South Brisbane V Northern Suburbs - 1st Grade
Bulls Masters First Grade 2020/21
Round 1
5 September 2020 at Norman Gray Oval
A beautiful day for cricket. A first up win of the toss for Ben Cutting and Souths were batting. Although the run-rate stayed healthy throughout the innings, wickets fell regularly with six of the first eight partnerships getting into the 20s before being snuffed out.
Skipper, Ben Cutting featured in four of the six (20 partnerships) on his way to an entertaining 68, which included five sixes (two over point!). Cutting perished trying to smash another one to cow corner off Prestwidge; Hauritz completing a juggling catch. Jamie Eccles batted solidly for 31 as did James Rosewarne (17) at No. 8 before he was caught spectacularly by Prestwidge at short mid-wicket. Souths were dismissed for 187 (👹) from 47.1 overs.
A strong bowling/fielding effort would be required to restrict the powerful Norths batting line-up. It was almost the perfect start when a tight opening 4 overs from Cutting and Sandhu yielded just four runs and then a double strike by Cutting in the 5th over, removed Burns and McSweeney; both edging to an alert Aryan Jain at second slip; 2/6.
Norths inched their way to 26 from from 12 overs before Matthew Wiseman enticed an edge from skipper Kendel Fleming to Brandon Faber, for the 3rd wicket. Brown and Healy looked comfortable in their 23 partnership, before James Ward rapped Brown on the pad in front to make it 4/49. Then, Healy(40) was finally out when Rosewarne got the edge for another fine catch by Jain at slip. 5/64. Rosewarne was in the action again in over 28, removing Prestwidge with the assistance of another Faber catch; 6/86.
Dawson and Farrell’s 7th wicket partnership of 37 was an important one, dragging North’s back into the contest. James Ward’s short delivery which Dawson(41) attempted to hook, but only managed to edge to a waiting Faber, brought about the end of the partnership; 7/123 in the 38th over. A few overs later, it was Ward again, diving forward to take a catch behind point when Farrell(35) cut in the air off Saveen R Nanayakkara.
At the end of the 42nd, Norths were 8/148; needing 40 to win in 8 overs. Just 13 of these came in the next four overs leaving Norths 27 to get from the remaining four.
Cricket is cruel! The last partnership was ironically the highest of the day; 41 from 43 balls.
Great to have cricket back in our lives.
Saturday 19.9.2020 Round 3 Souths v Sunshine Coast First Grade.
Souths ran into a rampant Sunshine Coast outfit at Kerry Emery Oval on Saturday.
Batting first after losing the toss, Souths were in trouble early with Aryan Jain edging one to the keeper and Lucky Peterson run out in a terrible mix-up with Jamie Eccles.
Eccles and Brandon Faber consolidated in a 60-run 3rd wicket partnership, before Eccles fell victim to a very good C&B for his third successive score in the 30s.
Cutting joined Faber adding 46 for the 4th wicket. Cutting fell with the score on 126, trying to clear the boundary. A few balls later, Faber was out in similar fashion after a well made 50.
Sandhu’s sparkling 48 from 32 balls was the only exception to the procession of wickets that followed; Souths innings coming to a close in the 46th over on 189.
Sunshine Coast lost Lovell early, but Matthews and Day were devastating. Apart from Sandhu who delivered five overs for just 19 runs, no bowler was spared as the pair smashed 118 from 80 balls, putting Sunshine Coast in striking distance of a double bonus point which they achieved; passing the target in the 24th over.
Two-dayers commence next week.