The SHCC Blues and Marrickville CC Toshacks faced off each other in the finals at Croydon Park on Saturday. With their regular season encounters cancelled due to bad weather, the teams played each other for the first time this season in the summit clash - And what a game it turned out to be.
u11 1st Division Match Report: Anandh Ramasubramanyam
Grand Final: Summer Hill 157 def Marrickville 140
It ended up to be a good toss to lose for captain Hugo when the SHCC blues were put into bat. Would he have batted first in the high pressure game had he won the toss? Or emulated Pat Cummins and fielded in a big final - We will never know!
Alex and Sasha negotiated the new ball and laid a solid foundation with the bat. With the openers having done their job and no wickets lost in the first 6 overs, it gave Hugo the freedom to go big. He wrapped his innings for 24 with a huge six and a four in the same over.
The middle order of Marlowe and Felipe did what they do best in rotating the strike and finishing with almost a run a ball each. The late impetus to the innings was provided by Jai scoring a superb 20 that included 3 boundaries. Anthony and Ezra made sure every ball counted as they scampered through for runs that had to come with a few spectacular dives (and scaring the wits out of a few parents watching from the eastern boundary).
Picture: Phil Tarbox
Picture: Phil Tarbox
SHCC wrapped their batting innings for 117. With a few too many late inning wickets that allowed MCC to start with 32 penalty runs, it was going to be a closely fought game.
The team was clinical in their bowling innings. Hugo, after his first over decided to save his overs for the later half of the innings. Ezra, the team's own 'wild thing' provided the early breakthroughs with his slinging pace. SHCC bowled tight lines and kept the scoring under check for most part of the bowling innings. They also kept chipping away at the wickets with Marlowe taking 2 and Jai, Anthony and Felipe taking one a piece. As always, the wicket-keeping was out standing with Sasha diving around in the first half and Ezra holding on to a blinder off the bowling of Anthony in the second half of the bowling innings.
Picture: Phil Tarbox
In the field, Summer Hill took most opportunities that came their way - Anthony holding onto one off Marlowe at square leg and also assisting in a run out. Hugo scored two direct hits with his powerful throws and also unfortunately cut short the innings of Finn with a powerful throw that missed the stumps but took Finn's shoulder. (Hope he is better and comes back stronger in the next season for the Marrickville Toshacks). Some late innings fireworks was provided by Max from the Toshacks with some huge hits. But a couple of spectacular catches, one by Felipe covering good ground at covers to pocket a miss hit and another one by Marlowe diving full length at mid off to pluck a powerful hit out of thin air, meant that MCC were going to end up short.
Picture: Phil Tarbox
Every player in the Summer Hill team played their part in this riveting contest. Thanks to scorer Rhys and all the parents led by Jason who were part of the extended coaching contingent of the SHCC blues! And well done to both teams who played and competed in the final with such great spirit.
Picture: Phil Tarbox