GAME 33: Monday’s clash was between the reigning premiers Willow Warriors and the struggling Sons of Pitches.
SOP went out to set a target with the bat but as per normal were off to a painfully slow start with 2/27 at quarter time. Brenno retired with 26 from 24 balls as the score sat at 2/59 at half time.
A couple of wickets fell in the third term and 43 runs were added.
Walker was walking on 22 runs from 29 balls when he snicked a ball past the keeper and into the 9 run net to have him retire on 31 from 30. That man called Balls put some respectability into the scorecard with a quick-fire 22 from just 12 balls and SOP had made 140 from 20 overs.
Having bowled 2 overs each, Hep 2/10, Jake 1/12 and O'Connor 0/6 were tidy for the Warriors.
Needing a tick over 7 runs an over Warriors opened with Garsty and Payne, SOP kept both men quiet in the early part of the power play with just 36 runs.
Garstone retired with 26@185 s/r and Hep 26@123 s/r. Forey came in and pushed the run rate up over 9, retiring with 26 from 16 and the Warriors were 0/99.
Maca was next to retire on 25 from 16 and then another 9 run netter came by way of byes.
Warriors posted the winning runs in the 14th over and racked up another 54 runs in the quarter to be 1/153 at 3/4 time. The middle order could not keep the 10 runs an over going and only added 24 runs in the final term to finish on 3/177.
Brenno picked up 2 wickets but was expensive with 20 coming from his 2 overs, Balls completed a good double with 1/9 and Jordy was as usual tidy with 1/10.
GAME 34: Tuesday saw the Finbats tackle the Master Batters. MB batted first and Barnsey got things ticking with 25 runs retired from 18 balls.
The score at ¼ time was 1/43 at 8.60 runs per over and MB were eyeing off a better than average total. Steve Bolesta kept things ticking along slowly before being bowled on 22 from 29 balls and the half time total was 3/77.
Steadily 33 runs were added in the third term and 38 in the final term as 5 batsmen came and went for 8 runs from 8 balls each. Nicko made a quick-fire 17 not out off 9 balls at the end to help the total reach 7/146. This batting line-up has really missed Joycey in 3 of the last 4 games. Shane has only played in 6 of the 9 games and scored 27 per cent of the team’s total score this season.
Blackie 2/12, Telstra 1/10 and George 2/10 the pick of the Finbats bowlers. Paps was handy in the field holding onto 2 catches. Needing 7.31 runs per over the Finnies opened with Ronny who retired on a boundary less 23 from 25.
With 1/33 at quarter time the Bats were behind the required run rate of 7.30. Nobsy contributed with his 7th retirement in 8 innings with 25 from 22 balls and the Finbats had 1/67 just 6 behind the required run rate.
Paps was the only contributor in the third term with 18 from 14 balls. Finbats were slipping behind the run rate with just 24 runs added.
At 4/91 at ¾ time the required target was still 56 runs away with only 30 balls left in the match. Fish bowled a tidy 16th over for just 6 runs and now the requirement was 50 from 24 balls.
Telstra threw his bat at everything to retire with 25 from 17 balls but the Bats fell 10 runs short of MBs total. Finchy took 2/5, Kirbs 2/8, Barnsey 1/9 and Joliffe 1/10 in some of the best team bowling for the season.
GAME 35: Madness went out to set a target against the Bashers, with Callum 23 from 13 balls helping the power play reach 1/39 after 5 overs.
After a slow start Pommy Pete got going with his first 6 of the season and then retired with 25 off 26. Fifty runs came in the next 30 balls with Foxy smashing four 6s and a 4 to retire in 10 balls with 25 runs.
Luke came in at no' 4 and made 24 as the total lifted to be 1/89. Breac retired for the 5th time this season with 25 from 17 and the Mad-Men added another 46 in the term to be 2/135.
Madness added 38 in the final term of which 23 came from the captain Bezza in just 14 balls. They had posted a total of 4/173 from their 20 overs. Jacob 2/6, Sheithy 0/12 and Tristian 2/16 the only Bashers bowlers to give the Mad Men trouble.
The first quarter belonged to the Bashers with 3/52 at 10.4 rpo as Sheithy made 24 from 15.
Ando, in brilliant form with the bat smashed 25 in 12 including five 4s and Bashers were right on target with a half time total of 4/85. The 3rd term saw 31 runs added but 4 wickets fell and the total was 8/116. Needing 58 from the final 30 balls was going to be huge with only 2 wickets in hand.
The game lasted another 2 overs and the Bashers were all out for 120, 53 runs short of the target. Mad Men Skipper Bezza took 3/7, Callum 1/4, Foxy 1/6 and Kyle 1/8 in a dominating display.
GAME 36: Bushchoox and the Big Show met on a perfect afternoon for cricket. The boys from fowl house went into bat first and Muzza retired with 25 from 14 to help push the run rate to 10 with a ¼ time total of 1/50. The 2nd was more subdued with only 28 runs added for the loss of a couple of wickets.
In the 3rd quarter BigShow dominated by taking 5 wickets and restricting the total to 8/111. Cam made a welcome return retiring with 25 from 31 balls.
The final wicket fell at the start of the 18th over and the two retirees were back at the crease. Cam was the last wicket to fall for 32 from 26 and Muzza remained not out on 52 from 36. The Choox ended with 10/149. Thomo and Sashi took 1/9 each and Johno took 1/10 and pulled off one of the run outs of the season from the boundary.
Needing 7.46 runs per over, Big Show shot out with 1/41 in the power play, Pizey with 20 from 14. Run-out king Johno retired with 26 in 20 and the half time total was 3/78 the same as the Choox. They lost 3 wickets as the Savage one retired with 28 in 19 balls the total was 6/113 just 3 runs ahead.
A run out then 4 to Brouny who was bowled for 23 off 18 and another run out and Big Show lost by 5 runs. Big Jake took 2/8 and Jacko also took a couple of wickets.
