Featured Article
Featured Article
What a Bunch of Tossers
Friday’s rain made tactics for the weekend’s matches pretty clear, win the toss and bowl first – unfortunately none of the Sydenham captains in the top sides seemed to have managed step one, and the results fell according with all the leading sides on the wrong end of their results this week.
The Hagley 5 wicket, where The Premier Men took on St Albans in their 4th one-dayer, was nonetheless a decent wicket that deserved a bigger score than the 147 that Sydenham managed batting first up.
After the early wickets of Matt McCall and Connor Marshall, there was an initial recovery back to 61/2 by Ryan Wallace and Taylor Irie. Taylor didn’t look out of place in his first match for the Prems this season, and Ryan seemed well in control of his innings before being very unlucky to be given out caught down the leg side for 26.
From that point all of the middle order came, got starts, but departed without re-establishing the innings. The best of them was Hayden Day who scored a nice 39 batting at No.7, but only Hayden and Ryan (26) managed to score more than 20 as the innings eventually folded with Sydenham all out for 147.
Defending a modest score requires excellent bowling and catching and unfortunately it was day where the latter wasn’t to the fore with at least four chances going down and one run-out opportunity missed. Batting conditions certainly got easier as the afternoon wore on but St Albans did set about the run chase well. With the few mistakes that they did make not being punished, Polson and Dawson got them off to a great start and a momentum that they never really relinquished.
The first wicket fell at 64, and the second when the match was almost won at 132/2, and Saints coasted home just those two down for a comprehensive win. However, there were some Sydenham highlights on an otherwise disappointing day; Ryan Wallace got both of the two wickets that did fall on his first return to the bowling crease this season after injury, and although there had been earlier missed chances there were two excellent catches, one from Matt McCall running back and catching it over his shoulder, and an fine athletic run and diving catch from Connor Marshall who looks to be one of the most lively outfielders in the competition, be it that he has a bit of work to do on his celebratory ball toss in the air.
Now with only one win out of four matches the one day competition looks to be a hard ask from here with the next match on Saturday being against BWU at Sydenham – the match will be live streamed.
The Prem Woman were always struggling in their match against Lancaster Park. Again batting first, only the captain Carolyn Esterhuizen (13) and newcomer Erika Oda (25) managed double figures as they were bundled out for 70, with Park then coasted to that total for the loss of only one wicket.
Division One was another who had a disappointing day against Merivale Papanui on Bishopdale Park. Asked to bat first only Sahan Perera (21) managed to get to double figures with extras of 28 being the top score in Sydenham’s 81 all out. MP struggled in their reply, and at 45/5 and then 58/6, gave Sydenham a sniff at one point, but they finally came through to win the match by three wickets. Carl Hooper was the best of the bowlers with his 10-8-3
It was a case of déjà Vu for Division One Suddenly Sydenham in their match against OBC. After losing heavily by 9 wickets to their fellow Sydenham Div 1 side the previous week, they went down by another 9 wickets to OBC this week. They were yet another Sydenham team who lost the toss, and forced to bat first, and could only muster 31 which OBC then knocked off for the loss of one wicket. To be fair the Sudden Sydenham boys are struggling to get a team together on the field each week and team spirit will be required to get them through until reinforcements arrive closer to Christmas.
Evergreen Chris Cooper was the star in the Div 6 Cardinals win over New Brighton. Batting first Chris (92) and Geordie Dann (60) set the innings up, and with a 28 from Cam Rennell at no. 8 the Cardinals got through to 225/7 in their 40 overs. New Brighton made a good fist of it in reply (bowling figures not available) to be 202/8 at the end of 40 overs. Jamie’s boys now sit atop their competition table.
The Division 8 Tamils couldn’t managed their second win of the season when they went down comfortably against Riccarton who scored 194/6, with the Tamils only reaching 109 all out in reply. Players stats not available as Riccarton only input their own stats into CricHQ.
The President Cardinals were the one team batting first that did manage a win, be it in slightly different conditions, on an artificial on the Polo ground. A 145 3rd wicket partnership between Phil Walker (104) and Kelvin Scott (82) ensured a good total, but big hitting from Warren Guy (48) put the icing on the cake as the Cardinals got through to 248/6. MP got a poor start, recovered somewhat towards the middle of the innings but never really looked like challenging the Sydenham total as they fell well short for 98. Kev Moore, newly returned to the side after some seasons away, was the best of the bowlers with 4-22, with a couple each from Jeremy Brown and Warren Guy to compete a good day for him.
Hospital were also on the Polo Grounds playing the always strong BWU. Burnside batted strongly from the outset getting through to a score of 213 with shipper Eugene Hawyn having the excellent figures of 5-50 and Frank Walsh 3/36. The Sydenham response started promising, and at 64/2 making some headway, but the middle order and tail collapsed with the side all out for 107 in the 35th over.
Youth cricket, Div 4 and the other woman’s teams matches were all cancelled due to the weather on Friday that took out several wicket blocks around town.
