SMCA Div 15 Round 6: 20 July 2019 vs Smithsfield RSL B
Smithfield RSL remained the only team we’d never faced before, due to the miss-communicated washout from two weeks ago. Although lower than us on the ladder, anything can happen on a ground as small as Johnstone Reserve, Revesby.
Apaches bowled first, which was good considering our remarkable record in the past few weeks at chasing big totals. A par score seemed to be about the 230-240 mark considering the extremely small boundaries.
Isaac Williams (1/35) and Sammuri (0/35) were causing issues for the batsmen early on. Their figures were actually quite respectable considering the size of the ground. Any ball that caught an edge or was fortuitously hit either side of a fielder was going for a boundary. Isaac took the first wicket of the match, removing one of the openers with an outswinger accepted at slip by John, who took it like an AFL mark over his head.
The next 10-15 overs, however, were lean in terms of wickets. Morley (1/27 off 4) bowled extraordinarily, but again, anything that marginally missed a fielder was a boundary. Morley was zipping the ball past the edge continuously.
Nothing much by the way of wickets, but we managed to restrict the run flow as best we could. GG, (0/20 off 3), Smokey Hawkins (0/27 off 3) and John (0/38 off 6) were instrumental in keeping the run rate down. The fact that the opposition only hit one 6 the whole innings was a testament to the bowling.
Late in the match, the second wicket fell when John speared a ball in from deep mid-wicket, which ran out an opposition batsman. Even a ball that trickled to the boundary was difficult to run 2 on. It was a match where it was either 1 or 4 off the batsman’s blade.
Bryan Seymour bowled the final 6 overs having arrived late, but had immediate impact. Picking up two scalps, both bowled middle stump, and one of the more remarkable run-outs you’ll see, where a ball was smashed right back at him, nicked his hand, and hit the stumps at the bowler’s end to run out the batsman backing up. By the end of his amazing spell, Bryan had the figures of 2/20 off 6, and a run out to his name.
Rohit Ketkar (1/9 off 2) also bowled well at the death, forcing a rushing batsman into spooning the ball to Morley Goodchild at mid-off. Morley returned for the final over of the match, to claim a similar wicket, caught by John at mid on.
Overall, the bowling was tight without being spectacular. As someone put it, we only bowled one ball every couple of overs that deserved to go to the boundary, the rest were fortuitously hit there.
Apaches chasing 215 for victory.
As has been customary over the past few weeks, even 200+ totals have been chased with ease. Yesterday was no exception. Bryan (32) came out of the blocks firing, smashing a 6 into someone’s house within the first couple of overs, and smashing boundaries to all corners of the field, before he tried one too many and was stumped by an innocuous spinner.
Sammuri then came to the crease with he and Isaac continuing the onslaught. Isaac (40*) hit four 4s and two 6s before retiring, and Sammuri seven 4s and a 6 before also heading back to the sheds on 42*.
At this point John was at the crease noodling around and doing what John does. He was met by Rohit, before also retiring on 42*. Rohit was looking extremely solid in both attack and defence, playing a steady hand for those around him. GG was bowled for 7 off a full toss that may have been a marginal no-ball, and Duncan was also bowled after a few entertaining shots. Finally, Morley Goodchild and Rohit took us past the required total with 7 overs still to spare. Had Apaches batted first, they probably could have hit the 300 mark quite comfortably. Apaches end the match on 3/221.
Batting seems to be getting us across the line with ease, but the ruthlessness of the bowling needs to lift come the finals.
1st inns. – Smithfield RSL B won the toss and elected to bat
Smithfield RSL B: 7/215
Bryan Seymour – 2/20 from 6 overs
Rohit Ketkar – 1/9 from 2 overs
2nd inns. – Apaches: 3/221
William Sammuri – 42*
John Wright – 42*
