Scorecard

Greenies Too got back on track last weekend with a well deserved win over ProPlus, closing out a 47 run victory with several overs to spare.  With an absent Watto (putting in a very early shout for COTD), we were asked to bat, and Tex and I marched out, managing to put 17 on the board before I tamely holed out to mid-off after 4 overs. Time enough for Watto to turn up and keep things quietly ticking over.  Tex was given a stinker of a decision when a legside delivery clipped the thigh pad on the way to the keeper after looking solid for his 20, and when Watto was pouched soon after for 11, we were sitting rather uncomfortably at 46-3 off of 13.  

With consolidation very much the order of the day, the new pair of Dogga and Alex began to rebuild the innings once again, against some typically tight ProPlus bowling.  Bryan and Higgins were particularly miserly, doing a good job in capping our run rate.  Our two batsmen however got us well past drinks before Dogga eventually hit across the line in an effort to get the scoreboard moving, in the process setting us up with a good platform from which to accelerate in the last 15 overs.  Alex, looking fitter than I have seen him in the past 3 years, started to motor on, while Jamie Ware, clearly firing up his ex-team mates, was being peppered with short stuff from “the Slinga”, who was bowling with good pace and accuracy throughout.  After a somewhat needless run out for the second time in 2 outings, Jamie was replaced by Marc Randall in the 30^th over, making his debut for the Greenies in Division Too.  

Clearly in fighting mode, Marc & Alex upped the strike rate significantly, blazing away at a by now somewhat weak attack without mercy, putting together a phenomenal 51 run partnership in only 6 overs before Marc also fell victim to run out.  Alex then soon departed for 49, after some miscommunication from the scorer led him to believe he had cracked the magic 50, and with Grover wasting only one ball before returning to the pavilion the stage was set for a Dave Raj special.  Joining the last 3 over fireworks display was Sammy Dawson, and the two audaciously carved out a 30 run partnership off 17 balls.  Sammy managed to avoid the fine bottle with 11 off 7 balls, and Raj got 20 off 13 to leave us with a strong total of 191-8 off our 40 overs.

Taking the field in buoyant mood, our bubble was burst early on with some profligate bowling from openers Dawson and Ware, bowling 16 wides in the first 4 overs.  Bizarrely this tactic looked to be working, as openers De Vere and Linton gave their wickets away to Sam with the only two balls he bowled on the stumps in his first two overs.  Some sympathy must go to Linton, who after facing 4 wides on the trot got an absolute jaffa of a yorker that pegged back middle stump.  Thereafter Higgins and Benji Suberan steadied the ProPlus ship, building up a useful partnership that threatened to derail our efforts.  Approaching the drinks break, these two had built up a 68 run partnership, well ahead of the required run rate, and were looking well set.  Marc Randall however, bowling nagging lines, finally got the break through just before drinks, having Higgins adjudged LBW, leaving ProPlus 91-3.  Soon after the interval Suberan also holed out to a well judged catch by the skipper off of Randall.  Some tight bowling from Watto, Randall, Dogga and McGrath put the screws on the ProPlus middle order, and with the run rate starting to spiral, wickets began to tumble.  Two good run outs from Dogga and McGrath effectively ended any resistance, and with McGrath mopping up the tail, Greenies eased to a comfortable win.

The mystery fine bottle provided by John King was the worst I can remember, but was demolished nonetheless, along with an emergency bottle of vodka, during a lengthy fine session.   Honours as follows:

MOTM - Marc Randall.  Impressive batting and bowling figures on debut
POTD - Sam Dawson.  “Outthinking” the batsman with 4 consecutive wides before firing in a virtually unplayable yorker to get his man
COTD - Watto – sauntering in 15 minutes after he should have been at the crease would be justification enough.  Sealed the deal with the easiest of dropped catches.