Rangers White Vs Noahsharks
October 20th & 27th
Premiership
REPORTS
PAGE
Armed, locked, cocked and ready to rock, Bundy (named after the Bundy Bear, for if he took human form, he would look like Andrew Young) drew some sweat beads from the close in fielders as he walked out with the TURBONATOR � a 61 pound piece of tree trunk, with the bark removed and a yellow grip painted at the top. And he didn�t disappoint as he slotted some glorious drives down the ground. Unfortunately he was bowled not long after, out for a fighting 10.
Out strutted the GP of the team, and looked in great touch until the ball connected with his pads and not his INALA, to end the innings at all out for 127, and to hand Noahsharks first innings.
Looking to get some quick runs, the Sharkies went berserk�. Well, Laurian did, on everyone as he pulverised all comers to the crease. With Womby sledging the heck out of Fitty from the sideline, Varun shortened his run up to a spinners length (the pace Womby thought he was bowling at his normal run up) we placed everyone on the offside, bar a short mid wicket, and enticed a massive high ball to a massively nervous Elliot at Mid off, who threw his hands up almost as the ball pinged off the bat in an effort to prepare himself to catch the skyscraping shot. (We all thought he was in an act of praying�. And judging by the silence of the team, we all were too!) However, the Doc, thanks to the gauze and glue and slaps on every innings, clung onto a great catch to have Laurian out for 31 off 17.
In the meantime, Baily and Glover settled in for stable 50 run partnership. Elliot was back in the action and was trying everything he could to fool the batsman. Outswingers, cutters, Yorkers, inswingers, pulling out mid way in his run up, pulling out of his run up at the crease, fumbling the ball as he hit the crease and bowling a ball that hit fitty at first slip.
A bowling change in the favour of Aaron Middis did the trick as he dismissed Adam for a well played 39 and then Aaron went on to dismiss Dunne for 4. Throughout all this, Michael Middis playing himself into the highlights real in a breathtaking montage of serious schweppz classic catches. Reminiscent of Cameron�s catch in the finals 2 years, ago, running towards the boundary, ball high overhead, Michael matched, then increased the stakes with a fantastic catch, complete with roll and celebration. Later on he easily made a diving catch at mid on, and I cant even remember his 3rd catch that equalled Undies record of most catches by a fieldsman in an innings, and that after his blinder of a 2 finger grab at slips in the first innings. Indeed it was Andrews who asked where 'that guy who never drops it' was fielding as he took guard. Ironically enough, it was Michael who dropped Andrews with a sitter at flyslip in the first dig.
However on the flipside, Duncan provided the team with bursts of laughter as he failed to see a catch as the ball in the outfield that went straight to him until it was too late, and Gazza took a good catch of Elliot, to only walk it over the line by accident,
After amassing a 250 odd run lead, they left us 28 overs to run it down. Heck we cant even get that in a 2 day match with 70 overs, so it was a battle to see out play. Unfortunately they went through the team like Indian Curry with Bundy, Michael and Adam back in the pavilion before u could say Howzat. Fitty came out and lined up against his mortal nemesis of Chris Andrews, and after having Andrews stumped twice in the game off his bowling, it made this confrontation even more special.
However the bad luck that Jamie had in the first 2 seasons has somehow come to haunt young fitty as he melted a cover drive to only have Robbie �Buckets� Bein intercept the missle with both hands past his head at short, short cover.
Meanwhile, Gary was living up to Elliot�s plug of labelling him as exciting as he confidently played a well disciplined and somewhat subdue innings,� by his standards. However he held fast as more wickets fell in the form of Clintoff; bowled by a beauty and Aaron bowled by an inside edge.
With an hour left, Shandy and Gary saw out the attack until Gazza fell for a loopy cut shot, out for a well played 24. With 20 minutes left in play, Elliot in great form, Duncan in next and Jeff �Stinky� Spalding storming in, it was always going to be a heated last play. And it wasn�t too long before Dr Elliot realised he forgotten to take his sensible pills as he tried to hook Jeff, with 2 men back, to have his helmet rattled by a rip snorter of a bouncer. Just for that act, Shandy tried to run him out soon after, but the bowler unfortunately fumbled the ball.
With an over left, and the Sharkies needing 2 wickets, and Shandy blissfully stoked at the non strikers end, Elliot faced one of the fastest meanest overs in world history� well, maybe churches history. On the 3rd ball there was a chance of a single, but Shandy turned his back giving Elliot no chance of crossing over as he had to deal with the last 3 balls.
However Elliot kept out the over, and from wetting his daks, and we avoided outright in an enjoyable game once again provided by the Noahsharks.