South Brisbane v Northern Suburbs - 2nd Grade
Allan Pettigrew Shield 2021/22
Round 5
9 and 16 October 2021
Norman Gray Oval
DAY ONE:
Matt Casey won the toss. The end. Round 5 to Souths!!!! There was also some cricket.
Openers Liam O’Hare and Smit Mehta batted solidly on a wicket that did a bit early on. Norths’ opening bowlers Hele and Neale bowled unchanged to the first drinks break (and on to the 23rd over). In the first over after drinks, the 17th, Hele claimed two wickets from almost identical balls to put Souths on the back foot at 2/39. O’Hare and Trent Pearce steadied the ship, taking Souths to lunch at 2/96. Just nine balls after lunch, keeper Josh De Munari took his third catch, this time standing up to spinner, Charles Taylor, to send Pearce back to the clubhouse after a run-a-ball 41. Taylor claimed his second when Arlen Wells-Peris was adjudged LBW in the 42nd over, bringing Harry Jones to the crease.
Jones and O’Hare added 58 for the 5th wicket when a rare false shot by O’Hare lobbed to mid-on, ending a valuable, gritty innings. A few overs later, Jones brought up his 50 from 66 balls and then steered Souths to Tea at 6/218. By now, Jones was looking every bit as good as he did against Valley last week. Jones survived a hot chance on 65 and when the 8th wicket fell at 251, it seemed that he might be stranded for the second successive week. However, a determined Matt Wiseman partnered Jones in a 77-run 9th wicket partnership, allowing Jones to bring up his century in the 88th over, with a massive six over mid-wicket. Jones was eventually last man out on 135; taking Souths to 336 for the day.
Runs are on the board. Looking forward to Day Two.
Day Two:
A bright, sunny day; a nice breeze; a beautiful day for cricket. Surprisingly, despite the rain during the week, Norman Gray was a road and the outfield quick. A wicket in the 5th over was not a sign of things to come as Norths defended grimly against some accurate bowling. Just 11 runs came in the 8 overs leading to the first drinks break and all but one of these came in one over.
The second breakthrough finally came in the 26th over when Michael Dawson drilled one to Arlen Wells-Peris at short cover off Matt Casey, ending a 56-run, 132-ball partnership with Mitchell Doolan. Norths’ skipper, Thomas O’Malley, joined Doolan to take Norths to lunch at 2/78.
Doolan and O’Malley batted on through the middle session adding 38 before drinks and accelerating to add a further 56 in the second half of the session. In the last half-dozen overs before the tea break, both players brought up individual 50s and the 100 partnership. Doolan was finally out trying to force the pace, ten overs after tea when Smit Mehta took a fine catch at long-off from the bowling of Wells-Peris; the 3rd wicket partnership 136 from 286 balls.
At the final drinks break, Norths needed 114 to win with 15 overs to play. A blitz of 35 runs in the next four overs was followed by a bizarre seven over period where 5 wickets fell for just 13 runs. Another Mehta catch off Wells-Peris brought about the 4th wicket. O’Malley brought up his 180-ball ton a few balls later and followed it up a few balls after that with a skied chance which Wells-Peris pouched off his own bowling. In the same over, a huge mix up between the two new batsmen resulted in run out from a Liam O’Hare throw to Matt Taviani. Maidens by McNae and Wells-Peris applied enough pressure to draw another errant shot; Liam O’Hare on hand to take the catch off McNae. When, Wells-Peris grabbed his 4th via an LBW in the next over, 3/260 had become 8/273.
The collapse provided some excitement over the final four overs, but Norths held on for the draw.
