South Brisbane v Valley - 2nd Grade
Allan Pettigrew Shield 2021/22
Round 4
25 September and 2 October 2021
Peter Easton Oval
DAY ONE:
No need to talk about the toss; we all know the result. 😬
In warm conditions, Souths bowlers toiled manfully and were brilliantly backed up in the field. A stingy opening spell by Brendan James and Toby Sawyer Brown produced just 15 runs from the first 10 overs and then,from the first ball of the 11th, Sawyer Brown enticed an edge to Harry Jones at slip.
Valley’s Dylan McLachlan looked like a man on a mission, scoring 26 of the 40 run, 2nd wicket partnership, but Golding forced an error and Sawyer Brown took an important catch to claim the wicket in the 21st over. Valley limped to lunch at 2/69. A bizarre incident saw the not out opener, Michael Toolis, leave the field with severe cramp one ball after the lunch break. Four overs later, Matt Casey struck when Liam O’Hare held a hot chance to make it 3/78. Arlen Wells-Peris was only 14 balls into a bewitching 15-over spell when his first victim was trapped in front in the 44th over. Victim number two could not have anticipated the brilliant diving catch by Casey and Vic#3 edged only to be well caught by Matthew Taviani behind the stumps.
6/154 quickly became 7/157 when the returning Toolis was brilliantly caught by Taviani diving low and to his left off Sawyer Brown and then 8/158 when Wells-Peris held a return catch to claim his 4th. Eight overs later, Ollie Anderson held a fine outfield chance to give Arlen his 5th and three overs later the innings came to a close on 178 when Trent Pearce claimed his first scalp and the enviable figures of 1.4/1/1/0…”no biggie”
Souths innings started positively with Aaron Joby and Liam O’Hare deliberate and determined in an opening stand of 38 before O’Hare fell to (by his own admission) “a shot I never play” in the 13th over. Ollie Anderson and Joby then saw the remaining 13 overs out with some gritty batting to take the chase to 1/60 at stumps.
DAY TWO:
A couple of wet patches on a length due to the overnight rain somehow seeping through/under the covers, required a solid hour with the blower by the Valley groundsman. Nonetheless, play commenced just 10 minutes late.
With Joby absent, Smit Mehta partnered Ollie Anderson and the pair soldiered through some tight bowling by Valley in the early overs. It took a good catch by Joey Pratt in his follow-through, to dismiss the stubborn Anderson in the 12th over of the day.
Mehta and Pearce then steered Souths to 96, before Pearce swung at wide one from Wilmington and edged through to the keeper. Wells-Peris and Mehta took Souths to lunch at 3/106.
Shortly after lunch, Mehta's defiant, 109-ball innings ended when he was run out by a stunning throw from Pratt. This brought Harry Jones to the crease. Cautious early, Jones started to find his range with three boundaries in the 65th over, before a couple of quick wickets to Ben Lanigan reduced Souths to 6/138 and skipper, Matt Casey joined Jones at the crease; the pair taking Souths to 149 at drinks.
After drinks Jones and Casey began to score more freely. 40 came from the next 8 overs. A boundary to Jones in the 79th over saw first innings points secured and in the next over a cracking six to Jones brought up his 50 off 63 balls and the 50 partnership off 67 balls.
Valley took the new ball in the 81st over, but that did not deter Harry who smashed 14 off the 82nd over; 11 off the 85th and 14 off the 86th. Unfortunately, wickets tumbled around him and he was left stranded on 92 from 84 balls; a dominant performance in a match where runs were hard to come by.
With 31 overs remaining in the day, Souths toiled hard to take 4/77. Wickets going to Sawyer Brown, Mehta and Golding (2). Taviani and McNae taking catches.
Well done lads and congratulations to all other Magpies on a very successful round
