 4th Grade bundled out of finals
The buzz around the ground was electric. The scoreboard was set up. The scorers were warming up their ballpoints. The backpackers were hungover. All was in readiness for a momentous day’s cricket. James “Hernandez” Campbell and Chad “Superman” Soper took the new seed, looking to make early inroads into the Randy-Petes’ top order. Chad looked to have secured the early breakthrough with his second delivery in the shape of what he thought was an outside edge that “Captain” Jack Hammond snared in his mitts.
(Shenal at Coogee)
There was a noise, a yell, but no finger. It turned out to be a costly piece of bad fortune, with the batsman in question scoring a mighty 148 to punish the Stags.
For much of the first and second session, play progressed mightily slowly. To illustrate, Randwick-Petersham went to lunch on just over forty after thirty-eight overs, making viewing from the coffee table somewhat dreary. After the opening bowlers had done their dash (both having over restrictions), Shenal came on and bowled with vigour and outswing but no luck. While he made scoring difficult, the Stags were having their own difficulties making their mark in the wickets column.
 Iqbal and Cubbage bowled with admirable control, keeping the scoring down but inevitably it was up to Chad “The Phantom” Soper to do some damage in his second spell. The corn chips and biscuits must have done their job as his second, post-lunch, spell was a lethal combination of pace, bounce and hitting the pads, with two LBW decisions falling his way. This brought not so much a cheer but a sigh of relief from the coffee table, with 12th and 13th man both waking up momentarily from their semi-slumber.
(Adam Cubbage at Coogee)
With the Randwick-Petersham opener and No. 3 back in the hut, momentary momentum was now truly with the Stags - although an opening stand of over 100 ensured that the boys from Coogee were staring down the barrel of a big score.
Wickets from then on fell a little more steadily, with “Caveman” Cubbage picking up two caught dismissals off somewhat dubious strokes from some over-eager Randy-Petes batsmen. It was a good display of wrist spin from Cubs, but the same cannot be said of Iqbal’s second spell. The opposition centurion had decided Iqbal’s average needed to be raised, so proceeded to dismiss several of Iqbal’s finest longhops to and over the fence. Also of note was the injection of impact player Las “Jonty Rhodes” Kannangara off the bench, as he pulled off a run out that even Brett “Marvs” Marvel would have been proud of.
 Tea was taken and enjoyed by all, with pikelets with jam and cream being my personal favourite, and probably the highlight of the day. Iqbal continued after tea with Shenal (who had previously had the opposition centurion caught at slip, only to see the umpire doing his lat raises in celebration of the no-ball).
(James Campbell in Swan Lake)
After a tiring eighty-one overs in the field, the new ball was taken on advice from the 13th man, with immediate success. James “JC” Campbell and Chad both taking wickets in the first overs of their spells. James proceeded to take three more in quick succession finishing with the figures of the day, 4 – 28. Chad and Cubbage also bowled admirably with three and two respectively. It was a fantastic finish to what was a slow and tough day’s cricket.
With two overs to negotiate before stumps, the plan was to have ten wickets intact at the beginning of tomorrow’s play. Shenal and Mitch Kleem were given the duties, but with three balls in the day left, Kleem was unfortunate to edge one to slip. Stumps were then taken and Mitch was out of the ground before we found out whether the ball had moved.
Next day started disappointingly with the perennial optimist Jack Hammond being dismissed early (I can’t tell you how he was dismissed, as I was suffering from a splitting headache that morning). With two down for not many when I arrived, I was less than optimistic about our chances. But, cricket being the roller-coaster of emotion that it is, this feeling was reversed after a steadying partnership between Siriwardhene and Hicks, and with the score on 2 – 60 the stags were looking in decent shape.
 Cue collapse. Hicks (30) was adjudged out caught behind after a ball clipped the off stump (the bail hanging tenuously, but not removed) rather than the edge. From then on a string of LBW dismissals from a bowler throwing down hooping inswingers had the Stags in trouble, with Turner, Marvel,Selby, Ahmed and Shenal (24) all following in a procession worthy of St Mary’s Cathedral.
(Jack Hammond watches on as this one is dug out)
Cubbage and Soper put up some resistance, and JC “Hernandez” did his admirable best (he was not out - just so you know), but Gordon were eventually skittled by Randwick-Petersham for 120, with the first innings victory belonging to Randy-Petes.
Things then started to turn into something worthy of Marlowe, with the Randwick Petersham captain deciding his lower order batsmen needed some extra practice before next week. In turn, Iqbal decided he needed some work on his keeping. Not only this, but Turner, Selby, Jack “MC” Hammond, Brett “Marvellous” Marvel and Mitch Kleem needed practise on their bowling – for next season.
Once the Randwick-Petersham captain knew things were a little awry, the game was declared finished with Randy-Petes the victors.
Bitterly disappointing to get so far yet go out so early, but it was a top effort from all involved in the season to get us to where we did. Good luck to 1s and I’ll see you all down at Chatswood Oval this week.
(If you were curious, Marlowe wrote farces.)
Cheers
Patrick “Powder Man” Effeney | 
