South Brisbane 2nd Grade 2021/22 - T20 Series
Despite the deluge during the week, Norman Gray Oval was immaculately prepared (as always) and play commenced on time at 10.00am.
Matt Casey won the toss and invited Ipswich/Logan to bat. Souths had a dream start when Brendan McNae’s first ball got a top edge and was caught by Nic Golding at mid-on, then, three minutes later, Josh Bartlett’s first ball took an edge and was caught behind by Matthew Taviani. Ethan Ramsbotham and Noah Emmerson fought back for the visitors, taking 28 from the next 32 balls, before Liam O’Hare latched onto one off Nic Golding to end Ramsbotham’s innings. An over later, 2nd’s newcomer, Noah Vojinov, snuck one through Emmerson’s defence and it was 4/40 after eight overs. An attempt to send Connor McMillan’s first ball over the boundary at long on, gave Golding his second catch of the innings and a Bartlett catch off the last ball of the next over by Matt Casey, reduced Ipswich to 6/59 with seven overs to go. Ipswich skipper, Matt Andrews then partnered with Harry Sheppard for a much-needed 33 from 28 balls. After being dropped on 4 and 17, Sheppard’s luck finally ran out on 26, in the 18th over, when Dylan Crees took a good catch in the outfield off Golding. Souths managed to restrict Ipswich to just 11 runs from the last 14 balls; McNae claiming his second wicket and O’Hare his second catch in the last over.
With Souths chasing 104, Toowoomba Grammar student, Jem Ryan, picked up wickets in his first and second overs to have Souths struggling on 2/8. Souths had yet to find the boundary when Noah Emmerson snuck one through Aaron Joby in the 8th over to make it 3/25. The 4th wicket partnership of 25 from 22 between Steve Roy and Brendan McNae breathed life back into the Souths innings. The first boundary - a maximum - came from the bat of Roy in the 10th. Two overs later Roy clubbed another six, but perished next ball, trying to repeat the dose. A couple of quick wickets left Souths reeling at 6/66 (what a number?) with five overs remaining. McMillan and Casey settled the ship for an over, then with 33 required off 24 balls, a no ball to Casey was hit for two and the subsequent free hit clubbed over the boundary to reduce the task to 24 from 23 balls. All of a sudden, the game took on a whole new complexion! Casey’s demise at the end of the 17th was cause for concern, but, McMillan and Bartlett showed poise in powering through to take 24 from the next 15 balls and overhaul the target with 4 balls to spare. A win to Souths by three wickets.
Souths hosted University in the afternoon game. Matt Casey won another toss and chose to bowl first. Déjà vu when McNae struck in the first over via an edge to Matthew Taviani. Taviani was on hand again, to take an edge off Josh Bartlett in the 4th over and University were 2/17. Ben Davis and Will Carty added 26 for the 3rd wicket before Noah Vojinov took a fine return catch, low down, to end Davis’ stay. Carty then partnered with skipper, Marcus Daldy, for 30 from four overs before some Matt Casey fielding brilliance. From backward point, a direct hit at the bowler’s end dismissed opposing skipper, Daldy. Then, in the next over, a deflection in his follow-through, onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end found the batsman short; Uni 5/78. Carty was finally out, for a well-made 54, after a 29-run, 6th wicket partnership with Liam McBrien; McNae pouching a top edge off his own bowling. McNae grabbed his 3rd wicket in the 20th over, when McBrien lofted one to Josh Bartlett; University’s eventual total 136.
Unlike the previous three innings of the day, Souths got off to a good start in the chase. Aaron Joby and Dylan Crees took 32 off the first 33 balls, before an edge to the keeper saw Dylan Crees depart. The first 30 runs of a 54 run partnership between Liam O'Hare and Aaron Joby came from 34 balls, then, accelerated to 24 from the next 14 to take the score to 1/86. Disaster followed when O’Hare was bowled; Steve Roy run out two balls later and McNae stumped two balls after that; 4/88
The task was 49 from 34. Joby and Matt Taviani added 18 from 16, before Taviani fell trying to accelerate. A bizarre series of leg byes and wides preceded the wicket of Matt Casey in the next over leaving 25 to get from 14 balls. McMillan and Joby took 9 off the next 7 before Joby blasted a six into the clubhouse glass doors (no damage) to reduce the target to 10 from the last over.
The drama unfolded thus: Dot. Dot. Single to McMillan. 9 from 3. Wide. 8 from 3. Single to Joby. 7 from 2. No Ball plus one to McMillan. 5 from 2. Smack. Running…1..2? No. Joby Run Out. 😬 4 from 1. New batsman, Josh Bartlett, facing. Smack….lofted..Cover fieldsman jumps…takes the catch. 😩 Souths 8/133; 3 runs short.
Both Valley and Souths could advance to a semi-final with a win on Sunday. Matt Casey won his third toss of the weekend and for the third time, chose to bowl. Brendan McNae struck first again, in the third over, when an edge was taken behind by Dylan Crees. Some tight bowling by Toby Sawyer-Brown and Josh Bartlett restricted Christian Murphy and Jacques Badenhorst to 23 from the next 33 balls, before Badenhorst’s stumps were scattered by a rocket from Bartlett. Two overs later, Murphy drilled one at Matt Casey who juggled and held the return catch; 3/50. Tom Collier and Michael Toolis smashed 41 from the next four overs and looked set to catapult Valley to a big score, but, a brilliant direct hit by Noah Vojinov, found Collier short of his ground; 4/92 in the 15th. Eduard Venter picked up where Collier left off; partnering Toolis for 28 off 21, before another Bartlett special got through Toolis’ defences at the start of the penultimate over. 15 came from the last 11 deliveries with a Corbin Zeller run out in the last over, the only interruption; Venter finishing with a sparkling 33* from 18 balls.
The target was 136 - one less than what was required v University the previous afternoon. The opening stand was the best of the weekend; Aaron Joby and Dylan Crees advancing the score to 42 in the power play, before Crees lofted one straight into the hands of mid-on. Returning from a knee injury, a quick single was probably not what Trent Pearce needed. A run out was certainly not what Souths wanted after such a good start, but, there it was. 0/42 became 2/42. Liam O’Hare and Joby steadied the ship taking the score to 65 in the 11th over before O’Hare got an edge to the keeper. Joby and Corbin Zeller added just 16 off the next four overs in the face of some tight bowling by Valley and when Joby spooned a return catch to Venter in the 15th the “equation” had ballooned to 55 from 35. McNae’s 2nd ball maximum reduced that to 49 from 33, but with five to go the required rate was all but 10 an over.
Zeller and McNae added 31 from 27 balls to take Souths to 112. From that point, the pressure told and both fell in successive balls. With 23 required from the last over, wickets tumbled. Jacques Badenhorst completed a hat-trick - C&B; Ct; Bwld from the second, third and fourth balls of the over; Souths falling short by 19 runs.
