Warehouse v Logan Districts
Plunkett Cup 2022-23 - Game 2
Sunday 29 January 2023 at Paul Jackson Oval
It was a scorcher of a day at Paul Jackson Oval for match 2 of the 2022-23 Plunkett Cup. Before play, Warehouse skipper Steven Rees welcomed new caps and was honoured himself for ten years of Rep cricket and the last five as skipper. Unsurprisingly given the conditions, Logan Districts skipper Jackson Larkins chose to bat to avoid having to field in the middle of the day.
The “bat first” theory proved itself early with opening pair Kevau Tau and Zac Dale adding 54 in just 11 overs. New cap, Ryan Carroll, removed Tau in his 6th over with fellow newbie, wicketkeeper Brett Chapman, taking the catch. With the departure of Tau and the miserly Elijah Rafter operating, the scoring rate eased; Logan Districts 1/65 at drinks (17 overs). While the first 30 of the 60 run partnership between Dale and Lance Newman took 65 balls, the next 30 came in 38 and looked set. It took a bit of magic at slip by Rafter off the bowling of 17yr old Om Bhikadaya to finally remove Dale for 44 in the 29th over; Logan Districts 2/114.
Tom Jellie entered the fray and smashed 38 from 26 out of a partnership of 46 from 46 with Newman. Rees called on Rafter to resume and was rewarded with the wicket of Jellie - caught on the boundary by Hayden Marks - in the 36th over. Rafter claimed a second a few overs later when a top edge by Matt Bailey was pouched by Bhikadaya at mid-off. Rafter completed his ten overs in the 42nd with figures of 2/17 including 4 maidens. Logan Districts were 4/177 and the Newman/Laeka Daure partnership was 7 from 22 balls when Newman exploded, taking 28 from his next 11 deliveries including three boundaries and a six from successive deliveries in the 46th over. Newman’s 50 came from 88 balls and the partnership became a run-a-ball 45 before a very good leg side catch by Chapman off Rees dismissed Daure and precipitated a mini-collapse. Two balls later, Carroll thundered into Newman’s stumps - ending an important innings of 66 from 92 balls - then had Corbin Kaminski caught at cow corner by Luke Ronday in the same over . Rees chimed in again two balls later when James McLure lofted to David Humphrey at wide long on. 4/4 in 9 balls; Logan Districts 8/222. Larkins cleverly worked the last over for 9 valuable runs to take the score to a formidable 231. Ryan Carroll finished with 3/37 on debut for Warehouse. Remarkably, in the very hot and humid conditions, The innings was completed about 20 minutes ahead of schedule.
Play resumed at 1:20 and by 1:43 the Warehouse top order had been decimated by some fine swing bowling by lefty James Tau who claimed a wicket in each of his first three overs. Ably supported by Jackson Larkins from the other end, Logan Districts had Warehouse on the ropes at 3/9 in the first 5 overs. Luke Ronday and David Humphrey stemmed the flow of wickets for 7 overs before James McLure knocked over Humphrey in the 13th with the score on 31. An explosive 44-ball, 67 run partnership between Ronday and Thienu Chandrasekaram breathed life back into the Warehouse innings. Chandrasekaram blasted three 4s and four towering 6s in his 30 ball innings. A short ball from Larkins finally brought the error from Thienu; Jellie back-pedalling from slip to take an easy catch at the end of the 20th over. The score was 5/98 and the required run rate had come down from 5.43 to 4.47, but a slick bit of work from gun fieldsman, Kevau Tau, saw Brett Chapman run out three balls later and a lofted drive by Ronday in the same over gifted James Tau a 4th wicket; Kaminski taking an easy catch. 7/103 and real trouble for Warehouse.
As has so often been the case in recent times, the calm head of Fabian Roberts came to the fore. Roberts exuded patience, seeing out the rampant Tau and accurate Larkins. Roberts and Bhikadaya added 29 from the next 9 overs before Bhikadaya lost patience and holed out to Larkins off Jellie. The required run rate was still manageable at 5 and over and veteran Rees was now at the wicket with Roberts. The pair picked out 1s, 2s and the occasional boundary in a 23 run partnership. Roberts’ 62 ball innings came to an end when he finally mis-timed one in the 38th and was caught by Caleb Szegfu off Jellie. 9/155; 6 an over required; one wicket remaining.
Elijah Rafter approached his innings in typically aggressive fashion, but a couple of quick singles strained a hammie and a runner was called. Rafter and Rees three boundaries in four balls in overs 40/41 reduced the target to 54 from 54, but a couple of tidy overs from Larkins and Hayden Sheppard left 45 to get from the last seven. Rees continued to peel off singles and twos while 14 in three balls by Rafter at the end of the 44th took the score past 200, leaving 30 to get from the last six overs. The 50 partnership came up in the 45th over in 31 minutes from 43 balls; 24 from 30 needed. Six off the next by Kevau Tau; 18 from 24. A tight over from McLure; 14 from 18; Five off the next by Kevau Tau; 9 from 12. A brilliant second-last over from McLure; 5 from 6 required. Single to Rafter; 4 to get. Single to Rees; 3 to get. DOT - Gold for Logan Districts!; 3 from 3 needed. DOT - Stop it…. 3 from 2. TWO to Rafter… scores level. One ball to go…. Surely….a Yorker… BOWLED. A TIE! Whaa?
What an amazing finish. Both teams facing the full 50 overs…Scores level… The 10th wicket partnership 76 from 77 balls. Rafter a brilliant 47 from 49. Rees equally so; 40 from 43.
Congratulations to both teams on an extraordinary day’s cricket. A BIG Thank You to the Pine Rivers Cricket Club for their excellent hospitality.
