The Roos came up against a sterner test this round, going up against a solid Willeton outfit who challenged the boys in red in each grade. The Ones were the only side to triumph, in doing so securing second spot in the One Day comp. Of note, they are also three from three post-Christmas.
1st Grade
Wanneroo 8/211 (Del Borrello 35, Richards 33, Holly 31) def. Willeton 109 (Millar 3/33, Poulter 2/18, Billington 2/12)
After losing the toss and being sent into bat, the Roos opening pair of Rob Richards and Del Borrello got to work. Starting the innings well and building yet another stable opening partnership with Richards contributing 33 and Del Borrello contributing 35. Willetton managed to get a couple of wickets after drinks with no batsman really pushing on. Solid contributions of 27 from Jordan Silk (Josh Mason) and 22 from Kyle ‘Funky Tour Guide’ Millar helped steady the ship. The Roos were in a bit of trouble at 6-160 when a vital 50 run partnership between Riley Holly (31) and Deon Billington (15) getting the boys to 211. An excellent display of manipulating the field and quick running between the wickets to end the innings.
With a below par score on the board, as usual Adam Smith was probing and unrelenting with his line and length which was rewarded with an early wicket. With early pressure being built in the power play, Lachy Poulter didn’t let his foot of the throat and cashed in with 2 wickets in his first spell which cracked the game open for the Roos. An excellent spell of fast bowling. The new spin twins of the toddler Deon Billington and ageing veteran Kyle Millar put on a heavy squeeze which brought about 2 and 3 wickets respectively and effectively eliminating any hope the Willeton Dragons had in chasing our score.
2nd Grade
Willeton 6/205 (Fryer 2/36) def. Wanneroo 188 (Ardagh 37, Douglas 35)
After continuing their unbeaten run of losing the toss and bowling, Wanneroo were set to strike at the top of the table Dragons. Early efforts were under par however, with bowlers struggling to hit the right lengths and fielders having problems taking catches (as well as picking the ball up out of the not-even-slightly red bricks in the background). Thankfully the Veteran Trundler Chris Quelch broke the opening partnership with an lbw shout that was plumb enough for the batsmen to start walking – even before Billy the Kid (aka the Umpire) could fire him. The Dragons once again settled, taking singles well, punishing anything worth punishing and generally threatening to set a large first innings score. The Veteran Point Fielder Chris Quelch once again stood up to create a breakthrough when the batsmen had Smith/Finchesque blowup between the wickets. This was followed soon afterwards by another wicket off Michael Ardagh’s ‘loopy as s*** spin’ (batsmen’s words, not mine). Once the top 3 batsmen were back in the shed the opposition’s lineup didn’t have much left, as Willeton were well contained for the remainder of the innings by a more spirited fielding effort and superb restrictive spells by Donavinn Fryer and Gagandeep Singh.
Chasing 205, the Magoos started well thanks to a fast scoring opening partnership between old boys Michael Ardagh and Joel Charles. Unfortunately both were removed after a start, which ultimately turned out to be a theme for the day. Mitch ‘the better on the day’ Slattery, needing to put witnessing child-abuse to the back of his mind, looked set to lead us to the target – however he became a victim of a dismissal straight from the Joel Wilson School of Umpiring and thereafter did his best Callum Douglas impression. The real Callum Douglas and the real Ellen DeGeneres both set up to continue the chase but once again could not capitalise on starts. Left with a hefty chase for the last wicket the Veteran Pinch-Hitter Chris Quelch did his best to get us over the line, but unfortunately fell with 17 still to get.
A disappointing end to what could have been a comprehensive towelling of the current top team, the Magoos now sit a solitary point outside the top 6.
3rd Grade
Wanneroo 168 (Varsani 45, Stumpers 31) def. by Willeton 2/169
The former Trust Tree took on Willetton (like every other grade) with cemented in Captain Graeme ‘skip’ Atkinson winning the toss and sagely deciding to bat first. Cam ‘best moustache’ MacDonald and Tim ‘worst moustache’ Harris getting us off to a good start to be on 0/28 after 8. A familiar rot set in, with 4 wickets falling across the next 8 overs leaving us on a much less respectable 4/42. Aryan spent some time at the crease, making batting look easy, finishing on a really good 45. Once he fell a 2nd collapse set in and it was only due to a sensational 10th wicket partnership from Yaseen and Hayden ‘threatening-all-rounder-status’ Stumpers that the Threes managed to scrape to a potentially defendable target of 168.
Willetton came out to bat in 5th gear for the first few overs, swinging at everything and unfortunately getting quite lucky several times. They passed 30 in the 4th over. Despite our final wicket heroics, our ‘potentially defendable’ score turned out not to be ‘actually defendable,’ with Willetton chasing it down with ease.
4th Grade
Willeton 217 (Maunder 3/31, Forssman 4/32) def. Wanneroo 123 (Bonner 55, Carroll 33)
The day started with our fearless leader losing the toss and the opposition opting to bat. As the scheduled start of play came around, Wanneroo had only 7 players ready to field, with the 17’s still coming from Kingsway. Willetton got off to a flyer, going at 7 runs an over for most of the first few overs, we knew the poor turnout to the team breakfast was a sign of something bad to come. Until the Roo boys struck. Sam “ooh Somerset” Williams throwing down the stumps to claim the first wicket of the day. A steady stream of runs was to continue for the home side, and they thought they had it easy, that was until Darcy “can I have the champ burger please” Forssman struck, taking 3 wickets in relatively quick succession. Runs piled on again as Willetton put together another partnership until catastrophe struck in the form of another run out. The teamwork of some great foxing by Liam “Parry” Carroll dropping what would’ve been a screamer of a catch, only for Darcy to pick up the left overs and throw the ball to the keepers end, affecting the run out. It came to the final 10 overs which were left to Tyler “Kerry’s Photo Business” Ong and Jared “only takes bowleds’ in Fourth Grade” Maunder to tighten up the scoring, with Jared taking 3 wickets in those final overs. Willetton left Wanneroo to chase down 218 to win.
Jacob “consider me a Third Grade player” Bonner and Sam Williams opened the batting, getting us off to a nice enough start. But then carnage happened, and it happened quickly. 3 wickets were lost for the almighty total of 2 whole runs within quick succession through the likes of Sam “sorry, got work” Williams, Jaymin “hurry up Dargie, don’t make me wicketkeep” Patel, and Lachlan “I mow the outfield” Dargie. Liam “I’ll steady the ship” Carroll came in and a partnership between him and Bonner of 54 was looking like just what we needed, especially when both were batting in their red caps, that is the look of Fourth Grade cricket. But it was not to be when Liam was dismissed on 33 by guiding one down first slips throat, and from then on, a win for Wanneroo was pretty much doomed. Wickets fell as if they were in high demand throughout the day, with Wanneroo finally being dismissed for 123 after 36.3 overs, but one shining light did prevail with Jacob “I batted in my cap” Bonner carrying his bat to end on 55*.
Mens Seventeens
Wanneroo 6/110 (Gerrand 58*) def. by Willetton 2/119
Fifteens Men
Willetton 41 (Corbellini 3/6, M Carroll 2/6, C Billington 2/9) def. by Wanneroo 3/100 (Brown 25)