Upskill Cricket v Mansfield Lions
Winter Warehouse 2023 Saturday A1 Round 6
3 and 10 June 2023 at Marchant Park 2
Was there a toss? Who cares? Upskill batting first again in the first 2-dayer of the season.
The run rate up to drinks was fine (89 from 20 overs) but the loss of four wickets wasn’t. Campbell Farrelly and Luke Ronday compiled a much needed 82 from 93 for the 5th wicket; Ronday reaching 50 before being run out from the last ball of the 32nd over. Farrelly lasted just 8 more balls before being stumped for 40. Dan Gray and Will Whatmore dug in for a fighting 34 from 77 balls, but three wickets in 17 balls reduced Upskill to 9/197 after just 49 overs. A vital 10th wicket partnership between Milan Skaria and Amreen Kahlon added 29 runs, but more importantly, kept Mansfield in the field for a further 14 overs and took the score to 226 with about 40 minutes to play in the day. Ameya Gharat claimed a 5fa for Mansfield from a marathon 19 overs.
A wicket to Matt Taviani in the second over and to Farrelly in the 5th sent Mansfield to stumps at 2/25.
It took about a half an hour on Day 2 before the first wicket; Ben Ronday capitalising on a mix-up between batsmen to secure a run out; 3/36. Farrelly finally claimed the wicket of Short, caught behind in the 25th over, after a stubborn 28 from 71 balls. A C&B to Om Bhikadiya and a sharp slips catch by Nav Kahlon off Will Whatmore reduced Mansfield to 6/91 just after the drinks break. Om Bhikadiya continued to turn the ball “square” and disturbed the stumps twice in the 41st and 43rd overs; Mansfield 8/119. Mansfield skipper Sudath, guided his team to Tea at 8/145, but his partner ran out of patience and was caught by Whatmore off the bowling of Luke Ronday a few overs after the Tea break. Bhikadiya finished with a well-deserved 4fa when Taviani got under one just before 3:00pm to secure First Innings for Upskill.
The second dig was better forgotten. Some not-so-memorable across-the-line shots on a low, slow wicket led to 5 wickets (4 bowled) for just 59 runs from the remaining 21 overs. To learn patience requires patience and there’s the dilemma!
