FLANELLED FOOLS: 29 NOVEMBER 2016

Cricket Round-Up By GREG PRINGLE*

Cudal regather and Country continue

Last year’s Grand Finalists Cudal have returned to the winner’s circle after a long slump, beating Magpies at Cudal, and premiers Country defeated Telegraph in last Saturday’s round of Oilsplus Molong cricket.

At the Molong Rec it was first against second, and for the first time in 20 seasons of local cricket Country actually didn’t bat first.

Pretty much all of Telegraph’s batsmen got a start of some kind in their innings, but only Ed Twiss (38), Ben Brown (26) and Mitch Brown (25) recorded decent totals against their names.

However, at the end of the innings a respectable total of 9/162 was on the scoreboard and Country would need to bat well to win the game.

Country’s bowlers all contributed, with Trent Frazer the best with 3/27 off nine overs. Chipping in were Joe Clayton with 2/41 off eight overs and young guns Tim Milne 1/20 off five overs and Sean Clayton 2/18 off three overs. These two young men show great potential and bowl very well and will no doubt be the future of Country’s attack if they can ever get Joe Clayton, Nigel Brazier and John Mulhall to retire. And let’s not even mention Mark Frazier.

Chasing the runs turned out to be reasonably easy for Country and they passed the required 162 in only the 25th over.

Trent Frazer top scored with an effortless match winning 76. He was ably assisted by Brett Wykes (25) and his brother, the classier player in the family, Murray with 21 not out.

Country remain undefeated after six games.

For Telegraph, none of their bowlers really made any impact with their best being J Packham with 2/23 off three overs.

At the Cudal desert, Cudal decided to bat first. Desperate for a win after an uncharacteristic poor start to the season, Cudal’s batsmen were determined to get off to a good start. And that they did with veteran openers Chris Douglas (24) and Andrew Smith (30) getting Cudal off to a great start with the score being 47 before the first wicket fell.

Tim Kennedy (31) and Jock Hough (30) both came in and scored very quickly, whilst Steve Fairley (39 not out) batted very well for the first time in many many seasons.

Steve was out to impress new captain Troy Adams after Fairley was told by Adams that there was a new captain in town and that he had to perform or leave town. Well done Troy.

At the end of their 40 overs Cudal had posted 5/187. Magpies bowlers tried hard and they again fielded very well taking some very sharp catches, particularly Mitch Christie who took two screamers.

Bohdi Johnson was by far the best Magpies’ bowler with 2/24 from six overs.

Magpies’ chase got off to a reasonable start but after two quick wickets when the score was 24 pressure on the required run rate began to tell.

Jeremy Middleton, who this season appears to be the only Magpies’ batsman capable of scoring runs, tried his best and batted very well for 61 to give Magpies some chance of victory.

He was ably assisted by captain Jacob Evans with 42, but when both these batsmen fell Magpies couldn’t keep the momentum required for victory and fell 15 runs short of Cudal’s total to slump to their third consecutive loss.

Cudal bowled and fielded very well. Two superb reflex catches by Tim Kennedy was the difference between the two teams.

Bowling honours were shared with Steve Fairley the best with 2/18 off 10 overs. This impressed his new captain to no end.

Troy also pitched in with 3/50 off 10 overs.

Cudal now return to the winner’s circle after a few miserable weeks, whilst Magpies slide would be worrying for captain Jacob Evans.

This week sees a general bye with normal competition resuming on 10 December.

*Greg Pringle is Secretary/Treasurer of Molong District Cricket. He plays for Molong Magpies but swears he is as hard, if not harder, on his own guys as the opposition.