Wynnum Manly v Gold Coast

First Grade Men R11

9 and 16 December at Bill Albury Oval

The last game of the season commenced in very hot conditions. Wynnum skipper, Jed Wilson, won the toss and had no hesitation in batting despite the greenish Bill Albury deck.

Gold Coast English import, Matthew Revis and Jackson Smith were miserly in their opening spells; the score just 17 after 10 overs. This also included the wicket of Corey Hunter, caught at slip off Smith in the 6th. Dakota Rodgers and Reuben Burger toiled hard for 14 overs against continued tight bowling by Connor Brown and Revis. Rodgers succumbed from the last ball of the 20th; 2/31. Burger and Wilson held on to Lunch at 2/47 from a noteworthy 31 overs in the heat.

The loss of Wilson just after lunch was a blow, but Ali Zaidi and Burger dug in for a stubborn 37 from 94, before Burger clipped one to backward point just after drinks to make it 4/85. With spinners, Bailey Kenzie and Brad Munro operating in tandem, Gold Coast raced through overs to take the tally to a remarkable 67 at Tea (modern day test cricketers would deem this impossible!!).

Resuming at 4/126, Grayson Jones and Ali Zaidi added just 8 before Zaidi was trapped in front by Caleb Ziebell on 43. Henry Taylor met the same fate 6 overs later; Wynnum 6/152. Grayson Jones was the next to go on the stroke of Drinks falling two short of a 50. Harmon Sandhu smashed 33 from his next 15 balls before top edging one to Hugo Burdon at mid-off with the score on 206. Jackson Smith mopped up the tail to finish with 5/41.

With a minimum of three overs to bowl, Wynnum squeezed in five overs and the important wicket of Ashton Gumm, caught by Tom Eyley at fine leg off Sandhu.

Day Two:

A sensational Friday evening storm caused havoc at Brisbane Grounds. The Bill Albury covers were exposed and some damp spots meant a delayed start on Day Two. Lunch was taken and play got underway at 12:20 with two, 2hr 40min sessions proposed.

Gold Coast lost Connor Brown early, a sharp chance taken by Hunter at slip off Sandhu. Hugo Burdon joined Brad Munro and the pair chanced their hand; catches just out of reach on a couple of occasions. The partnership was 48 from just 46 balls, just after drinks, when Burdon hooked Chris Lloyd’s first ball and like Gumm, found Eyley on the boundary; a good catch, 3/69. Munro went on to 48 when Lloyd took the edge of his bat and he was snapped up at slip by a sharp Grayson Jones catch in the 24th over; 4/96. A few overs later, Callum Taylor slashed at one from Jones and chopped it on to make it 5/104. The game was now afoot!!

Caleb Ziebell and Matt Revis dug in against some challenging bowling by Harmon Sandhu and Grayson Jones. The pair faced 45 dots in a 56 ball partnership before Ziebell popped one up on the leg side off Sandhu and Chris Lloyd took a great catch diving forward; 6/120 - Sandhu 3/35. After nearly an hour at the wicket, Revis finally lost patience and attempted to hit Jones over cow only to find Eyley who made great ground to take a sensational boundary catch. Sandhu brought up his maiden 5fa for Wynnum with a double strike in the next over. Burger gloved a cracker standing up to the stumps to remove Lachy Aitken and Josh Fraser was safe under a lofted top edge at mid on two balls later; 9/125.

All the drama was reserved for the final wicket. Jackson Smith and Lachlan Crump defied the bowling for 7 overs before Dakota Rodgers found an edge which went to Sandhu at slip who took the ball and while falling threw it in the air in celebration. Jed Wilson dived across the wicket from Short Leg to take the ball before it hit the ground; OUT…somehow!! Did Harmon have control of the ball and his person? I’m afraid the scorecard has the Umpire’s opinion. In any case Harmon’s 17-7-5-37 was a great day’s bowling on a very hot day.

Tea was taken; rain came down; lightning intervened further; the captains agreed it was enough. A fighting First Innings victory to the Sea Eagles.

Merry Christmas to all.