Harro’s Happy Birthday
We had five senior sides — four men’s and one women’s — playing semi-finals on the weekend. In each case we were the lower-ranked side but we were hopeful of getting a few upset wins. As it turned out, we got just one win out of five — but it could have been worse! The Thirds looked done and dusted when we collapsed to 8/64 batting first, but Harro’s Heroes pulled off one of the great comebacks to set up a Grand Final berth!
WOMEN’S 1ST XI - HAMSTRUNG AT PRINCES PARK (Match Report by Rebekah Drake)
After moving to a higher league this season, we were excited to reach the semi-finals. Having finished fourth, we faced the minor premiers, Melbourne Uni, in a sudden death final.
We began with a bat and unfortunately did not start well - Rex was dismissed on the first ball of the match. Handsy was in the middle earlier than expected, but she and Izzy settled well. Izzy was belting around their bowlers until disaster struck - she pulled a hammy. She limped off the ground and McDreamy came in. Unfortunately it wasn’t long before she was out for a duck.
Vovo made her way to the middle but went the same way shortly after. Dagger came in and after a few more runs, Handsy was out for 6. Izzy thought enough was enough and went back in (with McDreamy volunteering as runner). Izzy made batting on one leg look very easy and managed to quickly make some critical runs (with a lovely 4 from Dagger in the mix). She ended up caught out for a well-made 29.
Merc went in and made a single before she was out. Bobbie then came to the crease and put together a much needed partnership with Dagger. Although there was a few well-placed fours (edges) in there, the run rate was slow. Both players dug in and played the shots when they were there. The 23-run partnership unfortunately came to an end when Dagger was bowled after making 14. It could be argued it would not have happened if it weren’t for the “water bottle incident”.
To paint a picture, it was a hot day. So hot that Bobbie could barely speak (and that is highly unusual for Bobbie). Razzle was running drinks every 5 overs. Bobbie had said to Razzle to just bring one drink bottle out to share. The umpire was having none of it. You’d think, as partners, Bobbie and Dagger could drink from the same bottle. And that point was very clearly made. The umpire was not budging. Bobbie drank the water without thinking. Dagger went without. Perhaps, if she was better fuelled, she may have gone on to make a quick fire half-century. Alas, we will never know.
Nan came in but wasn’t able to get going and was out for a duck. Our fearless leader, Trouper, was next. She was still on one leg from a previous hamstring injury (our team may be getting old...), so finding runs was difficult. But she pushed through as her name suggests. Although her run rate was slow, Bobbie didn’t look like getting out, until the need for runs in the last over got her run out for 13. Junior came in for a quick fire 2, before finishing not out (again). We finished on 84. Although it was not as high a score as we’d like, we dug in where previously we seemed to collapse, and thought it would be defendable.
In reality, it was not. Melbourne Uni came to play and their opening batters seemed relatively comfortable from the start. Our bowlers tried hard, but we also missed couple of early opportunities. Izzy fielded well (again on one leg), but was also relieved by Razzle, who provided some good intensity in the field. Dagger seemed to figure out the opposition, bowling a maiden followed by a wicket maiden. The beautiful ball by Dagger and lovely catch by Rex provided a spark, but ultimately we didn’t have enough runs on the board, and were outclassed by a solid team from Melbourne Uni. Our bowling figures were still very good:
Handsy 0/20 off 5, Junior 0/23 off 4, Dagger 1/15 off 5, Rex 0/23 off 4.2
Although it was a sad note to finish on, we thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of an improved competition. A massive congratulations to Rex, McDreamy and Merc, who played their first games at Clifton Hill this season.
CHICKEN: Our virtual chicken goes to Dagger, for incredible bowling and her staying power with the bat. Special mention goes to Izzy for her amazing effort on one leg!
MEN’S 2ND XI - TWOS LOSE AND GET ON THE BOOZE
Monty’s Megastars (also known as Lou’s Larrikins and Wortho’s Warriors) took on the Victorian Cavaliers at Fregon Reserve, with Monty winning the toss and doing his usual thing, bowling. A couple of early wickets saw VC slip to 2/10 but they recovered to make 8/160 in their 40 overs, a run rate of exactly 4 (for those who struggle with maths). Sam Asdagi was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3/38 off his 8, but everyone bowled well, including Monty himself (1/17 off 8), Lanno (1/27 off 6), Wardi (0/13 off 4) and the better Jonesy (0/24 off 8).
161 was a gettable score but unfortunately we didn’t get it. Casey (26), Stan Mills (19), Hugh (14) and Lou (14) all got starts but no one could finish. As a result, we were all out for 104, ending our season on a disappointing note.
Despite the loss, the 2s had another good year, making finals again despite an ever-changing line-up that featured three captains.
CHICKEN: Sam Asdagi’s 3-for gets him the 2s last poultry prize of the year.
MEN’S 3RD XI - THREES FREEZE BUT EVENTUALLY PLEASE
Harro’s Heroes headed out to Lum Reserve to take on Glen Waverley, who we had beaten easily twice in the home-and-away games, including a thrashing just seven days earlier. So we headed into the match confident of giving Harro a win as a birthday present.
Unfortunately, for the first couple of hours the batters caused a giant Harro Headache, as we slipped to 8/64, despite a solid start from J-Ho Number 1 (Jesse Hodge, 25) and Farnsy (James Allen, 13). Fortunately, the tail wagged, with T-Bone (Matty Tulk, 37 no, and Dave Burgess (22) lifting our total 131, still pretty meagre but at least defendable.
J-Ho Number 2 (Jamie Holton) opened the bowling, and his first ball was dispatched for 4. Things looked grim. But will ball number 2, J-Ho Number 2 took a wicket, and the match turned at that very moment. He took another wicket two balls later and by the end of his fifth over had five wickets. All through this period Dave Burgess was keeping the batters tied down at the other end.
GW slipped to 5/25, and the wickets did not stop tumbling. Fletch grabbed a couple and Dave got a well-deserved one, and the oppo collapsed to 8/60. Their tail wagged also, but not as well as ours had, and Nails (Jesse Parlane) and Fletch ended GW’s hopes with the final two wickets, GW all out for 114, putting us into the Grand Final!
Brilliant bowling all round, as evidenced by the bowling figures: Jamie 5/29 off 8; Luke Fletcher 3/38 off 6, Dave 1/13 off 8, Parlane 1/25 off 7 and Tulky 0/5 off 5.
CHICKEN: Tulky’s late-order batting and tight bowling gets him the nod. Onya T-Bone!
MEN’S 4th XI - FOURS IN THE WARS WITH TOO MANY LOW SCORES
Gazza’s Gladiators made the short trip to Bulleen to take on Mazenod. Unfortunately that short trip was followed by Mazenod making short work of us. Gaz won the toss and we batted, but once the first wicket fell at 18, the rest followed far too regularly. Despite fighting knocks from The President (top score of 22, avoiding impeachment for yet another week), Toughy (20), The Secretary (11) and Roadie (10), we were all out for just 104.
As good as our bowling was — Toughy 1/25 off 5, The Girv (1/14 off 4), Captain Jack (0/16 off 6), Empty (0/25 off 7), it was not enough to avoid defeat, and we bowed out of an otherwise good season with a loss.
CHICKEN: Toughy gets the rooster for fighting right til the end with bat and ball, finishing off a brilliant summer.
MEN’S 5th XI - FIVES FALL AT FREEWAY RESERVE
The 5s took the freeway to Freeway reserve, lost the toss and bowled first. AJ got an early wicket to have the Cougars 1/22 but their batters then settled in to compile a solid score 6/213 off 35 overs, despite good bowling from AJ (2/28 off 7), Gilly (2/30 off 5) and Max Sundram (1/29 off 6).
Unfortunately when we batted a couple of our big guns did not get big scores, and we finished on 8/146 to bow out of the premiership race. We didn’t give up without a fight, though, with Matt Hobbs (43 no) continuing his fine form, Stan Kroenert chipping in with 32 and Skipper Skoblar (15) sticking it out to the end.
A disappointing end but, as with the Women’s 1s, and Men’s 2s and 4s, and excellent effort to get to the semis.
CHICKEN: The Mechelse Hoen goes to Matt Hobbs for his 43 not out.
Holton halts Glen Waverley’s charge
Glen Waverley were on their way to a Grand Final until Jamie Holton stepped up to the mark on Saturday, taking five wickets to reduce GW to a rabble and turn the game in our favour. He is a deserved winner of the Semi-Final Tom Bellis Award!