Wynnum Manly v South Brisbane
R11 First Grade Men
7 and 8 December 2024 at Bill Albury Oval
Conditions were oppressive at Bill Albury Oval for the first of three Saturday/Sunday matches this season. The next two are at the beginning of January, so look out! 😬
DAY ONE:
South Brisbane won the toss and seduced by the green look of the wicket, elected to bowl. As is always the case at Bill Albury, wickets need to be taken early. Anjana Nanayakkara and Jed Wilson left frequently in the first 13 overs before Saxon Jeh finally got the edge of Anjana’s bat, just before drinks. A couple of overs later, it was 2/29 and by the 18th 3/37. Henry Taylor and Jed Wilson held on till Lunch; 3/51 from 27 overs; Souths probably in the better position.
After lunch, Wilson and Taylor battled on to a 50 partnership; brought up with a 6 to Taylor in the 38th over after 22 consecutive dot balls. Ten minutes later, Zanden Jeh snuck one through Wilson to end a defiant three hour stay at the crease. Henry Taylor’s maiden first grade 50 (72 balls with seven 4s and one 6) came up in the next over (the 41st), as did the team 100. The bizarre 5th wicket partnership of 39 from 59 balls between Taylor and Grayson Jones consisted of a single, 2 wides and nine boundaries, before coming to an end in the 50th over when Taylor lobbed one off Connor McMillan to Saxon Jeh at mid on. When Jones edged an innocuous Aryan Jain delivery to Peterson at slip in the 55th, the score was just 142 and Wynnum were in a spot of bother, limping to Tea on 6/150.
A wicket 5 minutes after tea made it 7/153 bringing Sukhveer Singh to the crease to join Jehan Daniel on 7. The 8th wicket partnership added a crucial 64 over the next 17 overs, with Daniel bringing up 50 along the way. Singh’s patient support knock ended when he played a rare lofted shot off Jacob Bath and was caught by Peterson at cover. Daniel took 29 off his next 25 balls to bring up 90, but was out next ball to make it 9/252. Chris Lloyd and Tom Eyley added a rollicking 29 from 22 balls before Wilson called a halt with the score on 9/281 and 6 overs to bowl in the days Souths 0/7 at the close.
DAY TWO:
With an even hotter day on the cards and forecast temperatures of 38, umpires and captains agreed to an extra drinks break in each session.
Curiously, the Souths innings paralleled the opposition’s in the first part of day one. Openers Aryan Jain and Logan Duval resisted until the 14th over of the day before both fell in quick succession. Duval caught behind by Burger off Lloyd and Jain trapped in front by Daniel. Just 14 runs came from the next 13 overs, but more importantly, the wicket of Sam Geyer - a good catch by Burger off Lloyd on the stroke of lunch - made it 3/51.
Lloyd grabbed a third wicket just after lunch when Peterson shelled one to Singh at cover, then after 14 overs, 6 maidens, Eyley picked up a wicket, a 7th maiden and Burger his 3rd catch of the innings to make it 5/59. Brandon Faber and Chathura Kaluthantri fought back in an aggressive partnership of 46 over the next 10 overs, but a mis-timed shot by Faber off Daniel went skyward giving Guthrie plenty of time to settle under the catch. Chris Lloyd made it 4/28 when Burger took a 4th catch in the 57th to make it 7/115, but the visitors held on till Tea without further loss.
It took just 9 balls after the break to wrap up the innings; Burger picking a 5th catch off Liam Guthrie and Chris Lloyd a five-fa when Jones held onto a regulation slips catch. With Zanden Jeh unable to bat due to injury, the innings and match ended with a first innings result to Wynnum Manly.