Month: June 2019

Rocks and diamonds

On 23/06/2019

SMCA Div 16 Round 4: 15 June 2019 vs. The Ponds B

Rocks and diamonds.

It’s the only cliche that can aptly describe today’s match.

Our opposition, The Ponds, came from the same club as The Miracle in Milperra, so we were confident of some high-quality and entertaining cricket today. We did… in patches.

Apaches elected to bowl first with the bowling of Brad Koch (0/9) and Bryan Seymour (0/31). Both had the ball moving beautifully through the air, with Bryan tailing it in, and Brad mostly moving it out. Edges were beaten, and LBWs turned down, but the opposition batsmen remained resolute. Brad was desperately unlucky to not have one of the opposition openers out LBW, and it was a decision we’d be ruing all day. The opener would go on to score 119.

Sammuri replaced Koch after three of his overs, as the plan was to save him for the finish of the innings due to his miserly economy rate. Immediately, the opener took a liking to Sammuri’s bounce and started to take him to town. Similar things were happening to Seymour. Fortunately, he retired on 40. Sammuri immediately took care of the #3 LBW, and soon after had the #4 caught behind by Smokey Hawkins. Numbers 7 and 8 fell the same way, LBW and caught behind to Sammuri (4/24).

In the mean time, Zac Abbott was bowling at the other end and making inroads. Not to be outshone, his first over yielded two wickets, one masterfully caught by John Wright, and the other by Bryan at full stretch at square leg. He took a further LBW to finish three overs 3/20. From getting absolutely pummelled, the Apaches were in the commanding position of having the opposition 7/85 at the break. The opener had scored 40*, the other opener 11, and from then on the opposition’s scorebook read a dismal 0,1,7,0,5,1.

However, as we know with winter cricket, we have to take all 9 wickets. And boy did we struggle to get the opener out. A few tough chances went down. One by Sammuri at slip, and the other by Cleaves at deep mid wicket. However, the opener was seriously impressive. While Smokey Hawkins(0/44) and John Wright (1/31) contained him, we couldn’t stop him reaching a masterful century. After John had earlier dismissed his lower-order batting partner for 16 by bowling his off stump, we eventually dismissed the centurion when Smokey ran out his lazy partner.

Apaches were left chasing 164, 119 of which were scored by one man.

Bryan and John opened the batting. The Ponds opened their bowling with a sharp bowler who liked to bowl short. The first ball off the innings was directed at Byran’s body, and took an unfortunate ricochet off his stomach into the stumps. Truly unlucky. Cleaves went out to bat at #3 and was keeping the sharp opener out with some courageous batting. Similarly, John continued to patiently hold his own and work it around. A change of bowling, to an in-swinger brought an end to Joe Cleaves for 4 runs, after he was bowled. Sammuri and John Wright set out to consolidate. It was a job partially done as we were 2/53 at the break.

Needing 6 an over for the rest of the match, John and Will took a few boundaries and risk-free singles. Both batsmen retired within a few balls for each other.

With two men retired in the sheds, and a score of 91 not long after the break, Apaches were confident. In a fashion similar to The Ponds, however, the middle order were part of a collapse. Brad (12) was looking superb, smacking a towering 6 and a belting a 4 before going for one too many and getting caught on the longest boundary of the field. Josh Mavin was unlucky to be given out caught behind for 2, while Surman was bowled for a duck. Abbott looked good for his 4 before being caught and bowled, which brought Sammuri back to the crease. He wouldn’t add any more to the score, caught first ball back by a sharp catch at silly mid on. Wright and Yap were the only hopes.

Unfortunately, John was run out for 42. Yap (6) made some picket-fence contributions, but was caught behind pushing the score, as by this point the run-rate had crept to 9 an over.

Apaches all out for 114.

Both teams will go home thinking the same thing: Happy with the bowling, but wondering how different the game could have been with more even contributions with the bat.

1st inns. – Apaches won the toss and elected to bowl
The Ponds B: 9/164
Will Sammuri – 4/24 from 6 overs
Zac Abbott – 3/20 from 3 overs

2nd inns. – Apaches: 9/114
Wright 42
Sammuri 40

Summer Hill hold off Apaches in final over

By ApachesSocial

On 22/06/2019

In Match Reports

SMCA Div 15 Round 1: 4 May 2019 vs Summer Hill A at Moore Park 7

The match between Kingsford Apaches A and Summer Hill A was an enthralling one, with the result in the balance until the final two balls.

Kingsford elected to bowl first, fearing rain would interfere with the match (it didn’t). A medical emergency to GG’s cat saw us with 8 men in the field the whole innings.

Sammuri (1/20, 6 overs) and Holland (2/18, 6 overs) opened the bowling and both struck with an LBW in their first over. Summer Hill were reeling at 2/2 after two overs. From there, the batsmen consolidated. They weren’t scoring quickly as the bowling remained extremely tight, but the next wicket didn’t fall until the 12th over (bowled Holland).

Summer Hill reached the break at 3/63.

Kingsford needed a strong bowling effort from their inexperienced change bowlers in the second half of the match in order to restrict Summer Hill. While Cleaves, Ketkar, and Mampitiyarachchi bowled some absolute pearlers, the bowling was inconsistent and many wides were bowled. Wright and Bykov finished the innings professionally, picking up wickets and vital dot-balls from the 30th over onward.

Missing a recognised keeper in the squad also didn’t help, as Sammuri began to struggle to gather balls being bowled wide down the leg side – some of which the batsmen were able to sneak an extra run off (although, miraculously, only one bye went to his name).

By the end of the Kingsford bowling innings, there were 68 extras for the match. We’ll have to check if that’s a record.

Chasing 198 for victory, Sammuri and Mampitiyarachchi opened the batting. Sammuri took a liking to both opening bowlers, and had amassed 38 runs by the 6th over of the match. An ill-disciplinced cut shot, however, saw his innings end two short of a valuable retirement. GG (13) also made a blistering start, but fell to the same cut shot off the same bowler. Cleaves drove one to cover, but Sujee stayed strong, and with Surman began to rebuild. Kingsford were 3/89 at the break. The run-rate not a problem.

Sujee retired in the 25th over, and Surman (16) fell to – you guessed it – a cut shot. Holland (27) and Wright (15*) made valuable contributions in the middle order, but the run-rate kept climbing. Last week’s hero Bykov was unable to combine with Wright to score the required 18 runs off the final over and Kingsford ended their 36 overs on 190.

1st inns. – Apaches won the toss and elected to bowl
Jeremy Holland – 2/18 from 6 overs
John Wright – 2/35 from 6 overs

2nd inns.
Sujee Mampitiyarachchi – 42*
Will Sammuri – 38

Apaches cruise to comfortable victory over Malabar

By ApachesSocial

On 18/06/2019

In Match Reports

SMCA Div 15 Round 3: 1 June 2019 vs Malabar United A

Apaches boasted two players on debut along with the returning Matt Wright who was playing his first game in three years.

We elected to bowl first, and we’re off to a good start. Isaac Williams (2/11) and Will Sammuri (0/9) restricted the opposition to 2/20 off 12 overs. Isaac took both wickets as the desperately unlucky Sammuri was denied a wicket by seemingly holographic stumps. One of Isaac’s wickets was an astounding catch by Matt, and the other by Al at mid off.

Yap and the debuting Nick Thompson were up next. While Thompson bowled some pearlers, he was also erratic. However, he showed excellent promise. Smokey (1/33) struck a batsman in front. The opposition had only scored 67 off 18 overs. They had an excellent batsman who smacked us around a bit after the break. Smokey Hawkins hit a lovely runout, and Nick Thompson took two excellent catches in the deep off John Wright (3/45). Wheeler was unlucky not to get a wicket, but bowled tightly. Sujee and Matt helped finish off the overs. The opposition eventually all out for 187.

Isaac and Sujee opened our batting innings. In the second over, Isaac hit four 4s, and looked ominous before being out LBW for 22. Sujee was solid but was struggling to time the ball, eventually out for 25. Josh Mavin, another debut player was very unlucky with an inside edge that nicked the stumps for 4. GG was bowled after smacking 8. John kept the run rate ticking as always. Snacks unfortunately was also bowled.

The opposition’s attack was good, but we just kept the runs coming. Sammuri came to the crease after Snack’s departure and was seeing it well, hitting 27 very comfortably before hitting a glorious cover drive wide of cover, but not wide enough, spectacularly caught by a diving fielder.

Matt Wright finally made his return to the crease and was just sublime in his strokeplay. With John still at the crease, they were making the run chase look easy. Matt had a restriction where he was automatically out after hitting 40, and he did. Nick went in to bat, and whilst he didn’t score a run, a ball went for 4 byes which granted us the win with 3 overs to spare.

1st inns. – Malabar United A won toss and elected to bat
John Wright – 3/45 from 5 overs
Isaac Williams – 2/11 from 6 overs

2nd ins.
Matt Wright – 40*
John Wright – 38*

Apaches snatch brilliant win in Milperra

By ApachesSocial

On 16/06/2019

In Match Reports

This week we will be ‘featuring’ (i.e. catching up) on some recent match reports from the winter Apaches teams. First up, this thrilla in Milperra…

SMCA Div 15 Round 2: 19 May 2019 vs The Ponds A at Milperra

Apaches all arrived on time to the distant realm of Milperra. A miracle in itself.

Ernie Schinella made a guest appearance and tried to break all our ribs with a hug in customary Ernie fashion. Anthony Cutajar also heeded the Apaches’ call.

We were greeted by a beautiful ground and an opposition (The Ponds) that had a tape measure out to ensure the boundaries were even on all sides. There was also a horse on the neighbouring field. This was no Moore Park 7.

A losing toss meant we had to bowl. In every match this year, Will Sammuri has struck in the first over of the innings, and Jeremy Holland in the first two of his spell. Immediately, however, we saw that the two batsmen at the crease were formidable in their watchfulness and defence. They could also punish a bad ball. However, Holland and Sammuri gave them nothing. Holland finished his spell producing many chances and on 0/18. Sammuri 0/8 off his six. The opening 12 overs were of McGrath-level tightness.

As has been our issue in past weeks, the middle overs weren’t all that flash. After the pressure eased off, runs flowed. Wheeler looked dangerous, but went 0/32 off 4. Tim Bykov (0/38 off 5) was uncharacteristic in bowling full tosses that were duly hit for 4s. Notice anything? That’s right. At this point in the match, not a single wicket has fallen. 0/87 at the break, The Ponds looked in control. After comfortably driving elegantly through the covers, the opposition number 3 was nicked off by the aptly-named Nick Surman (1/38 off 4), and finally, Apaches had their first wicket.

More of the same ensued, however. Schinella (2/43 off 6) was getting whacked, and Surman had begun to leak runs. Ernie made another breakthrough by bowling an opposition batsman. Another thanks to a miraculous, full-stretch slips catch. The umpire said he’d only ever seen a catch like that in KFC classic catches.

As the scoring had begun to accelerate, Cutajar (0/37 off 5) was called upon finish the overs. He bowled much better than the figures indicate. In all, Apaches only took 3 wickets for a whopping 220 runs.

The mood at the break was sombre. Not because of the cricket, but because of Grant and Ernie’s vitriolic rants against the Liberal party.

Wright and Cutajar opened the batting. In fashion contrary to what we know, John Wright was absolutely smashing it. He took a liking to the bowlers and retired on 40 having faced an estimated 22 balls.

Cutajar (33) was playing a glorious hand at the other end. A great lesson in punishing a bad ball. Schinella (3) was at 3, and was out caught at slip pushing the score. Same with Rohit Ketkar who was out for a duck caught at keeper. The run-rate was at 6 an over at the break, but it wasn’t enough, especially when Cutajar nicked on to slip. Wheeler (10) and Surman (15) tried to push the scoring. Grant caught at gully, and Nick run out of an excellent direct hit. Wheeler’s dismissal bought Sammuri to the crease.

The captain had forseen that some lower-order hitting was needed and therefore pushed himself down to 7 to see if he could hit the Apaches to victory. First ball of his innings he hit the ball straight down mid-on’s throat. Who dropped it. The reprieve was just what Sammuri needed, and he was sure to make the most of his chance when he smashed a ball to square leg. Who dropped it. Surely there’d be a third chance. He was giving it away!

But alas, from then on, Sammuri found the middle of the bat and with Holland (7), started to tick along. Holland was bowled by a pearler. Sammuri retired very quickly. Realising the best way to stop giving away chances was to not be at the crease. Bykov (2) entered the fray but hit one to mid off. Sammuri came back three balls after retiring, and just kept hitting. Along with the returning Wright, started making a push for an unlikely victory. Three towering 6s from Sammuri, and a flurry of singles from Wright. Saw the Apaches needing only 19 off three overs for victory.

Somehow, we’d clawed our way back. Another six by Sammuri and some hard running meant the total was 12 off 2 overs. Again, the skipper sent one high and long, but there was no third time lucky. He was caught for 70 on the boundary. It was all down to John Wright. A delectable late glide for 4 and some more hard running left 7 to chase off the final over. A leg glance trickled its way to the boundary. 3 off 5. That became 3 off 4. That became 3 off 3.

That became a famous VICTORY for the Apaches when John smacked a pull shot for 4, and the Apaches chased 220 with 2 balls and one wicket to spare. It was a match played in great spirits between the two sides.

The cool-headed John ended his innings unbeaten on 72*.

What. A. Player.

What. A. Match.

1st inns. – The Ponds A won toss and elected to bat
Ernie Schinella – 2/43 from 6 overs
Nick Surman – 1/38 from 4 overs

2nd inns.
John Wright – 72*
Will Sammuri – 70