By Ben Vikionkorpi

The Astute Financial Muddies came up trumps in their round 5 clash against Rovers at home on Sunday, already claiming 1st innings points. 

On another spectacular Spring day, the Astute Muddies were looking to set up another big win against the lowly placed Rovers.

Winning the toss, the Astute Financial Muddies sent Rovers in to bat on a somewhat ‘hills and valley’ pitch.

This nearly paid dividends with Ben V’s first ball finding the edge, falling half a centimetre short of Nathan King at second slip. Batting looked to be difficult early on with lots of balls early rising sharply or staying low and skidding through.

Looking to take full advantage of this, Benny Vik found a sharp edge that headed between first and second slip.

With Randal getting fingertips to the ball but not grasping it, most of the Astute Muddies thought the ball had gone for four, until Ben Gaske miraculously held up his arm with the ball in his mitt taking a great catch at first slip.

It was slow going from there, with Rovers scoring at a miserly 2 per over, with most runs being scored behind the bat.

Persistent bowling from Hayden D’Addona saw the other opener spoon a cut shot to point – Rovers 2 – 26.

Deep and NT came into the attack to see what damage they could cause. Deep got the next break through, providing Ben V with another regulation catch at point. Taigy then, very ‘astutely’, moved backward square to the offside, leaving a big gap behind square.

Taigy then tossed it up, and drew the batter in to try and play around the corner to the gap, but only succeeded in popping a catch to Randal at short leg: Rovers now 4 – 41.

Another bowling change saw Sam Leo and Gaz Postons rip in to Rovers. With Gary’s tight hooping swingers, Rovers looked to up the run rate.

Punching a ball straight to Haydos at cover, they called yes, only to see Dossy throw down the stumps at the bowlers end to take the fifth wicket. Gary’s continued lines were frustrating the batsmen.

Again pushing for runs, they hit a ball solidly at forward short leg, but only to see it swallowed up in a spectacular catch from D’Addona, just sticking out his left mitt and grasping the ball from nowhere, without moving any other muscle in his body.

At 6 – 54 at 2nd drinks, it was all very positive for the Astute Muddies. Coming back on after drinks, BV picked up two wickets in a row to be on a hat-trick.

The hat-trick ball found the glove and popped up close to short leg, but alas, not close enough to be caught.

Kingy followed up with two tight overs with his quality left-armers, but couldn’t snare a wicket.

With one of the young boys gaining batting confidence, Benny V put him on the back foot with some short pitched bowling, then drew him forward to find the edge, providing Randal with a comfortable catch at slip.

Waiting for the last batsmen, it was only then that Rovers let the Astute Muddies know that they were one player short as someone failed to show up.

This meant that Rovers were dismissed for 76.Looking at continuing on from last week, Gaske and Randal took to centre stage.

However, it wasn’t long before BeeGee was outshone, by the umpire, being given LBW, even though he hit the ball into his pads. 1 – 0 didn’t look good, so Kingy decided to take matters into his own hands and turn it around.

He quickly moved to four, but then didn’t quite get a hold of one, only to be dismissed by a good diving catch at wide mid-off.

This then brought the mix of experience and youth together in the middle. Re-starting the innings, Randal and Hayden waited patiently for the right balls to score from, and were only moving along at 2 an over for the first 15 overs.

At this point, everything then became easier, and the Astute Muddies then moved to 2 - 56 within 4 overs. At this point, Randal, who was using his feet spectacularly to the leggie, came out and played across the line, only to find the leading edge and be caught out for 33.

Needing only another 21 runs for first innings points, Taigy and Dos looked to finish it quickly. Nathan smashed a pull shot for four from his first ball, and then scored 2 from his second ball.

Things then slowed up, but both batsmen batted patiently, turning the ball over comfortably.

The lads passed the target score, and then continued on. Hitting a 50 run partnership, it was all looking up for the Muddies. Playing an ‘astute’ innings so far, Hayden was within striking range of his maiden 50 for B grade, then brilliantly put away a slow ball full toss for four in the 2nd last over of the day to register his milestone score.

In the last over of the day, Taigy, on 24, looked to see the over out, but copped a sliding ball which took his stumps with only two balls remaining.

The Astute Financial Muddies finished the day on 4 -122, taking a 46 run lead into the second week of the game.

It was a brilliant day’s cricket for the boys, and they will look to rack up another outright win next weekend, which should see them move extremely close to the top of the table.