ROUND 9 (Saturday, Jan 5th)
Cricketers Arms vs Kingsford Apaches at Booralee 4.

Mike finally won the toss, on an occasion where the toss really counted - a hot day and a dry, fast outfield. The decision to bat was obvious, and Mike and Greg quickly vindicated the call by compiling a new club record opening partnership of 105. As is normally the case, Greg took the game right up to the bowlers - driving beautifully down the ground and through the covers, and launching his trademark hook shot well over the field. After a slower start, Mike also began to find both his form, and the boundary. Greg was the first to go, well caught off a skied hook for another excellent half-century (60, including ten fours). With the score at 1-105 in the 22nd over, the ideal person to kick things along was Gerrard. He and Mike added another 59 in just 8 overs, of which Gerrard scored a stylish 35 - featuring 7 boundaries, including one towering four back over the bowler's head. He was caught off a flat, hard drive right on the long-off boundary. 2-164 in the 30th over was an excellent launching pad, and the remaining batsmen managed to keep the rate at over five an over for the rest of the innings. With Gerrard's departure, Mike tried to take over the bulk of the scoring. He brought up his 50 and celebrated by launching the ball to cow corner, then being caught at slip trying to repeat the shot for 55 (including 9 fours). Phil and John kicked things along nicely - both using their 'signature' shots (John's pull shot and Phil's drive) to great effect. Both fell to the swing bowling of Cameron White (the best of the Kingsford bowlers with 3-24) in the quest for fast runs. John made eight, and Phil looked to be regaining his batting form with an agressive 15. It was left to Angus to keep things going in the last few overs, as he lost Jeremy and Meng to run-outs along the way. He was caught in the deep off the last ball of the innings for 16, and we finished with 8-217 off our 40 overs.

Kingsford were set the task of scoring the runs at 5.5 per over. Jeremy and Jacob took the new ball, and immediately pegged them back. Jeremy took a wicket off just the 4th ball of the innings, with John snapping up the edge. He cleaned up the Apaches' other opener with a beautiful seaming ball in his second over, and finished with an excellent spell of 6 overs, 2-14. At the other end Jacob kept up the pressure, and the first ball of his second over saw the no.3 lose his off stump. Angus snapped up a neat catch at slip in Jaccy's next over, and when he added a third scalp to his belt a couple of overs later, the Apaches were in big trouble at 5-36. C.Johnson and R.Campbell tried to steady the ship and took the score along to 70. Phil and Gerrard took up the bowling attack, and Campbell (20) swiped a couple of boundaries of Phil, who then got revenge by breaking the partnership (courtesy of a skied catch to Gerrard at slip). Gerrard then charged through the opening, picking up three quick wickets, one to a reflex catch by Jeremy and two bowled off successive balls (including the Apaches top-scorer, Johnson for 22). Meng and Angus both had a crack at the last pair, with Gerrard picking up a slips catch off Angus to ending the match. Kingsford were bowled out for 84, and the Cricketers Arms has started the new year in good style with a 133-run win. Well done to all - a great team effort!