CACC home > Previous > Winter 2001 > Match Reports 4th grade

Round 1 vs Kingsford Nazgul
ECC B has started the season in good style (if not with a win). For those not there, we lost the toss and were put in to bat on an overcast day. Tim and Mike put on 44 for the first wicket (including a big six from Tim - before he was well caught at point for 21). Greg and Mike kept the scoring rate up over four per over before Mike went LBW for 27. 2 for 79 in the seventeenth over, and the stage was set for the middle order. Dave and Greg began the acceleration, taking the score up towards the 150 mark. But after Greg retired on 40, a couple of quick wickets followed to slow things down a bit. Phil skied one after a typically breezy 7, and Dave played around one and was bowled for 21. Knowing an in-form Greg Duffy was still 'in the closet', Simon, Meng and Joe all sacrificed their wickets in the hunt for quick runs. This was good team play, as Greg's return to the crease brought about some more quick runs - he and Jacob took 15 off the last over. Greg finished with with our first fifty of the winter - 62 (including 2 huge sixes). ECC's innings closed on 8-183, which was always going to be a tough ask. For Kingsford, skipper Cameron White led the bowling, taking 4 for 7.

When the time came to bowl, Phil and Dave took the new ball, and quickly had ECC on the right track. Phil struck first, finding the edge and giving wicket-keeping debutant Tim his first catch with the gloves. Then Dave induced the big-hitting A.Yap to sky one to Mike at mid-off, and Phil's nagging accuracy brought a favourable LBW call. The ECC fielding was tight and Jacob exemplified this when he scored a direct-hit run out off his own bowling. At 4-29 Kingsford was looking very shaky, but opener T.Pearce and C.White steadied things until the rain came at the end of the 16th over with Kingsford on 4-64. This was a tragedy for ECC, as 20 overs were needed before a result could be determined on run rates. With Kingsford well behind the asking rate, we were a tantalising four overs away from victory. The only consolation was that all games were rained off, so all clubs have suffered (or survived) equally. Among the bowlers, Phil (7 overs, 2-29) and Dave (4 overs, 1-11) led the way.
Mike Harvey

Round 2 vs Saggy Greens
Match abandoned due to raun without a ball being bowled. Two out of two - very annoying for the 4th division side!

Round 3 vs Randwick Reds
It was a beautiful winter's morn. The grass still damp. The coin went up - tails. "I think we'll have a bat" said the ECC captain. "Where the f@#* is Timmy Bondin?" . Three Harveys at the top of any batting order - looks ominous. But on this day against the Randwick Reds it was not to be. Mike the first to go, being uncharacteristically bowled for 2. With G.I.John (new haircut and yellow sunnies), just off his usual schweppervesent timing, he too let one through the gate and was gone for 10. They say things happen in threes, so of course big Phil was next to go, lobbing an easy return catch back to the bowler and was on his way for 4 (lets hope those new glasses do the trick!). That bought the debutant Jeremy Holland to the crease. A batsman on debut, batting with his skipper is always an ideal situation for a big partnership. And it was delivered. With a delightful combination of big hitting, and singles, these two batsmen went on to share a 70 run partnership. The debutant went on to notch up his maiden half-century, needing 1 run on the last ball of the ECC innings to make sure of it. And he did. Very well played big man. And the smile on his Father's face said it all. Unfortunately the skipper could not get one for himself, being caught on 46, going for the same shot that resulted in him getting hit square in the nuts earlier in his innings. OUCH!! After rocking up an hour and a half late, Timmy Bondin looked right at home in the number 6 position, with some lovely controlled aggression, before getting caught, trying to lift the run rate, for 29.

ECCs final score of 180 was good. But not good enough. The Reds, started off well with some big hitting from their opener, who quickly retired on 40. But then the ECC bowlers and fielders began to contain the runs. With a combination of some very good bowling and some inspired fielding, ECC had the Reds right where they wanted them. Then Lance Kluesner came in and hit some serious 6s. Once again the ECC tradition of dropping catches continued (no comment!). And with 3 overs remaining, the Reds needed 8 runs. What a difference an extra 20 runs always seems to make to us? The Reds got the runs and the competition points. Playing his first game for The Club, Jeremy came up with a man of the match performance: 50 not out and 2 for 32 of 7 overs. Excellent effort. Amongst the other bowlers Jacob Joseph was the pick, containing the batsmen and finishing with 0-13 off 4 overs. Menga and Phil both bowled well, with returns of 1-24 off 4 and 0-27 off 5 respectively. And we were successful in enjoying ourselves, which in the end is what matters the most....... although it would be nice to have a few wins and make the semi-finals....... then who knows?
Tim Simons

Round 4 vs Snowtroopers
As I hobbled to the massage table of my favourite Chinese masseur at Paddington Markets early on Saturday morning, I wondered how I was going to break it to the team that their fearless Captain was still knobbled by a vicious Jeremy Holland return drive to the knee at training. Twenty minutes after the masseur said "You got dodgy knee, Mister?", I swilled the Chinese herb called "Elephant Juice" and was bounding off the table and ready for the ensuing battle!

The morning was clear and fresh, and the ground covered with residual dew, so the team brains trust (contradiction in terms?) decided a bat first on this lively home pitch at Number 20 was the way forward. We won the toss and after inspiring words from the Skipper about creating pressure (delivered to blank faces), M. Harvey and Skipper strode (waddled?) to the wicket. The Skipper was heard to say to Tragically Under bowled, "You're the anchor this innings is built on, so play your normal game until you get your eye in and then go for that 40". With that encouragement under his belt, TU smacked 7 off the first over and then got a cracker of an inswinging yorker from Morvan and lost his off-stump. T. Simons marched out with the definitive instruction of, "Think David Boon...solid 40, then unleash. By the way, go forward to this guy, he's got a good in-dipper". First ball Simons got a snorting indipper, shuffled across and was stranded in front. 2 for 8. Holland arrived to the same advice...go forward. After he received a few short ones, and put on 23 with Skip, he too went back to Morvan and got an edge thru to the keeper for 3. 3 for 31. Ouch!
P.Harvey strode confidently to his worried Skip who noticed a certain steely Steve Waugh-look under the helmet. Skip thought "I hope he bats like Tugger". And the team wasn't let down as they put on a rapid-fire 90, whereupon Skip lifted some pie-thrower onto Anzac Parade and retired. PH kept the score rolling on as J.Harvey added 8 before sacrificing his wicket for the team. Meng got a pearler and went without troubling the scorers. Macca under instructions swung like a loony, got 2, then out. Jacob ran gazelle-like with his returned Skip to bring the score up to 160 before a mercy killing to get In-form PH back to the crease. Harvey and Skip put on another 23 before Skip got out in the last over for 64 (including 3 sixes...catch him if you can Timmy B!). Harvey played it out to record 51 not out including a fab straight six. Total 189. Very defendable.

Unfortunately, Snowtroopers (Morvan 41*, Murphy*, Dadswell*) had other ideas. After Jacob snared an early caught and bowled that involved a little Irish jig prior to catching the ball, M & M settled in for a fast-paced 90, which would have been curtailed if Skip had held a high left-handed slips catch (no excuses you goose!) off Macca (0-40). After M & M retired, the score ticked along until the middle overs where P.Harvey(0-28), Jacob (1-35) and better fielding slowed the score. Simons(1-17) and Jacob picked up a wicket each, and Meng bowled 3 good overs (0-16), unlucky not to get a wicket when Skip (0-18) took a high overhead catch at square-leg....over the boundary for a six! With 7 runs needed off the last over, Skip turned to the Big Windmill Holland. First ball rattled the stumps and things got jolly! 2 singles off the next 3 balls and it was 5 needed off 2 balls and getting tense in the Snowtrooper camp. Then the number 9 lifted the fifth ball over the only man not on the fence at mid-on for 4! Ouch. Tied up. Every fielder in to save one. Holland bowls, tip and run and Jacob just misses the stumps at the bowler's end for the run out! Troopers win a cracker of a game.

Personally, I blame the captain for not hitting enough runs, not taking enough wickets, dropping too many catches, then carrying those he did catch for six, bowling some bowlers for too long and others not enough, yelling at Meng too often and embarrassing us all with his face first stumble and swan dive into the clover at deep cover....cramp, my arse!
Greg Duffy
We note that Greg is being unduly harsh on himself here - he played a fine Captain's hand, and his encouragement in the field alone almost got us over the line. However, in the interests of historical completeness, we must publish his full remarks here - if only so as to put ourselves in the clear - Ed.

Round 5 vs The Bears
The weather was looking fine and clear, and Meng (the skipper) arrived early to find club stalwart John already at the ground and inspecting the pitch. There was a keen air of anticipation as ECC B was to field one of its stronger sides for the season. However, as the time approached for the toss, it was apparent that the team selection grapevine had not reached some of the selected personnel. Nevertheless, Meng won the toss and decided to bat. Tim and Dave started > cautiously at about 4 runs per over but seemed totally in control of the bowling. Then disaster struck, Tim was unluckily given out LBW. Mike (17) entered the fray at first drop and added some much needed stability, while Dave proceeded to cautiously reach 40. Tim Simons and John came and went quickly, as did Macca, but Natan and Paul contributed 15 and 18 respectively with some lusty hitting. Dave reentered the fray and posted his first 50 for the season. However, the loss of early wickets, and cautious middle order batting meant that ECC B were only able to post a modest total of 148.

ECC B's modest total meant that Meng (the skipper) was forced to attack from the very beginning. Paul and Tim Bondin rewarded their skipper's confidence with some hostile but accurate bowling, spectators were heard commenting that not since Lillee and Thompson was there such a display of fiery fast bowling. Paul was duly rewarded with a fine wicket (bowled). The pressure of good bowling and fielding eventually led to error, with Tim Simons bagging a fine run-out. Dave also grabbed several wickets by surprising the batsmen with his leg spin, and Macca also contributed with two wickets. However, the bowling performance of the day went to Tim Simons who after some encouragement from the skipper took the ball and proceeded to bag two wickets in two balls in emphatic fashion (bowled middle stump). Tim was unlucky to not get his hattrick as a close LBW was turned down. But alas the opposition managed to retire one batsmen, and on the fall of the last wicket, he came back in and made a match-winning 75. Once again ECC B came close but could not manage the win, this time losing by one wicket.
Meng Lee

Round 6 vs Kurrajong Hotel B

Round 7 vs UNSW Student XI