1st Grade Report

Round 12 – Epping v Burwood at Rothwell Week 2

The Pingers turned up with their season on the line. With the ensuing 80 overs of play potentially being season defining, all were up for a tough battle. The skippers eyes lit up to see the covers only being removed 50 minutes prior to play. With plenty of rain around in the evening and not much drying time, we were sure there would be some favourable juice in the deck which we were hopeful of using to our advantage to secure early wickets.

We knew the key was to secure the early wicket of Seymour and then apply pressure to the rest of the batters. Hoss got the best possible start with a double wicket maiden early on. Seymour was attacking from the start and scoring freely. Our chance came with a ball lofted down the ground by Seymour but the small appendages of T-Rex (aka Brucey) were unable to grasp the chance. No thigh slapping proceeded but it was a big opportunity gone begging.

AB and Hugh picked up a few more wickets but the Briars passed us 6 down. Scruff was hopeful of an early declaration but the Briars skipper, after going missing in action when his team was in trouble, decided to cash in with the pressure off to help bolster his stats for the season. Scruff took one for the team and served up an over with more fruit and pies in it then we knew would be served at the tea interval. The Briars closed the innings with a 57 run lead.

With 49 overs left in the day our only chance to gain some points was an unlikely outright victory. Quick runs were the order of the day to try and set a target for the Briars to chase and for the Pinger to potentially secure 10 wickets. Nutty and Macca went early but Pas and Scruff formed a good partnership. Scruff was playing shots all around the ground and showed why he is the in-form batter of the Shires comp. One lusty blow cleared the fence to the long side of the ground.

After striking the ball sweetly Pas fell for a well made 23 with the score on 60. Hoss put one onto the road with Nutty’s Castrol sponsored, Gilly signed, PVC free, Limited edition bat. He fell trying to smite another one down the ground. Scruff continued on his merry way scoring at will. Biff, once again with a licence to ‘go postal’, joined the skipper. In an innings that was Bothamesque in both form and shape, Beefy finally delivered.

Connecting with some towering blows Biff sent the ball to all parts and over it on a few occasions. Scruff went for 46 and Wheats, with his opportunity to play some disgraceful shots like some hackers in the Shires comp to score runs, played too straight to be caught down the ground. T-Rex compiled 7, Hugh 14 and Biff finally fell for 50 in his best innings of the season. With 167 scored from 26 overs, this left the Briars with 110 required from 21 overs.

Some tight early overs from Hugh and Hoss got the Briars on the back foot. The first wicket was secured with a well judged catch to Basic down the ground. A deceptive slower ball from Hoss lured Seymour into a mistimed shot down the ground, T-Rex made good ground and devoured it like a Hadrosaurids, one of its favourite preys. This was quite apt as Hadrosaurids was also commonly known as the ‘duck-billed’ dinosaur with Seymour the leading duck scorer this season.

Hugh chimed in with a wicket and Hoss secured his 3rd with a wonderful piece of keeping by Biff up to the stumps, snaring a faint inside edge. Looking for his 4th wicket Hoss had one travel to Macca at point who, for a second week, made a better meal of it then a Master Chef contestant. In a twist of fate he had dropped Richardson who was the son of the famed Peter Richardon who’s name is etched on the trophy both clubs were playing for.

As an experienced player with over 4,000 1st Grade runs for UNSW, it was a blow to the Pingers chances. The Briars skipper came out of hiding and promoted himself up the order in the run chase. Pas slid one past him to have him bowled and when Biff dislodged the bails of the Briars ‘Rock Star’ who was dazed by the limelight we were in with a sniff. Some lofted shots into the Briars crowd on the hill swung the momentum to the home team who secured outright victory with 9 balls to spare.

With a favourable weather result in the Penno v Lane Cove game the Pingers remain in 6th spot. A must win game awaits next week against Roseville to hopefully see us through to our 3rd consecutive finals campaign. AB aptly summed it up as only AB can do…. “It’s time to stop talking about it and just @#$%&^ do it!”

Hoss

Round 12 – Epping v Burwood at Rothwell

After last weeks disappointing lose to local rivals Penno, this week’s match was about redemption and making a mark to secure a finals berth. Rothwell Oval looked in pristine condition with a well prepared deck. Scruff called right and opted to bat on what appeared to be a dry flat deck.

Macca survived an early appeal for a catch to short cover but stood his ground claiming it had been hit into the deck first. Much to the Briars disgust the umpires agreed with Macca. Unsure whether he should cash in on his early reprieve, Macca played all around a delivery a few balls later to have his castle dismantled. Wheats again was called to enter the arena earlier then hoped.

Nutty looked to return to his aggressive free flowing game this week but when he slashed at a wide on which found its way to 2nd slip the Pingers has lost both openers. Wheats looked to stabilise the innings with Pas promoted up the order to 4. Unfortunately for Wheats however he was dismissed with a specy of a catch to the Briars gully fielder. This left Wheats to lament a season of misfortune and wonder how batsmen like the Penno match-winner from last round could score the ugliest 83no ever playing and missing more times than Wheats has in his career. At 3-22 this was not the solid start the Pingers had envisaged.

The competition’s leading run scorer strode to the crease with confidence to join Pas. As good players do however, he was able to get his edge to a ball that seamed and carried through to the keeper leaving the Pingers in strife at 4-29. With very tight bowling and a deck that obviously had a little more juice in it then first expected the Bulls were on the ropes.

Hoss and Pas knuckled down to bring some respectability to the score. With a combination of aggressive stroke play and looking for singles to turn the strike over a good partnership formed. Pas was looking resolute and determined playing very straight within the V. Hoss rode his luck a little more looking to go over the top if the ball was full and in his zone. A solid 50 run partnership was brought to a close when Hoss nicked one through to 1st slip which was gratefully accepted by the Briars.

Brucey was the next in, and the next to go, after smashing the ball onto his pad which was obvious to all at the ground. Not to be deterred by the fact the batsmen had hit the ball, the umpire adjudicated him LBW. Pas started to play some fluent strokes with a lovely drive down the ground for 4. Just as he looked to get going he flicked one off his pads to short mid wicket to be the Briars 7th victim with only 92 runs on the board.

Biff got off the mark with a trademark flick off the pads which sent the children scurrying in the kiddies play area. He found a solid partner in Hughie who was getting in behind the ball and playing some lovely drives. They saw us through to tea with hope of a counter attack after the break.

The Briars had bowled a miserly line and length offering no fruit or pies to be dispatched by the Bulls batsmen. Continuing that form, we also found the same at the allocated tea break. It was also very miserly and offered very little fruit or other delectable delights to be enjoyed by the 20 plus grown men for which the home team usually caters. With a high standard set at Epping Oval this year, we have become accustomed to proper nourishment to prepare for a further 40 overs in the field post tea.

Looking to be positive after the break Biff and Hugh played with more aggression. After finding the boundary with a lovely stroke Biff forgot to hit the next ball and played right over the top of it to be bowled. AB, having only been dismissed once this year, provided a glimmer of hope to post a respectable score. He went on the attack straight away. Unfortunately he lost Hugh with the score on 124. AB and Basic entertained the crowd playing some expansive strokes. The Bulls were hopeful of pushing past the 150 mark but the innings was brought to a close when AB was dismissed for an invaluable 21.

With a meagre 147 on the board it was critical we took early wickets to put the Briars under some pressure. Hoss and Hugh got proceedings underway with a few near misses. Hoss had a big LBW shout turned down and expressed some bemusement at the reasoning given for our plea being declined. AB replaced Hoss and first ball brought immediate results. Unfortunately, Macca made a more substantial ‘meal of it’ then the Briars tea spread to give them an early life. Hugh was dispatched down the ground with an ungraceful club but had the last laugh to pick up our 1st wicket with a well disguised slower ball.

Seymour ‘waddled’ to the crease at the fall of the first wicket. The plan was to have him ‘ducking’ and weaving early by applying some pressure with the ball. After some probing yorkers were squeezed out, he avoided his 6th globe of the season squirting an awkward sweep around the corner from Pas. Well support by Dapice the score moved along to 60. Seymour played a few ‘quacking’ strokes before turning one off his hip from Scruff and called ‘yes’, leaving his partner a bit short with some clean fielding by AB. Some tense final balls were played out with the Briars in a strong position at 2-62 when stumps were called.

Early poles early doors (still don’t know what that cricketing lexicon means??) will be required by the Bulls to have any hope of securing 6 points next week. Make sure you pack some extra play lunch and Hugh, can we put in a special away trip request for some of Mrs Holden muffins?

Hoss

Epping 167 (Hossack 48, Henry 43) Pennant Hills 4-168

We arrived at Epping Oval at the early time of 8 15 for the second time this season due to the previous week being washed out. The game against our biggest of arch rivals Pennant Hills was our most important game of the season to date. Victory would all but seal our place in the top 6 where as the eventual defeat means that Pennant Hills are now just one point behind us in the ladder with just two rounds to go.

The pitch looked like it would play fairly consistent throughout the whole day but that was not to be the case with there definitely being enough in the pitch for the bowlers to be licking their lips, maybe a little too much if you ask Hughy.

The day started going against plan very early with Scruff losing the toss and being sent into bat. The plan was to bat normally as if it was a 82 over a day game, however this plan suffered three early blows with Mckeough, Wheatley and Cox all back in the sheds before a bakers dozen had been scored. Nutty and Scruff took the score to 46 before Nutty was also removed and the Bulls were in deep trouble at 4 - 46.

It was at this stage that Mr Fry arrived at the ground looking for a sub fielder for Third Grade as Clubber Hlaing had pulled his hamstring. As I (Macca) looked around at the people who were already dismissed I mused about their respective suitability for the job: (Coxy - a keeper's fielding skills might have slackened, Nutty - would only be able to field in slips and would only really do the same job as a guy with a pulled hammy anyway and Wheatley - I wasn't going to dare ask him) so it was obvious i was going to be the sub fielder.

It was a job i enjoyed as i got to sledge G Mac who made a brisk 12. However when I returned from this duty I went to the dressing room to change and discovered my kit and all my equipment taped together. After much debating with fellow team mates about who was responsible it was almost certain the culprit was AB. Previous experience has shown me that you have to get AB back sneakily. (Editors Note: Look up hubris in the dictionary Macca. If we wanted a diary entry we would have asked for one!)

Back to the cricket though and this was a crucial time for the Bulls at 4-46 and it was at this time Scruff and Hoss made a 60 run partnership that was broken when Scruff was caught off a leading edge. We then gradually lost our last five wickets to be bowled out for 167.

At the change of innings we were confident of restricting the Pumas to less than this total, however it was going to produce a good bowling effort to do so. Early wickets were going to be the key and we were given two early ones to keep us in with a real chance. It was from here that the torment began, one Puma player (who ended up producing a score of eighty not out to take the Pumas to victory) played and missed at Hughy more times than he hit including a couple of french cuts. To add to the frustration of the Bulls he did not let the other pace bowlers feel left out either by playing and missing a couple times each to them as well.

However it was the highest and most important innings on either side and was the difference between them. The only remaining highlight in the days play was Hoss once again getting his bunny out as he Hoss dangled the carrot beautifully as AB put it.

With the Briars coming up next week and the Roses after that it is a big couple of weeks for the Pingas as it will determine whether we can turn this season into a successful one or not. Lets go boys Up the Ping