Another victory for senior reds team the only one out of 5 senior teams to win this weekend

GAME SEVEN 22/11/08
VS THE THUNDERBIRDS

With only 10 men, the Reds were shorthanded, particularly with a large number of young and fit players unavailable, leaving the more senior and immobile members of the team in charge. However, their experience soon came to the fore when two of these players conspired to place the boundary markers reasonably short, so that, hopefully, there might not be the need for lots of running between wickets.

This proved to be the case early, as Neil Best pulled the first ball to the boundary. His first five scoring shots included four boundaries, and he certainly appreciated the faster ground. Mark Stiller (5) did not get any of these “freebies”, and he struggled to find the middle of the bat against the experienced opposition bowlers, who swung the ball appreciatively. The first wicket put on 28, the second another 22 before Paul D’Elboux (7) got what he believed to be a rough LBW decision – (mind you, the Red player who gave him out believed something different!). After 20 overs the score was 50, Neil (32) still occupying the crease. Luckily for the scoring rate, Neil fell immediately after drinks, and Dave Lowry (20) and Rohan Kennedy (28) took to the bowling. Elliot Best (6) (having conned Justin Dunne into allowing him to jump the batting order) also added valuable runs before he fell hitting out on the last ball of the innings, Matt Steele remaining unbeaten on 1. The Reds totalled 114, a competitive score, but the game was still very open.

Rohan Kennedy and Matt Steele (2/20) soon put the pressure back on the Thunderbirds. Matt struck in his first over, clean bowling an opener. Rohan followed up four balls later with a fast yorker which caught the opposition batsman in front. Both bowlers bowled tightly, Matt gaining another reward with an lbw decision and Rohan skittling the stumps – Thunderbirds 4 for 29. Dave Lowry also proved too difficult for the Thunderbirds to score – his first six over spell costing only 4 runs – his captain did yank him from the attack when his next over went for 8! Elliot Best’s introduction into the bowling attack did not mean an increase in the scoring rate. He spun the ball considerably, the batsmen having some difficulty in coping with his wrong-un and top spinner. A well directed legspinner accounted for the opposition captain immediately after drinks, the ball bouncing from the line of the leg to get the top edge of a massive swing to leg, the ball soaring high in the air for Elliot’s father to glove. Elliot finished with 1 for 15 off his three overs, a creditable performance. It was Sunny Bhasin who looked as if he had delivered the final blows to the opposition when he bowled two batsmen, the first delivery coming back into the left hander nicely. The Thunderbirds were now 9 for 69. Mark Stiller and Sunny were unable to make the final breakthrough, and the runs came steadily from a mixture of edges and deft shots into vacant areas of the field. Rohan forgave Dave Lowry for his one over indiscretion and recalled him to the crease, and the senior members of the team called Rohan back as well.

With 20 balls left, the Thunderbirds needed 20 runs.

Dave Lowry struck, a perfect delivery striking the top of off stump to give the Reds a well deserved win. Dave finished with 3 for 19 off 9 overs, Rohan 2 for 12 off 7 – excellent bowling which created the pressure for the other bowlers to exploit.