Round 7 saw us head across to Altona to take them on in a 2 day game, looking to keep our good form going even through games being called off, and try to push for a top 4 spot in a division where it is rather tight as all teams on their day can beat one another. With the amount of unavailable players in the senior sides, we were again a very different team, yet we see it as more opportunity to get games into the juniors.
Week 1
Arriving to a ground under a dark sky, wet outfield and a pitch that looked damp, both captains having their reservations about play with a damp patch on a length on a sticky wicket. The umpires were adamant we could begin play with a later starting time. It meant the toss was going to be all important as we both knew what the other would do, so when I lost the toss again, it was a formality we would be asked to bat. Mic and Johnny started off and it was apparent quickly it was going to be a grind and a game of survival as the ball was moving around and coming off the wicket at all various ways. It was soon we lost our 1st wicket, then our 2nd then our 3rd to be 3-7 and it was now Vinnie and Sully out there, trying to survive the pressure and score. They got through another 7 overs but then Vinnie fell to a ball that held up on the pitch and we now were 4-27 after 13 overs and conditions were not getting any better. I came in to bat with Sully and we tried to knuckle down even more but still looking to score, but after putting on some runs and lasting 8 overs together, I fell for 22, thus bringing Fred to the crease, where he played well with Sully but again it was a matter of time, as scoring was very difficult and it was hard to play shots with confidence as the ball was holding up, skidding or any other deviance that it could do, it had us being caught a lot. Fred held out for some overs as well but fell around drinks. We were 5/58 after 21 overs, things not looking good at all. In come the kids and we said just survive as long as you can, use this as experience and see how you go. Jack, Roy and Fox did so well. They all batted for a while, Jack (8) was out there for 13 overs till he went out, which was terrific on that pitch and his first senior bat. Roy batted 9 overs for time as well until he got ran out for a very mature 11 and Fox batted the innings out from his time for 7n.o. The story for us was the wall that is Sully, again he showed the perfect temperament to just put the highest price on his wicket and just continually defied and blunted the bowlers and even with a few chances earlier, it didn't change his determination. He made 27 but it was worth more than merely runs, he showed fight on a pitch that gave nothing to the batters in conditions that were not conductive to cricket. We finished with 110, but we did as well as we could given the circumstances but still proud of the kids as we didn't think getting to 100 was going to be possible, least we had something to bowl to.
It was their turn to face out 19 overs and as the conditions had improved slightly, it was still a struggle for them, Fred got one early with his first ball, one of the most village cricket wickets I have ever seen as we continually had them playing and missing with most runs coming from edges, we threw the ball to the kids and it was Fox who grabbed the next wicket. They ended up finishing on 2/43 from and we thought we were still in the game, let's see what week 2 brings.
Week 2
Chalk and cheese. That is what the difference between the conditions were from the first day of play to what presented itself on Day 2 of the game. The pitch had come up a treat, the outfield was looking good and the sun was out. I just said to make this as hard as possible and if we can restrict their scoring and get a few wickets, we can put the pressure right back on them and give us a great chance of pulling off a win. Fred again started us off with the first of the day, yet It was a frustrating, we kept getting edges that wouldn't quite carry or just go wide of the fielder, there were plays and misses consistently and balls just missing the stumps as if there was a forcefield around them being the only way we could work out why they didn't hit. I got the captain after he had set about scoring quickly as he knew the grind it had become for them as we did bowl well and built pressure, then I got another and they were 4-62 which became 5-67 as I got another and we were in the game. Kaillen came on and continued the pressure, getting a wicket himself to have them now 6-72, yet the cricket gods wanted to annoy us more. Continuing to beat the bat and edges just not quite getting to a fielder, it was just a matter of time as Altona passed our score with 6 wickets down. We continued to play on, I had a freak run out with an controversial decision seeing the wrong batter run off sacrificing himself, Rich grabbed himself one and then in the dying stages of their innings, Sully finished them off taking the last 2 wickets in his over. They finished their innings all out for 144. We made them grind their way there, I thought we bowled and field excellent, just things wouldn't go our way. We shook hands and called it a day.
The game literally was decided at the toss, but that's cricket.
We come back and try next week as we take on Yarraville in a T20 to finish off the first half of the season, with us sitting ½ a game out of the top 4, a game we need to win to really push for a finals spot.

Go Spotty
Captain Crispy