 A.W. Green Shield Annual Report
Following last season’s second placing, plenty of expectation was on the shoulders of the incoming players to replicate the successes of the previous year. After trial matches against Barker and an Under 18 Academy side, there was much reason for optimism as the team took on Manly in the first round of the competition at Chatswood Oval.
Rob Edwards down old Chatswood way
The team took to the field after an unsuccessful coin toss but the bowlers bowled tightly without much reward. Although the run rate for the first 25 overs was less than 2, the Manly numbers 3 and 4 then mounted a 172 run partnership in only 26 overs. The two played extremely well, for a final total of 3 for 264. Gordon openers Ben Cannon (77) and Hugo Anderson (40) began the reply in terrific style but the middle order could not benefit from the solid start, losing wickets 3 through to 7 for only 24 runs. The only resistance came from Henry Carmichael with a quick-fire 40. However, the game ran away from us, and eventually we fell 42 runs short of the target.
The second round fixture against Northern Districts at Asquith Oval provided an exciting finish. Gordon was sent into bat on what appeared to be a hard, fast track. After losing early wickets Rob Edwards (33) and Max Carter (29) put some pressure back onto the fieldsmen and some solid late overs batting from Tom Drake (23) and Jono Wigham (16) saw the team’s total reach 180, a score which seemed competitive. It was the 13th over before first change bowler Alex Campbell took the first wicket. Tight line and length bowling by Henry Carmichael, Tom Ledgerwood and Mark Anderson put pressure on the batsmen, slowing the ND’s run rate to just above 2 an over. The stress level began to rise for ND’s as they faced a 5 an over task with 20 overs remaining. The tension rose further despite some interesting shot selections from the Districts batsmen, leaving them needing 20 runs to win with 6 overs left and 4 wickets in hand. However an outstanding final spell from Campbell (4 for 21 of 10), taking 3 wickets in his final 2.1 overs, saw the game to the Stags. The final 3 wickets fell on scores of 171, 174 and 175, leaving Districts short and Gordon the winners by a measly 5 runs.
After two rounds, Gordon was sitting mid-table and ventured to the Village Green full of confidence. With what looked like a fast, bouncy pitch, and an outfield good enough to play billiards on, the University of NSW skipper had no hesitation in batting when the toss landed in his favour. Opening bowlers Tom Drake and Robert Edwards found their form, taking the first four wickets of the innings in the space of ten overs, and leaving the students crumbling at 4 for 25. After a minor fight back by the home team, Henry Carmichael found the edge of the established batsmen. Good catching saw 7 out of the 10 dismissals caught by the keeper and slips, with another good one by Max Carter running backwards in the deep at mid on. Uni finished on a modest 120 from 44 overs. The openers began smartly until the ninth over when captain Colley came to the crease, in need of some time in the middle after a couple of small scores. Steve’s quick singles and silky strokes rewarded him with 63 and, when Edwards came in at 2 for 58, the two collected the remaining 63 runs with little difficulty in the 35th over, the last before tea and the arrival of the rain.
For the highly anticipated Grand Final rematch of the 2005/2006 Green Shield season against Campbelltown-Camden, Gordon ventured out to the Raby ground in hope of seeking revenge for last year’s humiliating defeat when they posted a miserly 55 on the board. Captain Steve Colley won his first toss of the season and, with little hesitation, decided to bat on what seemed to be a solid batting track although one with a strong reputation of being conducive to sharp sideways movement for the seamers and right-angle turn for the spinners. Normal opener Ben Cannon was missing in action sitting upon his kit awaiting his lift from Hawk’s Nest and Sam Monk replaced him at the top of the order. Tight lines and smart field placing meant runs were kept to a minimum but wickets fell in clumps and partnerships never developed. There were no standouts with the bat and Gordon was eventually bowled out for 87. Drake and Edwards once again led the side with the ball, Drake completing his first spell with 1 for 17 and was more than unlucky not to have at least two more. Edwards supported his performance in the previous game against Uni of NSW with 4 for 25 from his opening 6 overs. With Campbelltown 5 for 41, the Gordon team had a chance of claiming an unexpected victory. However some aggressive batting saw Campbelltown over the line.
The fifth round game against Eastern Suburbs was a must win for the Stags. Easts won the toss and decided to bowl, an interesting decision. Gordon was off to a great start with Ben Cannon and Hugo Anderson reaching 42 without loss at nearly 4 an over. Colley (30) and Anderson (42) were cruising, having a 60 run partnership and then Rob Edwards and Tom Drake put on a solid partnership of 92 in very hot conditions. When Edwards fell to a sharp catch for 41, Drake continued to dominate the bowlers, sending them to all parts of the ground making 76 in a very good display of powerful batting. Henry Carmichael provided valuable assistance, adding a handy 27 in quick time. Gordon finished their innings at 7/253 which coach Brendan MacDonald described as a “par” score for Chatswood Oval. The Gordon boys were fired up with Drake and Edwards bowling tight lines until Drake went off injured. Alex Campbell came on in the seventh over and had immediate success. Good slips catching by Hugo Anderson and Edwards saw 5 catches between the two of them (4 in the slips) and the visitors were struggling at 6/21. Some sensible batting got them to 75 until Alex Campbell bowled an outstanding spell finishing with figures of 5/30 from 11 overs, providing him with a great birthday present. Mark Anderson, Henry Carmichael and Richard Pengelly starved Easts of runs by bowling extremely tight lines and Colley and Rowan Fessey then bowled valuable spells. Easts ended up being bowled out for 109 off 42 overs.
The classic Stags versus North Sydney Bears encounter was the challenge in round six. The boys were placed mid-table leading into the fixture, a win potentially placing them in finals contention. Coach Brendan MacDonald was adamant the boys “control the controllables”, focusing on their own performance before considering the performances of the clubs around them. The day got off to a dream start, with captain Colley winning his second toss of the season and electing to bat. After losing early wickets, Steve Colley (61) and Rob Edwards (43) batted with intent to take the game to the bowlers, their partnership of 72 coming at better than 5 runs per over. Further down the order, there were valuable contributions from Jono Wigham (36) and Richard Pengelly (20). They provided quite a show with their confidence to hit over the infield, deciding to deal in boundaries rather than singles. The Gordon innings came to a close in the 59th over with the total on 256. Opening bowler Rob Edwards claimed a wicket with his first ball, with his counterpart Tom Drake having success in his second over. In the last 4 games, the two openers dismissed 13 batsmen in their opening spells, providing a platform for the following bowlers. The Bears were struggling at 2 for 15. Some expert batting stabilised the innings. However when skipper Colley took a sharp caught and bowled with the score on 80, the tail crumbled, with the rest of the side contributing only 45 more runs between the 7 of them. Henry Carmichael was quite easily the pick of the bowlers, taking 5 for 5 in only 4.2 overs. Gordon were impressive winners by a margin of 131 runs.
With a record of four wins and two losses, the Gordon boys were sitting in ninth position on the table, leading into the final round. Any position outside the top six would mean the season would come to a halt at the end of the game at Chatswood Oval against Penrith, However the Stags had aspirations that a convincing win could scrape them into the top 6. Skipper Colley lost his fifth out of seven tosses for the year and Gordon headed out to field first on a soft, grassy wicket. Edwards struck in his second over and Drake was close behind, claiming an LBW decision in his fourth. Enter Henry Carmichael. After coming off his terrific spell against North Sydney, Henry managed to replicate his performance in outstanding style. His 5 for 21 off 7 overs was as good, if not better than his previous spell, claiming 5 out of the top 8 batsmen. Penrith was dismissed for a modest 124 off 40 overs. For the Stags to have a legitimate chance of making the finals, they had to attempt to collect the runs in the shortest time possible, to contribute to their overall net run rate. The order was changed to cater for this run chase, sending in the big hitter Jono Wigham. The change did not end up being a successful one, Hugo Anderson collecting his first failure of the season, and Wigham also departing cheaply. Colley and Edwards came to the crease in the second over, with the score at 2 for 4. They compiled a partnership of 56, an aggressive Colley collecting 46 of them, before Edwards was stumped down the leg side off the opening bowler. Wickets continued to fall in bunches from this point on. The only rock in the innings was captain Colley, who mounted 67 runs before a mix-up between him and Henry Carmichael (19) ended a flawless half-century. In a nail-biter reminiscent of the Northern Districts game, Gordon eventually fell 8 runs short of the winning total, bringing for the Stags a halt to a season which had held much promise.
The team can look back on the season and reflect on their strengths and weaknesses. They bowled well but, with mostly all rounders, lacked some batting depth. The fielding improved and there was some very good slips catching. From the squad of fourteen, seven of the boys have the opportunity to continue their Green Shield aspirations next season. It is important they carry their experience to the younger boys coming through next year.
Consistent performances saw Steve Colley (captain) and Rob Edwards selected in the combined Green Shield team that played Country and Alex Campbell was a Reserve. Steve and Rob were also selected in the under 17 City squad for the coming season.
On behalf of the entire Green Shield squad, I would like to pass on sincere thanks to Brendan McDonald who again coached enthusiastically and was a friend and mentor to all the boys. The fathers who acted as scorers and the mothers who provided the lunches and afternoon teas once again played a valuable role in the overall experience of the year. The return to Chatswood Oval was a bonus for all. The support of selectors, especially Tony Wilson, ensured the smooth running of all the games and training sessions, and was also much appreciated.
Another thank you must also go out to Paul Stephenson and the Gordon club for the contribution to the development of the boys through the club’s Academy, thus ensuring the 14 boys represented their club at the peak level at competition time.
John Edwards |
