 1st Grade vs. Parramatta Saturday and Hawkesbury Sunday
What a weekend for the Stags. A comprehensive victory by the boys on Saturday followed by a nail biting win the following day.
(Rod Hokin on Saturday)
The Saturday game was a 120 over day, as day one of the fixture against Parramatta had been washed out. Play unbelievably started on time despite Chatswood oval, not15 hours earlier, resembling a water polo facility.
The visitors won the toss and elected to bowl. It was not a bad toss to lose, despite some moisture in the pitch, the outfield was wet and the ball soon stopped swinging.
The Stags innings was an interesting one, with only one real partnership of note. Losing wickets constantly there was however one bloke who shone, a guy who could be the related to other first grade cricketers around Sydney due to the mailman possibly doing more than his rounds, Rod Hokin.
 Out of a score of 230 Rocket managed 105 n.o., bringing up his 2nd first grade century with a miss hit six down the ground.
(Brendan McDonald leads the first grade team off the park on Sunday)
With the pitch and outfield drying, would 230 enough?
It was in the end quite comfortably with Parramatta dismissed for 166. With the Big Double Ender, Dylan Connell taking career best figures of 6 for 27.
A good win to the Stags!
Sunday morning saw the boys travel to Bensons Lane for a “home” game against Hawkesbury, due to the double booking of Chatswood oval.
Ed Zelma won the toss, the 2nd year in a row at Hawkesbury and elected to bowl for the 2nd year in row. This time the conditions were not quite as oppressive and I think his decision had the backing of the other members of the team, unlike last year where a slight tactical error was made.
Anyway the Stags were bowling.
 Hawkesbury began cautiously on a pitch that suited all types of bowling. At 2 for 98 off about 28 overs they were well poised to post a good total, however some good bowling from the Stags spin twins of Brendan “ Stiffler” McDonald ( 4 for 32) and Beau “Buzz” Casson (2 for 33) saw them heavily restricted finishing their 50 overs at 9 for 171. The outfield was incredibly slow resulting in few boundaries being hit during the innings.
(Beau Casson in action at Benlon's Lane)
With the roll the Stags had going, there was an element of over confidence and they appeared to relax in the chase of this small total. The batting seemed to reflect this with some very poor shot selection and running between the wickets.
Yet again it was the spin twins of Casson (56) and McDonald (39) who stuck it out however. When Stiffler was the 9th man dismissed with the score on 156, leaving Durie at the crease to be joined by Connell, even the most positive of Stags supporter would not have been confident. However the 2 burly fast bowlers (a dying breed in Sydney 1st grade circles) saw the Hawks total passed on the last ball of the penultimate over. Giving the Stags their 5th win on the trot and entrenching them in the top 6.
With one game left in the One Day competition in January, the Stags must win and hope other results fall in their favour to ensure a spot in the one day final series.
Dylan Connell | 
