4TH XI CRICKET V FREYBERG CC
The 4th XI played Freyberg CC in the first of their ‘bottom 8’ matches. Logan Hey instilled confidence in the selectors, and his teammates, by winning his first toss as Captain and choosing to bat first.
Freyberg’s opening bowlers made initial scoring difficult with Jacob Cowie and Wade McNabb falling early, leaving the team 30/2 off 8. While this was familiar territory for the 4th XI, Jack Gordon and an in-form Oliver Allan settled in. At 90-2 at drinks, the 4th XI was in unknown territory, poised to ramp up the run rate and attack. In the 25th over, Oliver was caught at square leg on 49, breaking the 91 run partnership. Jack was caught slogging to mid-on (59), amidst Cooper Ryder and Kalani Rhodes scoring quickly; 46 off 34 balls collectively. At 184/6 and five overs left in the innings, the reality of setting a season high total dawned on the remaining batsman. The last 25 balls provided an array of disappointment, bewilderment, positive run-scoring and excitement: Logan Hey fell victim to a trigger-happy umpiring decision, Hamish Ramsay was run out in a yes/no mix up, Daniel McDougall knocked it around sensibly and Mr Macdonald dined out on a Freyberg pie, sending the ball over the boundary mere metres from taking a dunk in the PNGHS swimming pool. The 4th XI finished on 217/9, batting out their 40 overs. Jack Gordon 59 off 80, Kalani Rhodes 49 off 84.
Freyberg started the chase in emphatic fashion, quickly racing to 60 off the first 11 overs before the first wicket fell; a top edge caught at mid-wicket by Daniel McDougall off the bowling of Jack Gordon. At drinks, it was anyone’s game to win. Freyberg had accumulated quickly to 98/2, positioned slightly ahead of the PNBHS mid-way score. Old Boy, Shaun Vickery, provided resistance and runs for Freyberg, before being caught behind on 71 in the 32nd over; bowled Cooper Ryder, caught Wade McNabb. Things were looking grim for PNBHS as another big hitter arrived at the crease who smartly put away the good balls and brutally punished the bad ones. Pressure on the bowlers also resulted in gifting extras to Freyberg— a total of 28 from the innings. It was the 36th over before confidence and chirping was restored to the field, with Daniel McDougall taking a running over-the-shoulder catch to dismiss the danger man, leaving Freyberg on 200/9. The remaining batting pair were left with 14 to get off the last 12 balls- a tough target even for our Nation’s ‘Men in Black’. It was never a question of if, but when. With scoreboard pressure swelling, the #11 dabbed a ball to square leg and tried to pinch a run that was never there. Freyberg finished 12 runs short on 205/10 from 38.5 overs. Cooper Ryder 3/19, Jack Gordon 3/31 and Kalani Rhodes 2/35.