Manly and Parramatta had a game of Bat
Manly Oval in Round 13 was no country for old bowlers. Parramatta batted well. Manly batted better. The bowlers did their best. The highlight for Parramatta was a maiden First Grade century for Under-19 prospect Blake Noorbergen, whose 104 came from 149 balls and included 15 fours and two 6s – quite an achievement against an attack that included State bowlers Ryan Hadley and Charles Stobo. Normally a team that scores 377 feels reasonably safe, but despite the early loss of Ahillen Beadle, Manly stormed home in less than 69 overs. Matt Brewster (134) added 176 for the second wicket with Ollie Davies, who’s in brutal form – his 106 occupied only 75 balls and included nine 6s. Jay Lenton then steered Manly home with an unbeaten 87. Davies and Lenton did things to Ryan Gupta that aren’t fit for publication in a family blog such as this one – and Gupta can bowl. Anyway, the result keeps Manly on top of the table, while Parramatta falls to seventh.
Brad Simpson revitalised Bankstown’s season
Approaching the end of the season, and with the top of the table looking crowded, outright wins are priceless. Bankstown opening bowler Brad Simpson propelled his side to fifth place on the table by slicing through Gordon twice, taking 5-26 and 4-63 to set up a ten-point win at Blacktown International. Twice in Gordon’s first innings, Simpson was on a hat-trick: he removed Mitchell Lole and Rory McLean with successive balls in his fifth over, and in his next over he accounted for Axel Cahlin and Jack Shelley – four wickets in the space of eleven balls. In between, Riley Kingsell (88) and Tyran Liddiard (80) batted quickly enough to give their bowlers time to dismiss Gordon a second time. Mathematically, Gordon can still reach the finals, but not without a whole lot of luck.
There was an upset at Mark Taylor Oval
The initial focus of attention at Mark Taylor Oval was Sam Konstas, opening the innings for Sutherland. That lasted three overs, until Konstas edged an away-swinger from Charlie Anderson through to keeper Ryan Swain. Even so, Sutherland built a substantial total: Max Robinson hit 90, Kobey Freer 89, Lachlan Ritchie 63 and Riley Keen 62. Northern District looked dead and buried on 4 for 54, after good early bowling by Keen and Will Straker and sharp catching by Konstas at slip. But Mitchell Crayn kept the match going with a fighting innings of 123, well supported by Spencer White (59). Left-armer Keen came back to remove both batters, and Northern District ended up 44 runs short. The loss puts the Rangers in 11th place, and needing something close to a miracle to make the finals.
Byron Whitbread had a big week
The start of the Fifth Grade match between Wests and St George was routine, almost dull. Steven Wark, in his eight millionth season of grade cricket (approximately), opened the attack, bowed inswingers and was tight. The Wests openers blocked him respectfully. They put together a partnership of 37. Nothing out of the ordinary there. The fifth bowler St George tried was leg-spinner Byron Whitbread, who was in last season’s Green Shield side. Wests had no response to his accuracy and turn: seven for 16 from 15 overs. In the second innings, he added three more wickets for 22 runs, a match return of 10-38. That’s easily his best performance in Premier Cricket, although he did pick up an 8-32 in Metropolitan Cup last season. Wests crumbled twice for 101 and 85; St George completed a ten-point win after a straightforward second innings chase.
The Green Shield final was tight
In recent seasons, Northern District and Parramatta have turned out a number of formidable Green Shield teams, so it was no surprise that they produced an epic final last week. Both sides bowled a little better than they batted, but it was tight finals cricket, with every run conceded grudgingly. Arjun Singh and Kirby Mulligan, in a fourth-wicket stand of 66, propelled Northern District to 3 for 132 with 18 overs remaining, which looked like a platform for a decent total, but Mulligan chipped a catch back to leg-spinner Ethan Natkunamanickam, and Parramatta’s bowlers (especially off-spinner Leon Cooray) applied the brakes so successfully that the last seven wickets fell for only 51 runs. After 24 overs, Parramatta was one for 94 – cruising. At which point, the Rangers turned to Arjun Singh’s leg spin. Singh’s a decent bowler, but hadn’t been a very significant weapon for most of the season, taking only five wickets in the first nine Green Shield games. But Juhith Rajesihiraju, on 40, miscued a leading edge to cover, and Parramatta’s middle order fell in a heap. By the time Singh caught and bowled Benjamin Mani, from another leading edge, he had four for nine and four wickets had fallen for eight runs. The rest was a struggle: Natkunamanickam, with 43 not out, kept Parramatta in the game, and when Oliver Makin started the final over, seven runs were needed with one wicket standing. There was a scrambled leg-bye, a two through midwicket, and another leg-bye, which left Natkunamanickam on strike with two to tie and three to win from the final delivery. Natkunamanickam missed with an attempted scoop, and although the batters ran through for a bye, Northern District won by a single run.