Introducing Micah Worth-a-ton
Another excellent effort from Monty and his crew to get a full six sides on the track this week, no mean feat in these COVID times. Three great wins for the men’s teams and a crushing win for the Women’s 1s rounded out a good weekend at the Hill.
MEN’S 6TH XI v EDINBURGH at WJ Cox Oval: BILLY’S BOYS GO DOWN AS THE SUN GOES DOWN
The Men’s 6s were the last to arrive back at the clubrooms on Saturday night. That can happen when you play away against an opposition based way out in the far eastern suburbs. But that wasn’t the case with Billy’s team. They were just across the Merri Creek at WJ Cox Oval.
According to Billy, the problem was Edinburgh’s captain. Now that bloke happens to be my GP and I’m glad he takes his time to make a considered judgement before he gives me a diagnosis. But Billy is not impressed that he takes the same approach with field placements. In any case, it was a prescription for defeat for our boys, who finished on 7/200 trying to chase down Edinburgh’s 4/241.
Good bowling from Brother (2/36 off 7), Jim Entwisle (2/41 off 7) and Ted Wearn-Jarvis (0/32 off 7). On the batting side, shout-outs to Raghu (53no retired), Brother (31), Lloyd Skinner (22) and Ted W-J (21no).
CHICKEN: Raghu gets the chicken for his unbeaten half-century
KILLER HILLER MOMENT: The KHM was when Eddie Chiroiu gave me a call at about 6:15pm asking if there was a rule about whether there was a time-limit. Eddie was trying to get away with a drawn match. Unfortunately, there was no such rule. Nice try Ed.
WOMEN’S 1ST XI v CRAIGIEBURN: HIGHWAY TO CRICKET HEAVEN
Match Report by Bek Drake
The Women’s Team 1st XI took a trip down the highway to face Craigieburn. Lauren ‘Rex’ Chester won the toss and we started in the field.
Hannah ‘Handsy’ Watson and Amy ‘Wolfie’ Howell got the team off to a beautiful start. While there were no wickets in the first six overs, runs were few and far between. The pressure that had been built created opportunities with the ball. Ash ‘Steam Train’ Murdoch took advantage of this, taking the first wicket as Craigieburn’s opening batter chopped on. From there, the bowling and fielding performance of the Hillers was nothing short of sensational. Rachel ‘Greyhound’ Gray was as quick as ever in the field, with Bec ‘B Cats’ Catterwell also keeping the pressure on with her high intensity fielding.
Wickets kept falling and the runs were kept to a minimum. Rex got a caught and bowled, followed by Steam Train taking out another of their big hitters, with a superb catch by Hannah Gray. After the drinks break, the form continued. Handsy opened with a wicket maiden (which involved a sensational diving catch from Rex), before Rachael ‘Razzle’ Jones also got a wicket maiden, trapping the batter LBW. A few overs later, Razzle got another wicket maiden, with the batter out bowled. Wolfie decided she wanted part of the action, and also got a wicket bowled. Steam Train got another, with Razzle taking a lovely catch. Wolfie then also got another, caught behind with some wonderful keeping by Bec ‘B2’ Troon. The final wicket involved some sensational fielding, with Laila ‘Electric Train’ Rae completing a quick pick up and return to B2, who sent the bails flying. In hot conditions, we were happy to have gotten Craigieburn all out for 35 in the 22nd over.
Beautiful bowling figures as always: Handsy 1/5 off 6, Wolfie 2/13 off 5.2, Rex 1/4 off 3, Steam Train 3/10 off 5, Razzle 2/3 off 3
With a low total to chase, we knew we could be patient. Izzy ‘Isobel’ Fenner and Rex started well, with some extras helping along the way. Unfortunately, a misheard call lead to Izzy being run out for 1. Handsy joined Rex at the crease and they settled, dealing mainly in ones and twos. Unfortunately Handsy got bowled out for 6. B Cats joined Rex at the crease, and was watching the ball well, until some swing got her out bowled for a duck. Electric Train joined Rex at the crease, with 16 runs required for victory. They both stayed calm and got the runs where they could, before Electric Train decided she was getting too warm in the middle and finished it off with the only boundary of the game. Rex finished on 10* and Electric Train 5* in a comprehensive victory that came in the 12th over.
CHICKEN: The Chicken goes to Ash ‘Steam Train’ Murdoch, who dismissed both of the opposition
MEN’S 4TH XI v BULLEEN at FAIRLEA WEST: MISSED IT BY THAT MUCH
The 4s were at home to Bulleen, and we batted first, with some excellent batting from veterans Rhino and Roadie (both 50no retired) backed up by a 26 from Naj, a quickfire 14 from Toughie and 13no from skipper Gaz helping us to a score of 7/221.
Bulleen’s run chase was a tight affair, with both sides looking more likely to win at different times. When it came to the final over, Bulleen needed just one run, but Roadie managed to bowl 5 consecutive dot balls before they got the run needed on the final ball. Bad luck boys.
Bowling highlights Roadie 2/28 off 6, Tough Man 1/22 off 8 and Boggle 1/31 off 6.
CHICKEN: The wily old veteran Ian Roadnight gets another chicken to his name.
KILLER HILLER MOMENT: A tumbling dive on the boundary in the dust at the freeway end by Cal Behmer saved a couple of runs. It was the sort of effort that often turns defeat to victory. Unfortunately this time it didn’t. (But I was impressed anyway.)
WOMEN’S 2ND XI v ESSENDON at RAMSDEN ST: NO PLAY? NO WAY!
Unfortunately the Women’s 2s were unable to get on the park due to a high number of unavailabilities. Next week!
MEN’S 5TH XI v MAZENOD at MAZENOD
What’s better than beating Mazenod on their own fake turf? Beating Mazenod on their own fake turf TWICE in one season. What’s better than beating Mazenod on their own fake turf twice in one season? Beating Mazenod on their own fake turf THRICE in one season.
This time around it was Mazenod 3/188 (Action Man 2/18 off 6, Jonesy 1/31 off 7, Geoff Smith 0/25 off 6) defeated by CHCC 4/192 (Jonesy a nice 69no, Stan K 6, Skipper Skobs 26).
CHICKEN: Action Man’s brilliant bowling gets him the chicken.
MEN’S 1ST XI v DEEPDENE at RAMSDEN ST: THE STEVE AND STINGER SHOW
Coming off a win the 1s were looking to go back to back and our bowlers did a great job in trying to make that so, dismissing Deepdene for just 119, thanks to Stinger Barrett (3/25 off 7.2), Jamie Holton (3/28 off 7), Old Man Cottsy (2/19 off 5) and Kieren Schulz (1/12 off 4).
The 1s have had small targets to chase before and failed but this time Cottsy and Stinger made sure we got the points. Cottsy made 57 before being given LBW to a ball that left a bruise on his chest, while Stinger followed last week’s 49 with 52 not out to see us home.
CHICKEN: Stinger adds a chicken to last week’s Tom Bellis
KILLER HILLER MOMENT: Not so much a Killer Hiller Moment as a Killer Hiller Question — Deepdene’s score of all out 119 suggests a lack of batting depth. With that in mind, should they be made to change their name to Shallowdene? Send your answers to Gigsy/Tangles/ChickenMan/Max at CHCC PO Box 11, CLIFTON HILL 3068.
MEN’S 3RD XI v MT WAVERLEY at FAIRLEA WEST: HAMMERED, BUT NAILS GOES DOWN SWINGING
With Harro unavailable and Nails back at the helm, hopes were high for a 3rds win. Unfortunately, those hopes were not fulfilled. We bowled first and Mt Waverley Uniting made 9/215 in their 40. AJ (3/36 off 8) was the pick of the bowlers, well supported by Daisy (1/36 off 8), Fletch (1/6 off 1) and The Locksmith (Lach Smith, 1/37 off 8).
We were in the hunt for a while in the run chase, thanks to Zac Wilson (60) and the Pres (27), but we couldn’t find the one other big score we needed. Despite good efforts from Tulky (20) and Nails Parlane (29no) we finished on 9/194.
CHICKEN: A lovely 60 from Zac Wilson earns him the poultry.
KILLER HILLER MOMENT: Any of the two (or was it three?) sixes that Nails nailed.
MEN’S 2ND XI v GLEN WAVERLEY COUGARS at Glen Waverley North Reserve: MW! MW MW MW MW
(or “MY WORD! MICHAEL WORTHINGTON’S MIND-WARPING, MAGNIFICENTLY WATCHABLE MATCH-WINNER”)
It was yet another copy-and-paste performance from the 2s, with a very comfortable chase down of a total batting second. This week’s variations on the them were:
We had to chase 156, the largest oppo total of thew year (although Monty says the ground is a postage stamp)
Wortho went all the way to an unbeaten ton! J-Ho (42no) was the perfect foil for him.
CHICKEN: That goes to Jim “Fat Mitts” Wright, who grabbed another two catches and took 1/8 off 8. (Also, well bowled Monty, 2/23 off 8, and Lou Burstin, 2/10 off 4.)
KILLER HILLER MOMENT: Wortho needed two for the ton, we needed two for the win. HE DID IT!
THE TOM BELLIS AWARD
No surprises here. A magnificent ton from the man, the legend — MICHA WORTHINGTON!
