One Day Competition - President Cardinals vs ES Blue, Burwood Park #3, Presidents, 3rd October 2015
With North Korea allegedly posting 1276/2 overnight versus world leading cricket nation Cuba through the week, Cardinals dictator Congo was clearly champing at the bit to regain the bragging rights against Easts Blue at Burwood Park.
It was meant to be a blitzkrieg, but turned into Winder’s last stand.
With last season’s opening combination several thousand kilometres, several timezones and a whole sporting season behind, armed with a line-up of bowlers keen to show their wares, Ralphie was keen to chase, letting the opposition show us what the pitch was doing. Remarkably, he backed up that ambition and actually won the toss.
With no less than 10 genuine bowling options, it could have been a conveyor belt of four over spells. Jules VD resumed normal service opening the bowling, with a tidy 0-17 off five. Waza Guy provided the WG, if not the grace at the other end, bowling with some real mongrel to finish 2-16 off seven, one of them a cracking catch behind by Tim Murdoch.
Winder, Smith, Borcoski, Fleming and Brown saw us tidily through the middle stages, with Easts 84-4 after 25. In the end, they collapsed, Winder on a hatrick at one stage, and Matt Loose wrapping up the tail with two wickets in the last over to see Easts all out for 146, the last four wickets falling in eight balls.
Winder finished 3-12 off six, Smith 0-17 off five, Brown 0-13 off three, and Ski 1-13 off three. Flem finished 0-18 off five, Debutant Jagath 1-13 off two, and Loose 3-11 off four.
In to bat chasing 147 to win on a pitch that had dried considerably in the cool easterly, Fleming (16) and Ski (17) got us off to a good start. Matt Loose was timing it from the start before going for 29. Jagath chipped in four, Smith two, in an innings punctuated by the best tackle you’ll ever see in any form of cricket. Barclay resumed normal service with a golden duck first up. Brown also went for nought, and Waza Guy for four.
Which left Jules VD and Ralphie to get us home, needing 46 for the last wicket – and do it they did, in a partnership punctuated by Ralphie’s six onto the roof of a car, setting off the alarm, and Jules VD’s stoically defended two not out. Ralphie finished 46 not out and was justifiably player of the day, nicking the last ball for four through the keeper’s gloves for victory.
Man of the Match: Brenden Winder
Check out the scorecard from the game.