start, although the Gordon bowlers could not find that much needed wicket to slow their run rate down. The first wicket came with an excellent run out to break the opening stand of 88. Sydney Uni kept scoring at a run a ball which was below the required run rate, thanks to some tidy bowling from Dowsley, Al Cambell and Ed Howitt.

Although with wickets in hand they it would always be possible to chase at ten an over. With three overs remaining in the game we had to stop them scoring 30 runs. Despite tight bowling we were not able to contain them as they were still getting a boundary an over which helped their cause. Flem had the last over, he was able to take one wicket although they managed to find the boundary and score the final 11 runs needed.

All in all it was a great effort for the first T20 of the season, with most of the boys not having much experience with this shortened version of the game.

Enjoy the Christmas break! Don't over do it, and let's all look forward to the first game back in January.

Tom Carruthers