Douglas U16 Muddies played their final two-day match of the season against top of the ladder team Atherton at Port Douglas over the last two Saturdays.  

Muddies were sitting seventh on the ladder after only losing two of their matches all season. It would only take a high scoring outright win for the chance for the Muddies to secure a finals berth.
 
The first Saturday saw Muddies with only seven of its players available and took this opportunity to bring up a few of their U12 Muddies to field a team.

Muddies won the toss and elected to bowl.  Kaiden Sorensen and Michael Schulz opened the bowling keeping the opposition at 0/9 after the first six overs. But it was Hayden D'Addona who took the first two wickets with one catch to wicketkeeper Ethan McCullough and the other brilliant catch at square leg by U12 player Ryan Doble.    

Ryan then proceeded to take the next wicket with a straight forward catch to D'Addona.  Ethan McCullough also showed that he's not just handy as a wicketkeeper but can bowl well too taking the next two wickets with a catch to Adon Trewick, and the second clean bowled.   

Reuben Allison also fielded well and bowled two overs for the first time in an U16 game. The top wicket of the day though went to Daniel Davidson who removed Atherton's top scorer from the pitch with another catch to D'Addona.  Atherton finished their first innings on 6/95.
 
Muddies went in to bat and openers Ashley Davidson and Keel Sorensen worked well together playing through Atherton's opening bowlers.  Keel showed his calm determination facing Atherton's fastest bowlers and although he did a bit of ducking and weaving from high bouncers, even a smack in the helmet didn't shake his resolve or remove him from the crease.  

Finally it was their third bowler who bowled Keel for 4 after facing 27 tough opening balls.  Sean Evans joined Ashley and before long Ashley was unlucky to be caught out on 12 and Sean followed on 8.  

Hayden D'Addona and Michael Schulz made a 20 run partnership until Schulz was caught out on 13.  Ethan followed suit on only 3 and Kaiden ran himself out to return to the clubhouse without a run.  

Adon Trewick was shortly thereafter clean bowled and Daniel Davidson assisted Hayden in getting the score to 7/78 at the end of first innings.
 
On the second Saturday Muddies returned with their full team with a plan to give it their all and possibly outright their opposition.  Ben Shrimpton returning from playing for Queensland at WA showed his skills taking the first wicket, shortly followed by two wickets to Kaiden.  

Ben took the last two wickets finishing Atherton all out for 108 at 41 overs.  

Muddies returned to bat with Ben and Hayden making a partnership of 23 with Tom replacing Ben who made 14 of those runs.  Tom was unlucky to be caught out on 8 with Nathan Evans batting to 5 not out with Muddies declaring on 10/115 winning first innings.

With a higher ladder position in sight and 36 overs remaining of the day, Muddies sent Atherton back in to bat for a second innings.  With wickets taken by Michael, Hayden, Tom and Ashley Atherton declared on 4/69 at 24 overs.
 
Muddies had 12 overs to make 62 runs and the team gave everything they had with an aim of a run a ball.  Nathan and Levi opened the batting and after going out on 2 and 1 consecutively it was Ben 23 and Ashley 11 followed by Hayden 13 who ticked over the major runs making quick ones and twos putting pressure on the opposition fielders.

The Muddies made the winning runs in the second last over securing an outright win against Atherton on their very last match of the draw.

After waiting for other teams in the draw to enter their results the U16 Muddies were very unlucky to place fifth on the ladder, just missing out on a finals berth by 0.8 points with the two Innisfail teams also outrighting both of their opposition to move above Douglas on the ladder into finals positions.

Although the U16 team are finished for the season there are four Under 16 players who have also played in the Muddies C Grade teams all season who still have two day semi-finals to play.  

These four U16 players have shown their stamina and improvement all season playing cricket almost every Saturday and Sunday as well as representative cricket somewhere in between which shows their love of cricket and support to and from their Club.