The Hawks A-Grade season kicked off against 2018/19 grand finalists, YOBS CC. Upon arrival to the ground, a green bowler-friendly wicket greeted the two captains, with YOBS winning the toss and sending the Hawks into bat.
With the first wicket falling in the second over of the innings, both MacLean (37 runs) and Joyce (47 runs) set about the to settle the innings with a 65-run partnership, with the Hawks reaching 2/75 at the 25th over drinks break.
With three more wickets falling shortly after the drinks break, it brought together Aaron Thomas and Grant Garstone for a 58-run partnership.
Garstone was eventually dismissed for 42 runs off just 28 deliveries and Thomas for 29 runs with the team total reaching an impressive 196 on a difficult batting wicket.
Augusta recruit, Braden Warnke, and Aaron Thomas opened the bowling for the Hawks and applied pressure to the YOBS opening batters immediately, allowing only 4 runs to be scored off the first 8 overs.
This immense pressure brought about the first dismissal, with Thomas to take the first wicket.
Both Golding and Spowart capitalised on a pitch that was becoming much easier to score runs on, with a 122-run partnership, placing the Hawks under pressure in the field.
Warnke toiled away in his second spell and eventually took the prized scalp of Golding, placing the Hawks back in control.
Captain Mat Kent also chipped with a dismissal however the pick of the bowlers was Aaron Thomas with 3/27 off 10 overs. With the final over completed, the Hawks recorded their first victory of the season, beating YOBS by 13 runs.
Special recognition goes to the Augusta recruits, Braden and Tyson Warnke, on their A-Grade selection and upcoming youngster Darcy Bailey, who applied himself well in his third A- Grade match.
The Hawks next match will be against the premiers from last season, St. Marys, at Barnard Park on Saturday 19th October.
B Grade
The season opener against Yobs at Barnard park ended up as one of the most bizarre games of cricket you could witness.
Although the match was played in perfect conditions on a synthetic pitch, the scoreline was more suggestive of a rampant turner in Bangalore or a Headingly 'sticky-wicket'.
We lost the toss and bowled, the openers Jordan Stanbury and new recruit Trent Matthews kept it very tight, but without much luck. After 10 overs Yobs had only managed 12 runs.
Change bowlers Al Wilkie and Danny Weston kept the pressure on, and were it not for a few dropped catches we would have better than 1/44 from 18 overs.
Enter Blake Gillam in his first game for the club.
A wicket in his first over gave him a sniff and he tore the heart out of the Yobs batting order to finish with 7 for 13 from 9 overs, including 4 for none from 15 balls in the middle of that spell.
Yobs were out for 88 - Wilkie and Stanbury taking the other wickets while Weston and Matthews bowled well without luck.
New VC Jude Shinnick, and the evergreen Garrath Stewart started the reply steadily - 11 runs without loss from 7 overs... surely this was going to be easy. But mother cricket enjoys a plot twist. In the twinkling of an eye we were 3 for 11, and then 4 for 19.
The names of our middle order have been suppressed to protect the guilty but the scorecard was starting to look like the Audi logo for a while.
A recovery of sorts followed with Shinnick putting on 13 with Jono Outred, and 21 with Weston, before being unlucky to be given out LBW for a fine 42 with the score on 54. Sadly there were no heroes, and we were bowled out for 74.
What a day for Blake Gillam, who showed the BMRCA what he is made of with this incredible performance.
Years of playing for Augusta has built a worthy cricketer, and is now surely pushing for an A grade berth with a perfect example of line and length bowling.
An all-round good guy, Gillam's efforts would have to go down as one of the best debuts in BMRCA history.
20 year old Gillam is an example of the quality of player found in the small town of Augusta, and should numbers allow it, will be a core member of their future going forward.
The Hawks are excited with what he brings to his new club and has much more to show this season in the baggy yellow.
He will be pushing to join fellow ACC players Tyson and Braden Warnke in the top team and his hard work over many years is an inspiration to youngsters like Charlie Flintoff.
Blake, an incredible effort, well done mate!
