South Brisbane v Toombul - 2nd Grade
Allan Pettigrew Shield 2021/22
Round 6
23 and 30 October 2021
Ken Mackay Oval
DAY ONE:
Amazingly, Toombul won the toss and elected to bowl. Although the track had a green tinge, there were no demons. Openers, Smit Mehta and Aaron Joby, blunted the bowling attack. At the 16-over mark (drinks), the score was 0/28. A change in bowling in the 27th over, brought about the first wicket when Mehta, after dispatching the first and second balls to and over the boundary at long-on, tried to repeat the dose over cow corner. The catch was taken on the boundary and Souths were 1/59. Liam O’Hare joined Joby to shepherd Souths to lunch at 1/69 from 32 overs.
After lunch, an unfortunate run-out cost Joby his wicket with the score on 77, bringing Arlen Wells-Peris to the wicket to partner O’Hare. The pair brought up a 50 partnership from 75 balls right on drinks at 47 overs. Wells-Peris accelerated after drinks to overtake O’Hare and bring up his 50 from 66 balls in the 58th over. The 100 partnership followed ten minutes before drinks and after being stuck in the 40s for 15 overs, O’Hare brought up his 50 from 112 balls in the over before tea. 118 runs were added in the middle session. 110 of these in the O’Hare/Wells-Peris partnership.
The 134-run partnership came to a close in the 75th over when O’Hare lofted to the straight boundary, but could not clear the rope. A quick fire 21 from Harry Jones also ended with a catch on the boundary; this time at third man. Souths 4/242. A couple of boundaries to Wells-Peris in the 84th over propelled him into the 90s where he stayed for 9 overs. Meanwhile, Brendan McNae launched a 7-ball, 27-run blitzkrieg in the 89th and 90th overs. The second of three sixes hit by McNae lodged high in the new sight screen at the York St end. The third of the three cleared the sight screen at the opposite end. Unfortunately, it all came to an end when a pull shot found the mid-wicket fielder.
The 300 came up a couple of overs later followed by the wicket of the skipper and finally, in the 94th over, a century to Wells-Peris from 161 balls in 222 minutes. Some “celebratory” hitting by Wells-Peris and Taviani catapulted Souths to 341 when Arlen was eventually out for 119 off 167 in the last over of the day.
DAY TWO:
The forecast was for a hot one and it sure was. After finishing on 341 the week before with two balls remaining in the 96th over, there was a bonus point on offer if Souths could collect nine runs from two balls. Matt Casey rolled the dice and batted on. Unfortunately, “no cigar”, so the declaration was made at 7/342.
There was nothing in the wicket except the promise of hard work and a long day for the Souths bowlers, but two balls in, Brendan McNae took the edge and Matt Taviani the catch; 1/0. McNae and Nic Golding made the Toombul batsmen work for each run. By the end of the 10th, Toombul had struggled to 1/9 and more bad news was to come in the next over, when an excellent chase by Matt Wiseman to long on and a brilliant throw to the keeper, had the batsman short of his ground, attempting a 3rd.
After a combined spell of 14 overs, 6 maidens, 2/17, McNae and Golding were relieved by Casey and Wiseman. The pressure continued to the 23rd over when Casey’s metronomic line and length, drew the slightest of errors from the batsman. An attempted “tickle” to leg was brilliantly gloved by an alert Taviani; 3/31. The first boundary of the innings finally came for Toombul in the 25th over, when the mercurial Paddy Cotter clubbed four 4s in one over to take Toombul to lunch at 3/54.
After lunch, 25 runs came in five overs before “Wild Thing” Josh Bartlett, zeroed in and Cotter edged for Taviani’s third catch of the day. Bartlett was clearly hurrying the batsmen. Two overs later, Toombul skipper Oliver West, got the same dose, this time edging to Casey at slip; 5/79. Meanwhile, from the other end, Arlen Wells-Peris teased the batsmen, patiently waiting for an error. The 6th wicket partnership had reached 36 from 43 balls. Remarkably, 33 of the 43 balls were dots. With McNae now bowling with Wells-Peris, the pressure started to build via 23 consecutive dot balls. The frustrated batsman, sweating on the big shot to relieve pressure, mistimed a full toss from Wells-Peris and was caught by an athletic Liam O’Hare at Long On. In his 14th consecutive over, Wells-Peris broke through again; deceiving the batsman in flight and trapping him in front. From the very next ball, an edge onto the pad was caught by Aaron Joby at bat-pad and it was 8/135.
Three overs late, it was Smit Mehta’s turn when the batsmen swung the ball to the mid-wicket boundary and into the safe hands of Wiseman. With 9 down, play was extended past the scheduled tea break. The final pair proved stubborn adding 43 from 46 balls including one lusty blow that landed out of the ground on York St. It was a Wiseman boundary catch off Golding that finally ended the innings on 190. First innings to Souths.
Souths enforced the follow-on with a minimum of 26 overs to bowl. However, the first innings effort had taken it’s toll on the bowling attack. Matt Casey took a good catch in the gully off McNae and Matt Taviani snavelled his 4th victim of the day - a stumping - to give Wells-Peris his 4th wicket of the day.
Well done Magpies.
