Weekend wrap for our round 11 clash against Mt Lawley.
Round 11
1st grade
Wanneroo 10/164 (42.1) def by Mount Lawley 1/165 (40.4)
No write up provided
2nd Grade
Mount Lawley 8/161 (50) def by Wanneroo 7/162 (38.3)
Brad lost the toss and we were forced to bowl first. Jords and Cody bowled well up top with Jords getting a couple wickets in the first 10 overs. They batted slow and boring throughout the middle period of the innings. Spinners bowled well through the middle with Darcy picking up 3fa. They finished the innings how they started, by blocking the piss out of it and losing wickets. They scraped their way to 8-161 off their 50 overs. Mount Lawley hit 6 boundaries in their whole innings that’s how boring it was.
Well Done Hayden Davey for getting his first 2nd grade wicket!!
Our batting innings started well with Mitch and Quinny putting on 50 inside of 10 overs before Pesh was dismissed shortly after. We lost wickets regular after that but we were ahead of the run rate by quite a bit. The Roos were 5-104 when Mitch got out for 38 and 6-108 when Tristan got out for 11. But not to worry as Bradley and Jordan put on 43 to finish it off and get us over the line in the 39th over 7 down.
Not the most entertaining game of cricket but a wins a win!!
3rd Grade
Wanneroo 8/157 (45) def Mount Lawley 10/148 (44.5)
Right! Round 11. The mighty Wanneroo threes, coming off successful back-to-back top of the table clashes, went on the road to take on the relatively unheralded Mt Lawley Hawks (though wary that the hawks would be up-and-about after knocking off a strong Subi team).
Thomas Walker was successful in securing a lift, Greg Maher was late from a trendy haircut and Sam Williams lost pig. Skipper Jack ‘cousin’ McDonald figured that now was the time to be hitting coin-toss form, called correctly and decided to have a bat.
The going was pretty tough; with large, slow outfields and a patchy, two-paced wicket. The in-form opening partnership could not replicate their recent successes, with Gregory Maher bulls-eyeing point with a forceful slash and Sam Williams succumbing to a good ball (that ball also being the first that was bowled in his half). The score became 3 for not many when Skipper Jack dutifully guided a full-toss to gully.
Knowing a rebuild was needed, and wanting to avoid being asked sexual questions in the dugout by the overseas pro, Donavinn ‘I am the PL now’ Fryer and Kane ‘Bali XI’ Pearce got to work in the middle. Boundaries were hard to come by, but momentum started to turn as they settled in. In true Bali fashion however, Kane was there for a good time not a long time, and ended up sending one straight up into the Sky Garden. (Kudos though for hitting the rope more than the rest of the team combined). Kealey ‘Graeme Smith’ Farrant was out first ball, though it took the umpire 8 balls to realise and raise the finger. Thomas ‘Fair Work Commission, what is?’ Walker ran past one, and Donavinn, playing a solo hand in the middle order and top-scoring with 37, was unfortunately skittled by one that stayed low.
At 7-91 another rebuild was required, and though the going was slow, the lower order led by Jordan Marinovich was able to scratch together a total of 157 – which felt only just below par on a tricky surface.
Sensing that the bowling unit had to be on song to defend a low total, high standards were set from the go. Donavinn (also aware he only had a swinging ball for the first over) struck immediately. Thomas backed him up by not overstepping first ball and celebrating like he’d won FIFA. He did also soon after claimed a wicket, via a slips catch by Sharad Jessani that in no way made the rest of the team nervous.
The first change bowlers continued the openers miserly ways, patiently hitting good areas and building pressure. Jordan Marininovich struck once, and then in classic third grade response to pressure, a dirty bbq was held. Sensing weakness, bloodhound Buegs brought our spiciest bowler back-on and Thomas ‘I am the PL now’ Walker started correcting his bowling average.
Because the bowling quarter apparently hate runs being scored off them, Mt Lawley were sitting on 6 for 50 odd at the 2nd drinks break.
With we-can’t-have-nice-things energy, the mighty threes are not allowed to win games easily and so got stuck into letting the Hawks back into the game. This started with Jordan Marininininovich strategically tearing a hammy when he couldn’t get to a catch. With only ten fielders (half of them squeaky tin-men) and a bowler short Mt Lawley pushed the scoring. The Skipper, Our Cousin, hallowed be thy name – brought himself on to fill overs and fix the over rate. And despite landing the ball on the pitch 8 times in an over was able to take the crucial 9th wicket.
With 15 runs required from the last over, one final run-out got the Roo boys home with 9 runs to spare, continuing the Threes streak and keeping them on top of the ladder.
Proving that The Threes lads are not only quality leather hitters, as well Only-Fans level pretty faces, they went back to the club and came third in the quiz night.
Ultimately it was a grindy win by a team that feels to be enjoying the fight, and probably the best ‘bowling unit’ performance of the season so far.
Lastly – special mention to Oscar Chadwick who played his first 3rd grade game. In a game where he may not have been as involved as he’d like, in all three areas he performed his role when asked – scoring 17 crucial runs in the tail, bowling tightly and keeping his head to take the stumps for a run out. Well done young fella.
4th Grade
Wanneroo 6/210 (45) def Mount Lawley 10/209 (45)
With the 4s sitting atop the ladder and seemingly breaking their can’t win after Christmas curse, the boys were back for another week trying to increase their lead at the top of the ladder.
In the days leading up to the game the anticipation grew for is as the Mr Lawley TikTokers decided to waste two an a half minutes of our lives asking everyone what they got for Chrissy a month late.
Liam ‘I glaze everyone’ Carroll won the toss, finally, and elected to bat after telling his team he was going to choose to bowl.
The TikTokers got us off to a flying start getting us to 3 runs before facing a ball, no wonder that bloke has sore shoulders. They then continued to serve up some sweet treats to Kai ‘Eshayyyy’ Richards who happily took them on his way to 79 before coming unstuck, throwing away 200 and free jugs for the rest of the season. As they say “One will bring two boys” and it did with Tom ‘on report’ Blythman hitting the cover off of one straight to the keeper first ball. With Xander ‘Dravid’ Glamuzina anchoring the innings from one no one else could really get going, just chipping in with starts as we edged our way to 210. Should’ve made more icl.
It was now time for the mighty TikTokers to show us how to really bat. They got off to a flying start too which one bloke really taking a liking to Jayden ‘Frothin’ Rotham, pinning the ears back and whacking him over the off side for 6 twice!!! Luckily we had a man that hadn’t taken a wicket in years coming into the attack to try and break the partnership. Blythman was looking to break this streak which he absolutely did, castling their two opening batsmen. Although we were able to pick up wickets here and there they were also scoring the runs with ease and it looked like the boys were going to have a tough time defending their total. With two overs to go and Mt Lawley needing just under 10 runs to win and looked home, but here he was again, the one punch man, iron first, who’s your daddy, ufc 311 main card Tom Blythman bowling the perfect penultimate over whilst snagging some wickets at the same time, setting up the man who only knows one way (full tosses) Alex ‘Spidey’ Hardiman to try close out what could be a famous victory. A very shaky start to the over, getting pulled for 4 by bowling in the only place the bloke was going to hit him for a boundary. Spidey tightened up from there only leaking a couple of singles before coming down to the last ball. Hearts pounding, Spidey is about to run in, he takes a deep breath, clears that empty head of his and starts running in, his limbs are flying everywhere, lands it on the pitch gets hit to short cover. The pickup was clean. The throw is in and perfect back to Spidey at the bowlers end, sends the bails flying and the boys have won. A 1 run victory over the Mighty Mt Lawley TikTokers. Spidey proving why he is the Ice Man once again, walked off the ground doing the silencer, banging his chest screaming “this is who I am and this is what I do.”
Incredible win by the boys who now sit 10 points clear at the top. Off to Rocky next game as we return to two dayers and look to keep the momentum flowing.