Roudenko Cricket Academy Charity Day 2022
For the Micah Foundation
Monday 3 October 2022 at D M Henderson Park
It was a special day for a special cause and Mother Nature recognised that with a glorious day for cricket at D M Henderson Park. A “Loose” application of the following rules was applied.
10-a-side; 11 overs per team
An indoor cricket ball to be used
Each player bowls one over; Player with the worst figures bowls the last over.
Batters retire at 25, but can return if all players have batted
Batters can nominate six individual deliveries at any time during the innings from which runs are doubled. Nomination must occur prior to the delivery by advising the umpire. If the delivery is not a legal one (ie., Wide or No ball), the double carries to the next legal delivery.
Last batter can continue, but may only score two or multiple of two.
Round 1:
Micah IV 6/141 def Wanderers All Out 37 - DM Henderson Upper
Shukla Legends v Brisbane Super Kings - DM Henderson Lower
Shukla won the toss and elected to field. The first over of the day by Jack Haynes was easily harvested for 14 runs by Aneesh and Karumpal. The double called from Connor Heilig’s 2nd ball, found the boundary for the first “8” of the day, an eventual 18 runs and the No. 1 ranking to bowl the final over! Karampal’s boundary from the final ball of the 3rd took him past 25 for the first retirement of the day. Two balls later, the wily Steve Saini, picked up the first wicket of the innings; the new batsman caught by Dylan Crees without scoring. Jonathan Tennakoon gave up 14 runs in his over, but snared the wicket of Aneesh (16) with the final ball. Just 18 came from the next three overs as Nick King, Dylan Crees and Grayson Jones bowled tidy-ish overs. The pressure told on BSK, which can be the only reason that Lachlan Reberger was able to pick up a wicket in the 9th over 😁. With just nine on the field, Connor Heilig and Jonathan Tennakoon had the ignominious honour to bowl the final two overs. Heilig picked up the wicket of BSK skipper Jatin from the second ball of the over, but gave up 12; most of which were wides. On the other hand Jonathon Tennakoon bowled an inspired final over conceding just 4 runs and claiming wickets with his final two balls to finish with 3/18.
The target was 105. Nick King and Jack Haynes added 39 from 26 at the top of the order before King retired on 25 from 10 balls at the start of the 5th over. Haynes was out the very next ball when the cunning Arnav snuck one through his defences. Grayson Jones and Christian Gunning then smashed 47 from the next 26 balls including the first double 6 of the match to Jones at the end of the 6th over. Jones’ retirement came mid-way through the 9th, but not before he took a painful blow to the knee much to the delight of players and spectators (“schadenfreude” look it up😂). Connor Heilig lasted an over before he ran past one and was stumped by Karumpal off Akash and Christian Gunning was out five runs short of the target when Aneesh accepted a return catch in the final over. It was left to Dylan Crees and Jonathan Tennakoon to shepherd Shukla home with three balls to spare.
Round 2:
Brisbane Super Kings 4/141 def by Wanderers 5/142 - DM Henderson Upper
Shukla Legends v Micah IV - DM Henderson Lower
Both teams had a first-up win, so it was time to see who would be favourite on the day. Shukla elected to field once again and were elated when Rishi found the hands of Gunning from Haynes’ first ball. Despite a first-up “Harmison” ball, Roiko trapped Arif Mansuri in front in the second over and Micah were 2/19. Amitoj Sidhu and Anthony Gray added 25, but in a relatively sedate 20 balls before a brilliant bit of fielding by an alert Saini had Gray run out in the 5th over. Four balls later, it was Saini again taking a hot chance at short mid-wicket off the bowling of Dylan Crees to dismiss the dangerous Saad Farooqi and reduce Micah to 4/50. Lachlan Reberger was “met” by a rampant Sidhu in the 7th over. Amitoj sent three balls to the boundary; a six, a double 6 and a four; the latter snuck in before the scorer woke up and realised he should have retired😬. Musa smashed 13 out of a 15 run partnership with Will Whatmore, before Nick King took a handy catch off Christian Gunning, then took the ball for the next over and had Whatmore stumped by Roiko to make it 6/95. Mark Strong (with his highest score since 1986!) and Jagandeep Singh extracted 21 runs from the final 14 balls including a double 4 for Singh to take the score to 116 at the close.
Despite being hampered by injury, Jimmy De Couto snared the wicket of Steve Saini with the last ball of the first over; Arif Mansuri taking a well judged boundary catch. Rishi got some revenge for his first ball dismissal, claiming the wicket of Roiko via a Saad Farooqi catch with his first ball. The rest of the over did not go so well however. Gunning smacked a six, a double four and a four to take the score to 35 after 3. Grayson Jones gave Sidhu a taste of his own medicine in the next over smacking consecutive sixes, then calling a double. The move backfired though, as Whatmore took the catch to make it 3/49. The 35 run partnership from just 10 balls between Jones and Gunning had established a platform for Shukla. 37 came from the next 16 balls with Gunning (12 balls) and Dylan Crees (9 balls) reaching retirement. Crees’ innings included a massive blow that cleared the high fence and landed well into the car park of the Sunnybank Sports Club. At the beginning of the 8th over, Shukla needed 21 from 24 balls. Bizarrely, Lachlan Reberger was run out by Saad Farooqi from the “zero” ball of the 8th attempting a second bye run off a wide - that was a first for this scorer!! Connor Heilig and the cool head of Jonathan Tennakoon guided Shukla Legends to the target in the 9th over.
Round 3:
Wanderers 7/99 def by Shukla Legends 1/103 - DM Henderson Upper
Micah IV v Brisbane Super Kings - DM Henderson Lower
Stung by their defeat in the previous match, Micah were keen to make amends. BSK were on the hunt for their first win of the day. Micah were to have first turn at bat.
It was the perfect start for BSK when Nakul had Dan Gray caught behind by Karumpal from the 3rd ball of the match; finishing the over at 1/1. A couple of tight overs by youngsters Milan and Arnav applied pressure and the result was a wicket in the next over by Deven; Jagandeep Singh well caught by Kulvinder trying to hit down the ground. Enter Musa and the fireworks! 41 came from the next 11 balls; Musa belting four consecutive sixes and retiring on 25 from just six balls. A bizarre 10-ball over from Bala finished with the wicket of Amitoj Sidhu; another victim of the safe hands of Kulvinder in the deep. Having faced just 15 of 41 balls, Whatmore reached his 25 and retired in the 7th over bringing Doctors Arif Mansuri and Saad Farooqi together for an undefeated 59 run partnership which took Micah to the second last ball of the innings. A six to Saad brought about his retirement; Arif remaining not out 24.
The target was 134 for BSK, but catches to Dan Gray and Will Whatmore in Vinod Rishi’s opening over set the cause back somewhat and when Anthony Gray penetrated Bala’s defences in the second over, BSK were struggling at 3/22. Guyan Gunasekera made it 4/28 from four when Saad Farooqi whipped off the bails with Deven short of his ground. Hemmant and Akash defied Micah for the next 4 overs adding 38 along the way until Hemmant fell to Whatmore’s second catch of the innings off Farooqi in the 8th. Akash’s lone hand came to an end when he reached 25 an over later. With two to go, BSK needed 58 to win and although all doubles were still in tact; the “hitters” were in the shed. A tight Arif Mansuri over where he picked up a wicket and conceded just five runs meant that the final over ask was 53 from 6. Will Whatmore picked up a wicket and his third catch of the innings and the doubles turned six runs into 12, but this was still 40 runs short of Micah’s total.
A place in the final for Micah alongside Shukla Legends - a mouth-watering prospect
Volunteers had prepared a fantastic spread and players, spectators and officials gathered on the top oval to partake and engage.
With a perfect record in the first three matches and taking just over 4 overs to chase 99 in the previous match, Shukla Legends were firm favourites. However, the short DM Henderson Upper ground boundaries meant that anything could happen.
The inimitable Brad “Spud” Murphy was given a microphone - Oh Dear! - and he was joined by RCA stalwart, Mitch Thompson who thought he may get a word in…uh uh!
Final:
Shukla Legends v Micah IV - DM Henderson Upper
Shukla won the toss and elected to post a target. Arif Mansuri was first into the attack. Grayson Jones managed a boundary early, but Arif came back to have him caught by Dan Gray from the second last ball of the over. Nick King entered the fray, smacked Arif for six off the last ball of the first, then bludgeoned three consecutive maximums off Amitoj Sidhu in the next over - the last two doubles - retiring on 36 from 4 balls!!! With 39 from the over, Sidhu was surely ranked No. 1 to bowl the final over. Guyan Gunasekera’s over was a rose amongst thorns. Just 3 runs came off it plus the wicket of Christian Gunning - beautifully caught by Arif at long on. Jack Haynes had gone under the radar while Nick King was ablaze, but took 15 of the 20 that came off Lee Watts’ over before retiring on 25 from 12. After hitting consecutive sixes off Saad Farooqi, Connor Heilig called for a double, but only found the hands of Will Whatmore. Dylan Crees book-ended the over with another pair of sixes to take Shukla to 100 from 5! Anthony Gray kept Umpire Mick Sims busy with a few wayward deliveries in the next over and when they were finally in reach, Crees deposited two of them over the boundary to reach 25 from 6 balls, but before this scorer could call it, he attempted another and was caught by Dan Gray - Sorry Dylan😒. 4/119 from 6 overs. Vinod Rishi restricted Shukla to 3 from the next four balls before Steve Saini smacked one behind square for six to make it 128 after 7. Just 9 came from the next 9 deliveries by Dan Gray and Will Whatmore. A six and a four to Saini set the ball rolling again, but then another catch to Arif off the final ball of the over made it 5/147; Saini out for 18. Anthony Gray and Amitoj Sidhu had “the honour” of the last two overs. Lachlan Reberger took a couple of boundaries off Gray to make it 5/160 with one to go. Match “referee” Lance Roudenko retired Jonathan Tennakoon for Josh Gannon who took a quick single. A throw at the stumps beat the fielder and raced to the boundary for four overthrows; the first five of the day was scored. A Gunasekera catch removed Gannon a few balls later and Nick King returned to the crease for the final two balls. King immediately called a double and over the boundary she went; King now 48 from 5. An anticlimactic bye finished the innings on 179 - a formidable score!
Will Whatmore blew the game wide open in the first five balls of the Micah innings. Six..No ball…Dot…Six…Dbl 6….6; 30 from 5 retired!!!! 0/32 after 1. Game On! Dylan Crees pulled the handbrake in the next over, allowing just six, but the run rate was still 19! Amitoj Sidhu and Arif Mansuri spanked 13 from Christian Gunning’s over but at the cost of Arif’s wicket, caught by Lachlan Reberger on the last ball. In the next over, Amitoj knocked the first one from Steve Saini out of the park, then called a double and did the same to the next to reach 27 and retire, but from the very next ball, Dan Gray was out, caught by Nick King. Saad Farooqi made it 30 from the over with two sixes from the next three balls; Micah 81 from just four overs! Saad needed just three balls in the next over to get to 25 from 6 and take Micah to 101 from 5; one more than Shukla were at the same time. Guyan Gunasekera clubbed Grayson Jones for six from the first ball of the next over then called a double, but could only manage a single off the next. Caught up in the excitement, Vinod Rishi stepped out of his crease to be stumped by Crees (😁) and it was 3 for Nelson (111) after six. Crees was on hand again an over later taking a catch to dismiss Anthony Gray off Josh Gannon and five balls later, Lee Watts lofted Reberger into the hands of Nick King to make it 5/119. The run rate was 17 an over. the required rate was 20. The big-hitting Musa was at the crease. The first two balls cleared the boundary, but singles from the remaining three balls pushed the asking rate to 22 an over from the last three. Musa smacked 12 from the first three balls of the next and retired, bringing Will Whatmore back to the crease with 33 to get from 15 balls. A single to Guyan and a six to Whatmore from the last ball of the over took Micah to 5/154. 26 from 2. Micah were now in the box seat. Jonathan Tennakoon bowled beautifully to restrict Micah to three singles from the first three balls. Match referee Roudenko intervened again to retire Guyan and bring back the big-hitting Amitoj. Singles came off the next two before Whatmore finally latched onto the last ball of the over to make it 165 with an over to go; 15 runs required. A Dot and a Leg Bye by Connor Heilig then Whatmore down the wicket - Wide - Stumped by Crees! 13 to get; four to come. Musa back at the crease….Four….9 to get….Six….3 to get…..Swing….Six…..all over! A win by Micah off the second-last ball… A spectacular end to a spectacular day.
Congratulations to all on a great event. A privilege to be there.
