South Brisbane v Gold Coast - 2nd Grade
Allan Pettigrew Shield 2020/21
Round 16
16 & 23 January 2021
Norman Gray Oval
Resuming at 5/152, on a 112 over day (play extended due to rain the previous week), Souths’ morning did not start well, losing 3/21 in the first 7 overs. However, a determined Matt Casey and Toby Brown dug in and defied the Gold Coast attack for nearly 34 overs in a crucial 81-run, 9th wicket partnership.
When Sawyer-Brown was finally out with the score on 244 and 80 overs still remaining in the day, Souths still had work to do if they were to be competitive against the No.2 team on the ladder. Joe Rangiah joined Casey for another stubborn partnership, adding 39 runs for the 10th wicket; Casey bringing up a 50 on the way. The declaration came at lunch leaving Gold Coast to chase 284 from a minimum of 64 overs to take first innings.
The Gold Coast chase began at a rollicking pace before a Rangiah LBW intervened in the 9th over to put an end to the 42-run opening stand. 21 overs elapsed and 74 runs were scored before the next breakthrough; Arlen Wells-Peris sneaking one through the batsman’s defences to make it 2/116.
Runs flowed again for the Gold Coast in a belligerent 3rd wicket partnership of 41 in 8 overs, but when Aaron Joby took a screamer off Pearce in the 38th over, things started to change. With Gold Coast on top, dangerous Gold Coast skipper, Andrew Robinson, fell to Casey when the ball “pinballed” from bat to pad, to Matthew Taviani’s pad to stumps, while out of his ground. Stumped! 4/162.
The required run rate was starting to climb thanks to committed fielding and tight bowling from Trent Pearce and Casey in tandem. Casey finally enticed a false shot and Rangiah did the rest with a well-judged catch, coming in from the square leg boundary. 5/189. 95 needed from 94 balls.
A lofted cover drive off Pearce in the next over, was spectacularly plucked out of the air by Sawyer-Brown. 6/195. Five overs later, it was Pearce again; an LBW snuffing out a threatening partnership. 7/217. Gold Coast were now in trouble and it got worse when Wells-Peris enticed a lofted shot to Alexander Robynson in the next over. 8/218. The equation had shifted in favour of Souths; 2 wickets needed with a minimum of 8 overs to bowl. A brilliant Matt Casey catch at short cover in Wells-Peris’ next over, tipped the match “see-saw” firmly towards the Souths side, but as the overs ticked away, the unlikely result faded.
The Gold Coasta 10th wicket was as defiant as that of it’s opposition that morning holding out during the final overs.
An enthralling day’s cricket.
Well done everyone.
