University v South Brisbane
Men’s Third Grade Round 5 - Two Day
12 & 19 November 2022 at University Oval 2
University won the toss and elected to bat on a strange looking pitch; heaps of grass covering, but evidence of a hard surface underneath. Who knew what was going to happen?
It only took an hour to realise that despite the green top, there was very little life in the track. Nonetheless, Souths bowled 13 maidens in the first two hours of play! Nic Golding delivered 40 consecutive dot balls in a superb opening spell of seven overs and Umhar Samsudeen’s first six over spell included 30 dots. University openers Abhi Yadav and Banjo Waring were resolute, bringing up a 50 partnership in the 23rd over. Yadav brought up his own 50 in the 33rd over and the pair were headed for a century opening stand before Sam Edwards pouched one on the mid-wicket boundary off Noah Vojinov to dismiss Yadav for 65 with the score on 99. Waring and Damon Venner saw University to Tea on 115 from 41 overs.
After Tea, Waring and Venner collared the Souths’ bowling adding 87 runs in 14 overs to the first drinks break. Their century partnership came up in just 70 minutes and 116 balls with both bringing up 50s along the way. It took just seven balls after the drinks break to change the complexion of the game. Peter Strain was introduced and just as he had a week ago, broke through in his first over when Waring edged to Taviani on the 4th ball. Then, the new batsman lofted the very next ball into the waiting hands of Golding at mid-wicket and it was 3fa - Strain on a hat-trick!! The hat-trick ball floated harmlessly down the leg side; Strain 2-0. It was 4fa one ball later when Umhar trapped Venner in front. 3-0 from 7 balls; University 4/202.
Armandt Grundling and Robert Kelly steadied the ship for University, adding 41 from the next 12 overs before Campbell Farrelly swooped on a cut to backward point and threw down the stumps with Kelly short of his ground. Three overs later, it was Farrelly again, taking a brilliant running catch on the long on boundary off Vojinov to dismiss Grundling for 33; University 6/267. University skipper, Michael Philipson looked dangerous in taking 17 from 15, but holed out to another Golding catch at mid-wicket - this time off Vojinov - 7/278. A searing Golding yorker in the next over made it 8/285 and a quicker ball after one tossed up in the next, gave Vojinov his 4th for the day; 9/289. Golding made it four in four overs for Souths, trapping the final batsman in front at 5.34pm!!!! Yes. That meant that there was time for one over in the day 😬. The stout-hearted Trevor Oliver calmly saw the over out, taking a two off the final ball.
1/202; all out 290. Not a bad recovery for Souths and a good reward for sticking it out on a warm day.
