Round 10 of the 14 week Big Bash Season is done and five teams are still capable of playing finals. The Master Batters will need to string some wins together to push into the Top Four.
This week’s fixtures: Tue- Finbats v Bushchoox; Wed- Big Show v Willow Warriors ; Thurs - Sons of Pitches v Madness; Friday - Master Batters v Bashers.
GAME 37
Monday saw the Bashers and Big Show meet for the second time this season.
The Bashers won back in game 11 by 5 runs. BS batted first and steadily built a power play total of 2/39 from the first 5 overs.
Thomo retired with 26 from 19 balls and Pizey took 19 deliveries to make his 27 retired as the half time total reached 2/97.
The run rate pushed up around 10 in the 3rd term with Schultzy smashing a 10 ball 25 not out innings as the total reached 3/149 at 3/4 time.
In the final term Brad Harro helped himself to 24 runs in 18 balls and Thomo returned to bat and finished on 32 from 22.
The Big show had amassed 8/188 from their 20 overs.
Leigh took 2/10 and Tristian 1/8 for the Bashers. The Bashers needed to score at 9.41 runs per over to win and at 1/4 time were 3 runs behind with 2/44 from the power play. Sheathy retired with 25 from 19 and Gazza retired with 27 in 19 balls.
The Bashers were 14 behind the run rate at half time with 3/80 and then the slowst 1/4 of the season happened with only 16 runs being scored and the Bashers were then in need of 93 runs from 30 balls. That was never going to happen and the Bashers finished on 7/111 taking a 77 run belting.
In a man of the match performance Thomo took 2/2 in 2 overs, Savage and Shultzy took 2 wickets each for a dozen runs.
GAME 38
Thursday was the second Grand Final replay of the season with the Bush Choox and the reigning premiers Willow Warriors meeting.
Back in game 9 the Choox took the points by 23 runs.
Sebby started things off for the Choox with a 6 from the first ball off the bowling of Midsy and then another 6 from the 5th ball to take 15 from the first over.
The Choox had 1/41 after the power play and 3/81 at half time with two retirees in waiting, Sebby 25 from 13 balls and Chooky in his first game of the season 25 from 16 balls.
Jake retired in the 3rd term with 28 from 23 and with Smithy starting to wind up the Choox had 5/125 @ 8.33 on 3/4 time.
Jake returned and made 38 from 33 balls.
Only 27 runs were scored in the final term as Smithy ran out of partners with 20 not out from 16 balls and the total finished on 10/152.
Cambo took 3 for 4 in the 17th over to finish with 3/15. Garsty took 1 wicket for a miserly 2 runs from his 12 balls (2 overs) and Tinny took 2/9.
The Warriors lost a wicket on the 3rd ball of the first over but still managed to put on 2/47 in the power play with Garsty retired on 25 from 16 balls.
Guitar Hero Forey put together 28 retired from 26 balls to help the total reach 3/77 at half time.
With the Warriors 1 run ahead of the required run rate at half time they then put on another 40 in the 3rd quarter to push 3 runs ahead of the run rate at 5/117.
Needing just 36 from the final 30 balls with 5 wickets in hand the boys from the Fowl House Corner did what they have done all season and that was put the squeeze on.
Jakey took 2/3 in the in the 16th over to end with 2/5.
Nine runs came in the 17th over then Cody bowled 5 dot balls in the 18th over to leave the Warriors needing 23 runs from 12 balls with Garsty waiting at square leg to resume his retired innings.
It appeared to the crowd that Seb had deliberately missed a stumping of Hazza to prevent Garstone returning, so Hazza deliberately hit his stumps next ball to bring Garsty back into bat. With just 6 balls left they needed 20 from the last over as the two retirees went for it. Forey ended up 33 not out from 28 balls, Garsty 33 from 20 balls and they fell 6 runs short.
Big Cummo in his first game of the season took 3/13 of which none of them meant anything because one was a LBW warning and the other two were first balls to batsmen. Jake took 2/5 and Berridge 1/8 for the Choox.
GAME 40
Friday nights clash was between Madness and the Master Batters on a beautiful afternoon on the Western Oval. The Mad Men went to the crease first and put 1/42 on the board in the power play with Godrich retiring at the top of the order with 26 from 22 balls. The second term was a bit slower with only 32 runs added but Captain Bezza retired again with 25 off 17 balls. The run rate had dropped a full run an over to be 3/74 at half time.
Seventeen runs came off Fozzies 2nd over which included an "in the net on the full 9 run shot" from one of last seasons All-Stars Menni. Menni has been in terrible form only scoring 31 in his last 5 innings, but today he made 30 from just 17 balls, welcome back Mark. The Madness outfit put together 7/162. For the Master Batters Jolli was again good with 2/9 and Nicko returned 2/12.
MB have only scored above this required total once before this season and without Joyce and the Blind Man the required run rate of 7.61 will be a challenge.
The power play netted them 1/36 with Barnsey (25 in 21 balls) carrying on his good form with his 5th not out in a row.
Only 31 runs came in the next 30 balls as MB dropped 10 runs behind the run rate. The next 30 balls only saw 16 runs scored and with 5/83 on the board at 3/4 time the Master Batters were now 31 runs behind where they needed to be.
In the final ¼ Fish hit the drinks eski for a bonus 5 runs and remained not out on 25 from 13 balls as his team folded around him to be 8 for 122 and take a 40 run loss.. Lincoln McLeod took 3/6 and man of the match Menni 1/9 and a catch.
GAME 39
Monday afternoon’s game between Sons a of Pitches and Finbats was postponed from last Wednesday's washed out fixture.
Today was a beautiful public holiday about 28 deg' and no chance of rain.
Sons of Pitches went into bat first and with another disastrous power play were 2/24 after 5 overs.
Jacob took 39 balls to retire on 25 runs and SOP were on the backfoot right from the start.
At half time the total was 4/54 and any hope of posting a decent target was going to be a huge task.
Brewer in his first game for the season tried with 17 runs off 9 balls. At 3/4 time the score was lamenting at 5/82. In the final term they put on 38 runs thanks to Jay Balls who hit two sixes in an unbeaten inning of 26 from 20 balls.
The Sons of Pitches finished with 5/120 at a run rate of 6.00. Ronny took 2/11 Nobsy was really economical with 0/5 from 2 overs and George 2/5.
Needing a tick over a run a ball the Finbats openers both retired Harps with 26 from 12 balls and Blackie 25 from 19 balls.
With a run rate in the power play of 9.20 the score was 0/46. The Bats added another 54 runs in the 2nd quarter to reach 0/100 at half time. Nobbsy also retired with 28 off 17 balls and then the rest of the batting order had a swing with 3 others making teen-high scores.
The ¾ time total was 2/146. The final term saw 6 wickets fall and the two retirees return to the crease.
Both Nobbsy and Harps finished with 31 runs from 18 balls, the Finbats reached a total of 8/181.
Today’s win came on the second ball of the 13th over making it the fastest win of the season to date.
Azza 1/6 from two overs and Brewer 1/10 from 2 the best of the Sons of Pitches bowling attack.
