Upskill Cricket v Wynnum Manly

Upskill Cricket

8 July

Winter Warehouse 2023 Saturday A1 Round 8

1 and 8 July 2023 at 7th Brigade Park 1

Day One:

A 7th Brigade “road” and short boundaries resulted in a run-fest in this Round 8 clash. After the customary lost toss, this time by Matt Taviani (proving the curse is attached to the team; not the captain), Upskill padded up for their first innings.

Wynnum Manly’s Rohit Haldar and Ram Akula bowled unchanged for the first 20 overs restricting Upskill to 3/46 at drinks. After drinks it was a different story. Dan Gray and Matthew Taviani guided Upskill to Tea without further loss adding 112 in the process; both on 64 at the break. The domination continued after Tea as the partnership passed 150 and Taviani brought up a century from just 88 balls. A disastrous 12 balls in the 52nd/53rd overs saw Upskill slump from 3/213 to 6/218, but Gray and Joe Whittaker picked up the pieces and blasted 78 from 64 for the 7th wicket; Whittaker smashing five 4s and three 6s in an exciting cameo. Gray brought up a hard-fought century from 223 balls anchoring the innings beautifully for Upskill. Wynnum wrapped up the tail quickly claiming the last three wickets for just 15 runs. Haldar and Harry Singh picking up three each and Lachlan Biggs three catches with the gloves.

Day Two:

Chasing 311, Wynnum Manly started positively adding 34 before Matthew Shipp intervened to dismiss Harry Singh in the 10th over. Shipp picked up a second in his next over and Wynnum were 2/43. Varinder Singh survived a confident LBW shout second ball but then settled into a decisive 110 wicket partnership with skipper Reshabh Agarwal. In a scorer’s nightmare, the 100 partnership, team 150 and both players’ 50s came up within a couple of minutes in the 32nd over 😬. Then two wickets in 8 balls, including Reshabh for a stylish 56 from 69 balls, left Wynnum at 4/157. Lachlan Biggs joined Varinder for another solid partnership of 81, before Varinder finally fell LBW to Shipp on 99! Wynnum remained in control needing just 69 from the remaining 17 overs. A 6th wicket partnership of 54 from just 48 balls between Biggs and Kunal Thakur more or less sealed the deal. Biggs brought up a 50 from 84 balls and went on to make an impressive 71. The First Innings victory sealed for Wynnum in the 64th over. Matthew Shipp returned 3/61 from 16 overs for Upskill.