Muddies were set up for a bit of an unknown challenge last week at home in Port versus Mulgrave Toads, a team from the southern pool of teams not yet encountered in the current fixture arrangement.

A couple of players were familiar from previous seasons and seeing the Toads were bottom of their ladder, Muddies hoped to be the better team and were put into to bat first on a dry track showing cracks unlikely to assist.

Evans (17) and Darlington (14) had their second best partnership and the Muddies were eyeing off a very solid foundation at 0/36.

It was then that things took a turn for the worse as Evans skied a catch and the following ball Darlington also was caught.

Walz (9) saw off the hat trick ball and formed a 24 run partnership with Doble (18) almost taking the team past the midway point before Walz was caught low at first slip 3/60 in the 14th over.

At number 5, Jeffers (11) dropped down from B Grade, batted very slowly but held an end while none of the lower order managed to make double figures.

The innings stalled post drinks and the Muddies failed to capitalise on their opportunity, all out 109 wasting the last nine balls.

Again, Walz (0/6 off 3) opened the bowling, although not with the surprise of a wicket first ball this time, as it was the return to bowling form of Bronson Ryan who claimed first scalp, an easy catch to Jeffers moving forward from square leg 1/8 in the fourth over.

The Muddies kept the scoring low with tight bowling and regular changes to the attack.

Sorensen (0/9 off 3) was unlucky troubling the batsmen with his length and ball movement, Miglioranza (0/13) was the most expensive off his two overs but did get edges that eluded fast moving fielders, and Jeffers (0/5) bowled a maiden and was then oddly called wide in his second over on a well directed delivery missing the batsman’s outside edge.

But it was Ryan who was selected for a return spell after his initial four overs, 1 for 8, effectively taking scalps in consecutive deliveries prior to drinks, including a harsh leg cutter to remove Toads’ number four batsman for a golden duck (3/14 off 5).

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Ryan’s last delivery was a rank full toss down leg giving the new batsman an easy four and the Muddies were looking concerned as they could see the inclement weather was about to play a major factor, knowing there may literally only be 5 to 10 runs between the teams going to the mid way drinks break.

Despite the excellent wickets claimed by Ryan at a vital point (Toads 3/43 off 14) they could ill afford to offer any runs let alone an easy boundary and as the teams walked off the rains commenced. 

Doble quickly proceeded to arrange to cover the pitch before being pulled up by the Cairns based umpire who felt he knew plenty about the weather on the Port Douglas peninsula and instructed Muddies to do no such thing.

The team walked off smiling wryly, confident the game may be over and they were marginally ahead on run rate.

As the rain increased dramatically the Muddies were a little slower to react to the umpires all too late, reversed request to suddenly cover the pitch beneath lightning skies and heavy rain, knowing the 15 over point designated a “match” and having checked the rules book.

The result was a wash out win to the Muddies, the ground with more puddles than grass visible within 15 minutes.

Toads run rate was 3.2, Muddies 3.6 winning by being six runs ahead when play was abandoned.

It will be the Muddies last game this week, Griffiths 2 at 1.30pm Sunday Vs Norths. Both teams are in fourth position in their respective pools and if it were not for the ridiculous fixture arrangement unique to this season, Muddies C Grade would otherwise have been in the Finals the following week. 

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