Northern Suburbs v Wynnum Manly
Fifth Grade Men
One Day Grand Final
11 February 2024 at Ian Healy Oval
Warm, but with a nice breeze; conditions were pretty good for the 5th Grade One Day Grand Final at Ian Healy Oval. Lachlan Reberger won the toss and elected to field first.
Reberger and Zach Wolfik were miserly in their opening spells giving up just 14 runs from the first six. The pressure told and in the 7th, Reberger took the edge of Neil Evetts’ bat and Dimitri Horton held a juggling effort at first slip; 1/15. The new batter lasted just six balls before being trapped in front by Wolfik in the next over; 2/16. Norths skipper Brad Townsend was travelling along nicely after an early life, but some sharp fielding at the end off the 11th had him stretching to make a single and it was bye-bye hammie.
Christian Payne replaced the skipper and together with Charlie Henderson added 31 in just 40 balls for the 4th wicket before Horton snapped up another fine slips catch off Insith Perera. Perera claimed a second in his next over when Nick Sherwood mistimed one and it looped to fine leg for Zach Wolfik to take the catch. It was Wolfik again in the next over getting under one at mid-wicket to dismiss the dangerous Christian Payne off Noah Still. Norths had lost 3/13 in 16 balls.
Mac Sargent and Matt Diggles dug in adding 21 over the next 9 overs, but fell in quick succession in the 29th and 30th - Diggles bowled by Rajiv Chandrasekara and Sargent caught by Wells off Scott Reberger. Scott claimed a second in his 3rd over and Lachlan rounded off a good bowling and fielding effort, grabbing the last with an edge to Wells in the 37th; Townsend unable to return from injury.
The target was 117. Clancy Muninady and Javen D’Sousa attacked it with relish, clubbing four boundaries in as many overs before Muniandy lofted one to mid-off and was caught by Joesph Campbell in the 5th. Javen departed in almost identical fashion 11 balls later. The run rate was good, but when Insith Perera was bowled in the 9th, it was a toss-up whether 40 runs on the board was worth the three wickets.
Rajiv Chandrasekara and Scott Reberger dug in for a while, before Rajiv paid dearly for a loss of patience and was caught at mid-wicket to make it 4/49. A 13 run 17th over thanks to consecutive boundaries (the second a maximum) to Preston Wells boosted the score to 65, but Norths fought back taking the wickets of Reberger and Wells in successive overs to reduce Wynnum to 6/67…50 to get; 4 wickets in hand.
A precarious position became a little more comfortable as Dimitri Horton found the boundary over the next few overs. Noah Still provided solid support and the pair added 23 from 28 balls to take Wynnum within 30 of the target. As was the case all day though, Norths fought back dismissing Still in the 24th; the equation 27 to get with 3 wickets in hand.
Skipper Lachlan Reberger joined Horton. In the 26th over with the score on 95, Horton decided it was time and lofted the leg-spinner over long off for six, repeated the dose next ball over long on and then again the following ball over wide-mid-off. 20 came off the over to bring the score to 115 - two runs from victory.
A wide in the next over brought the scores level, before Lachlan had a crack at a wide one, top-edged and was caught at point!!! 8/116. A lofted shot over mid-off from the first ball of the 28th brought up the winning run and a Grand Final win to Wynnum Manly. Horton finishing with a crucial 37 from 29 balls.
Well done lads!!!
