A win full of Malty goodness
WOMEN’S 1st XI — HOT STUFF! (Match report by Rebekah Drake; headline by me)
It was very very hot on the weekend for the Women’s 1st XI. Matches get cancelled at 38 degrees, but we only managed 37, so we were on (although every other game in our division got called off). With Trouper still away, captain Izzy maintained her perfect toss winning record and we decided to field.
It was very warm, meaning bowlers were having shorter spells. Again, the bowling was about consistency. Dagger (Amy) managed to break through with the first wicket (LBW) and they fell relatively consistently from there. Handsy managed to get their big hitting 13-year-old out with a lovely catch on the boundary by Nan.
After the wicketkeepers swapped over (Bobbie decided to give Vovo a go/was happy to get rid of keeping duties in the heat) Handsy effected a beautiful run out. Junior took a lovely catch off Rex’s bowling, before Johnno took her first ever catch for the Hill off Junior’s bowling. As their batters started to hit out, Bobbie chimed in with a caught and bowled, before Izzy took a lovely catch off Rex’s bowling. They did unfortunately hit a few more boundaries and ended at 7/150.
Bowling figures:
Handsy 1/12 off 7
Junior 1/31 off 6
Izzy 0/17 off 3
Amy 1/29 off 8
Rex 2/35 off 9
Bobbie 1/21 off 3
Our batting innings started well, with Izzy seeing them beautifully and hitting three fours in the opening over. Unfortunately she was bowled out shortly later for a quick 13. Rach came in and started well with a four. Unfortunately, there were regular wickets as she fell for 6.
Rex hung around as Nan got our for 1, and Vovo for a duck. A nice partnership was formed with Handsy, before she was bowled out for 11. Hannah came in but was out for a duck. Another small partnership occurred with Rex and Bobbie, before Rex’s innings came to an end, caught for a well made 29.
Bobbie didn’t stay long out there with Dagger, out LBW (dubious as always). Junior came in and had another good batting innings, working well with Dagger. Despite the heat, they stayed in for a while (even running twos!) Dagger looked in top form, working the field well. Unfortunately this came to and end when Junior was caught out for 2. Johnno came in and couldn’t manager a run before being caught out as well. Dagger finished on her top score for the season, 13 not out.
We fell a few runs short, all out for 108, but significant improvement on last week’s batting innings.
THE CHICKEN: For her lovey bowling and phenomenal batting (and fantastic new nickname), or virtual chicken goes to Dagger!
MEN’S 1st XI — BACK IN TOWN!
The 1s played host to Toorak-Prahran with Ben Cap(tain)likas winning the toss and batting. Thanks to him and Malty Lynas we got off to a fine start, the pair putting on 49 a faulty Malty was caught and bowled. Ben Cap carried on, though, this time with Zaj (aka my soulmate, Nick Zajac) and they took the score to 119 before Benny went for 53. Zaj (32), Stan Mills (21) and Miles (16) helped us along to a total of 7/187 off 40.
TPCC were in the hunt at 1/41 and 2/87 but our bowlers then took charge to knock them over for 128. The destroyers were Malty (4/17 off 8*) and Benny Levens (3/17 off 7), ably backed up by Stinger Barrett (2/43) and Eamonn Scott (1/15 off 7).
Great win boys!
THE CHICKEN goes to Benny Levens for his three-for and a catch.
*Actually, MyCricket says Matty Lynas bowled 8.1 overs. I didn’t think that was possible in a 40-over game, Malty!?
WOMEN’S 2nd XI — BURNER ACCOUNT: MOLLY MAKES HERSELF AT HOME AS WE GET OUR HIGHEST-EVER SCORE!
Match report thanks to Sarah Catterwell
The 2s trekked over the road to Fairlea to host “the Burners” on Sunday.
With a late dash to the servo to get the essentials (dunny paper and ice) we were ready to play. We were sent in to bat first (yep, Razzle lost the toss for the 57th consecutive week) and we looked excellent with B2 cracking a 4 off the very first ball. Things went a little pear shaped from there as we slumped to 4/12 within the first 5 overs.
Enter Molly.
With her clearance coming through late Friday night and not having played in over 3 years, we weren’t expecting too much from the 20-year-old sensation from Plenty Valley.
We were wrong. Molly played extremely well as she made batting look easy. She made an unbeaten 50 before choosing to retire.
“Fill in” Trina came in down the order this week and it paid dividends with a boundary-filled 22 not out, leading us to post 140 runs, our highest ever score.
With Doc sidelined with a “gardening injury” it was Mum who opened the bowling with Razzle as she took a wicket early on in her spell. Unfortunately that only bought one of the cleanest strikers of the ball I’ve ever seen to the crease. She seemed to be cracking everything out the middle of the bat until Bib got her with her bowling stare down as she looped one in the air to B2.
Cragieburn were able to chase down the total quite easily from there as they cruised to victory. Everyone played so well especially given the weather and how hot it was.
Batting
Molly 58
Trina 22*
Bowling figures
Razzle 0/29 off 8
Mum 1/23 off 3
Spiller 0/22 off 2
Catters 0/42 off 8
Bib 1/12 off 4
Molly 0/9 off 1
THE CHICKEN: MVP this week goes to Molly for a half century on debut. Well done Molly and welcome to Clifton Hill!
MEN’S 2ND XI — SEXY WIN thanks to JAKE’S NICE TOTAL
The 2s showed they can do it anytime, any place, even when Monty loses the toss and we have to bat first.
Mount Waverley Uniting won the toss and did a Monty by sending us in. That did not worry James Allen, who was up from the 3s where he had been making runs but not getting to 50. This time he did, crunching 56 in an opening stand of 79 with Lenny Dean, who made 44. But Farnesy and Lenny were just the entrée, and it was the man if form, Jake Castelow, who took the innings to another level with a cracking 69. Nice work Jake. LOC (Liam O’Connor) chipped in with a handy 29, while Casey Filips was 19 not out in his first game for the 2s for years. All up, our 40 overs yielded 4/225, a great score.
Any chance of MWU getting the runs was wiped out by Monty, who took three of the first four wickets. He finished with 3/23 off his 8, ably assisted by Nails (Jesse Parlane, 1/32), Casey (1/32) and Wardi (Finlay Ward, 1/41). MWU made it to 6/187, giving us a 38 run win.
THE CHICKEN: The story of the day was Jake’s 69, his nice total giving the Twos another sexy win, a fact that is summed up by the fact that JAKE CASTELOW, SIXTY-NINE is an anagram of JAKE’S NICE TOTAL, SEXY WIN.
So the good looking rooster Jake gets the chicken.
MEN’S 3RD XI - GOOD SCORE FOR HOBBS BUT HARRO AND JOHNNO GET BLOBS
Oh boy, this did not go well. I mean it started well, but it did not end well.
Monash won the toss and batted and, after they got to 1/43 we knocked them over like a house of cards as they collapsed to 9/106 off 40. A very even bowling performance, with a pair of wickets each to Boggle (2/7 off 7), Dave Burgess (2/21 off 8), Tulky (2/25 off 8) and Joel (2/22 off 8).
So far, so good…
…but, Jim Entwisle was bowled for 1, and when Zac Wilson fell for 17, the House of Harro collapsed to become the House of Horrors. Matt Hobbs (28) was the only other player to make double figures, and we were all out for 86.
THE CHICKEN: If you thought the chicken would probs go to Hobbs, you were right! Well done, Matt.
MEN’S 4TH XI - IF YOU THINK THE THIRDS WERE BAD…
Always looking to outdo the 3rds, the 4s did so “in style” this week. While the 3s were dismissed for 86, the 4s were rolled for just 70. Guys, this is NOT how you’re supposed top outdo them! Single-figure scores for everyone except Empty (20) and El Presidente (17).
In fairness to skipper Gaz, though, he retired hurt (carried from the field) after doing a calf — or was it a hammy?
Despite good bowling from Toughie (2/28 off 6) and Captain Jack (1/5 off 2), Marcellin got the runs in no time.
THE CHICKEN goes to Luke Ryan, who has now registered his 3,000th run for CHCC! Magnificent achievement by a great clubman. Well done, Rhino!
MEN’S 5TH XI - UH-OH!
The previously unbeatable 5s have stumbled, losing for a second time in a row on Saturday. It all started well (and predictably) enough, with us batting first, and Jonesy (44) and Jacko (21) putting on 66, but after Stan was out for 41 our batting fell away quickly and we were all out for a below par 163.
Glen Waverley Cougars then batted and despite our bowlers saying “Five Cougars thanks”, we only got four of them out and they passed us with plenty to spare.
THE CHICKEN: Max Sundram gets a mention and the Chicken for taking 2/1 off his 3 overs!
MEN’S 6TH XI - LIFE LESSONS
Cricket has the capability of delivering some great life lessons, and I got one on Saturday before a ball was bowled. As we walked out to field with only eight players, because I sent out a text to players that said “Be there at 12:30” instead of “Be there at 12:00”, I learnt a very valuable lesson: ALWAYS PROOFREAD YOUR MESSAGES BEFORE PRESSING ‘SEND’!
Anyway, I managed to somehow bowl a maiden in the first over, despite having only eight on the field, and things went relatively smoothly from there, as the others turned up. We included some new faces in the team, and gave a big welcome to Riley Willcox, playing his first game, Martin Black (a vets mate of mine) playing his first Saturday game) and Paddy King, back after a hiatus of about five years.
We bowled well early, with me (1/20 off 7) and Action Man keeping Monash in check early, but as the top side, Monash batted deep and eventually compiled 8/197 off their 40. Action Man was a star, taking 4/30, and Riley Willcox on debut (1/34 off 7) was also excellent, as was Paddy, whose figures (1/45 off 7) belied some great bowling.
Paddy’s cause was not helped by me dropping a catch off him at slip, but on the other hand, he dropped a catch off me at slip. (The fact that my catch was much easier than his is irrelevant!)
With our young batting line-up, 197 was a tough chase, and we fell well short. However, Hugo Northrop (20) was excellent, doing a fine job as an opener, and the Fiddes brothers got some good time together in the middle — a time that would have lasted longer had James not run Will out!
Debutant Riley came in at 6 and he was excellent, making 32, the innings top score. Action Man backed up his great bowling with a 20 not out, Paddy looked good in his short stay, and Doug Scott made a quickfire 11 on the back of two catches and a stumping behind the wicket.
Not the win we hoped for, but the 6s are developing well.
THE CHICKEN could easily have gone to Action Man, but Riley Willcox pips him at the poultry post for his fine all-round effort on debut.
THE TOM BELLIS AWARD
For his opening stand of 49 with Ben and 4/16 with the ball, Matt Lynas gets the Tom Bellis for Round 9. Onya Malty!
THE LADDER LOWDOWN
The Men’s 1s are only half a game outside the four, while the Men’s 2s are third and pushing for second. The 3s are out of the four but knocking on the door, while the 4s have also slipped out, as have the 5s. The 6s are 8th of 10 teams, but our plan is to storm home and win the last five home and away games.
The Women’s 1s are still in the four, while the Women’s 2s are 9th out of 12 but improving each week.