FLANELLED FOOLS: 12 DECEMBER 2016

Cricket Round-Up By GREG PRINGLE*

Evans’ hat-trick destroys Telegraph

After three losses on the trot Magpies have returned to the winner’s circle in Oilsplus cricket with a trashing nine-wicket win over Telegraph, thanks to a one-man band by the name of Jacob Evans.

The Magpies’ captain single-handily destroyed the previously in-form Telegraph batting line-up.

At the Molog Rec Telegraph captain-coach Ben Brown made the unusual decision to bat first on a green-top.

After 16 overs Telegraph were licking their wounds, having been dismissed all out for an embarrassing 73.

Jacob Evans bowled with pace and accuracy to finish with the amazing figures of 6/8 from seven overs, including three maidens.

A rare hat trick was included in those figures, with Travis Collins, Trent Fliedner and Ben Brown all bowled in consecutive balls.

Remarkably, Dillon Wilson stood tall scoring 50 of his team's 73.

Magpies’ Luke Osborn also finished with the great figures of 2/ 3 as Telegraph fell in a completely miserable heap.

Magpies fielded well, as they have all season, but David Hobbs restrained his troublesome calf taking a magic catch at bat pad and was rushed off the field for a quick massage prior to opening the batting for Magpies.

Chasing a small total can be awkward and Magpies openers Hobbs and Nic Fisher went about the chase sensibly until Hobb’s calf strain got the better of him when he was bowled for 14 trying to pull a yorker form Ed Twiss.

No happy ending for David after that massage.

Magpies cruised past the required total not losing another wicket, with young Nic Fisher batting very well and finishing on 23.

Both teams were not at full strength and Telegraph will need to bounce back next week or drop from second to fourth in a matter of two weeks.

At Cudal, for the second time in 20 seasons, Country didn’t bat first.

Cudal were unable to bat their full 40 overs but still posted a very competitive total of 206 all out.

The evergreen Pete Tattersalls (61), Jock Hough (45) and Scotty Troth (32 not out) were Cudal’s best.

Country’s bowlers tried hard in the arid conditions that exist at Cudal sportsground and were best served by Trent Frazer with 4/ 53 from 10 overs.

A great opening partnership between Trent Frazer (31)  and Brett Wykes (96) put Country into a winning position early and they cruised to what ended up being an easy victory by eight wickets.

Brett Wykes batted superbly, stung into action by previous comments that he is Murray’s pupil.

Murray contacted the author this week to confirm that he had been coaching Brett to rectify some major technical flaws in his batting.

After the loss of Frazer, Andrew Heath came to the crease and, as he has done for the past two seasons, batted with class and scored a quick 56 not out.

He was assisted by Matt Hobbs (20) who was also not out when Country passed Cudal’s total only two wickets down.

Cudal’s bowlers tried hard but none caused any real problems for the batsmen.

*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.