After setting a very sizeable batting target (203) last week, Muddies C Grade were confident their quality bowling attack could place pressure on higher ranked United.

An ideal scenario would be to roll the opposition below the follow on score of 102 and putting them back in for a second dig, exploit an outright win. The going was slow so at the end of the day's play the first objective had been achieved and some extra points were earned but not the maximum from an outright result.

United, going at a miserly 1 run an over from the tight lines of Scheisser and a fluent and aggressive Schultz limped along to the 8th over before one of the openers skied a catch of Schultz who then intelligently bowled a slower full delivery to remove United's number 3 bat - bowled for a duck. The hat trick was not completed despite another great delivery and very aggressive field placement.

At 2/17 off 13, Redfern's spin was brought early into the attack with immediate results beating the other opener with a  well flighted turner - bowled. He repeated this in his 3rd over and kept the scoring below par to have United well on the back foot at 4/23 off 18 overs. Quicker wickets were required to place the team in an outright position and with this not being the case the Muddies bowlers toiled away with the most disciplined performance of the season.

Scheisser returned after the main break to remove United's top scorer for 17, caught behind by Harold who kept tidily all day. Barnes chimed in with a wicket and missed a sharp caught and bowled and being blessed with bowling depth Freyling sorted out the middle order with the fast paced Singh deepening United's plight to take the last wicket - all out for 84 off 53 overs. At the same point last week Muddies batting were 3/164!

The points system tends to allow wicket taking to gain more bonus points than batting again especially so an embarrassingly long grassed outfield (thanks again Council - why will you simply not learn you are destroying local sport with token gesture mowing!) so United were sent back in. The pressure was off them as time left was now whittled down to a mere 30 minutes so they played with a little more aggression while Scheisser showed his experience to solely leave them 3/37 at the end of play.

Bowling figures for the day - Schultz (injured) 2/10 off 6, Scheisser 1/19 off 12 & 3/19 off 4, Redfern 2/13 off 13, Barnes 1/23 off 10, Singh 1/9 off 4.4 & 0/6 off 2, Freyling 2/9 off 7 and Darlington (not bowling his usual "pies") 0/12 off 2.

The win lifts Muddies C into at least outright third with their first 2014 game at Mission Beach January 12th, perhaps by then staring at a Pommie 5 nil whitewash in the ASHES we hope!