Colts vs Mosman - Round 8 - 2011/12

Colts Report vs Mosman

My only regret about leaving Mosman CC is that I did not do it earlier.  The people and atmosphere at Gordon are an absolute pleasure, and it is therefore no surprise that the club is able to attract much better players who are more dedicated and play together as a team.

As was therefore to be expected, the Round 8 match for the Gordon Colts team was no contest. Mosman had decided to field a team made up almost entirely of their Green Shield squad – a fact which, given their performance, will not bode well for the season ahead.

Reagan and Ben during their partnership 

After winning the toss (5/5 for Elton), Gordon decided to bat on a typical Beauchamp wicket. Carl “Brad Haddin” Kinghorne opened with Mark “Happy Days” Fonseka and the team got off to a good start, tearing into the young Mosman quicks before Carl unfortunately played on for 9. The Fonz was in great form, playing some cracking drives along the carpet and the new man, Elton, was more than happy for once to sit back and be outscored. Unfortunately, as so often happens for The Fonz, after some brilliant shots he decided to step across the stumps to a straight one and was given out LBW for 34, bringing Reagan Klemt to the crease.

Regan has some real talent and has a good head on his shoulders – a lethal combination. Following on from his 48 last week, Regan played some beautiful shots to all parts of the ground to ensure that the run rate never dropped below 6 an over, reaching his 50, and then 100, in quick time with barely a loose or mistimed shot.  

Ben Armstrong, Reagan Klemt and Ben Leighton in action at Beauchamp

Following the dismissal of a rather subdued Elton (an uncharacteristically slow 34 due to batting with a broker thumb), Reagan was joined by Iqbal (22) and then Ben “Paul Adams” Leighton, and the two Knox boys kept the pressure on the Mosman attack by a good combination of quick singles and big shots.

As a former Whale it was a little disheartening to see how the young Mosman side responded – arguing with each other on the field, dropping catches (over ten by my count), missing stumpings (three while I was umpiring) and effectively giving up by the time Reagan had raised his bat. However, as a Stag, I couldn’t have been happier with our younger players as they capitalised by putting on an unbeaten stand of 146 as Reagan hit his way to 168* and Ben picked up a well-deserved 51* to close the innings at a mammoth 350.

After the regular pilgrimage to Chatswood Chase during the lunch break, the Stags took the field knowing that the game was ours. The two Mosman openers started well with some lovely drives and for a moment the Stags thought the game could be interesting with our bowlers unable to find the same lethal lines as the week before (though still bowling well enough to consistently beat the bat). As with their fielding however, the Mosman batsmen decided to give up rather than try to win and lose in the attempt. After breaking the opening partnership of 64, Mosman led by ex-Stag Luke Ham decided to play for a draw.

Reagan acknowledes the crowd after his century-or was it his 150!

Despite being reminded that the match was in fact a limited overs game, the Whales seemed content to plod along at 3 an over with the occasional loss of wicket before finally being all out for 195 in the 49^th over (including 46 sundries) after suffering the ignominy of the Stag captain declaring that if “this was how seriously the Whales wanted to play cricket he might as well bowl himself and the keeper” (for once these two not being the same). Unfortunately for Carl, the last wicket fell to Elton – an embarrassing circumstance that will hopefully force the Whales to rethink their strategy in later weeks.

Overall the Stags bowled well with Dan Stickland looking particularly dangerous while picking up 3 for 20, Ben Armstrong 2 for 32 and Dave Leiboff, Jason Leiboff, Adam Aarons, Reagan Klemt and Andrew Coleman sharing one wicket each. A fitting end to a good days play from Gordon, cementing our position as the team to beat going into the Christmas break. It’s great to be Gordon down old Chatswood way.

Andrew “Elton” Coleman