Muddies streak ends against United
Tuesday January 27 2015; 4:00pm
By Steve Doble
In the continuing oppressive weather conditions, Astute Muddies C Grade' five game winning streak perhaps had to end and in a scrappy day's cricket - the visitors walked away victorious, after four consecutive years of losing their away game in Port Douglas.
Winning the toss, United elected to bat with their first runs coming from a Muddies misfield and two dropped catches (one easy, one hard) in the first couple of overs.
A bowler short in their side, Muddies' Redderz and Deep opened the attack certainly knowing the opening (Skipper) bat's general strengths placing a man at deep mid wicket and in particular long on where with the score on 20 and after other misfields he skied to Deep at long on to be caught off Redderz.
Mixing the bowling up Scheisser replaced Deep and Sorensen took over from his spin partner, successful on his first over when the number three bat caught an inside edge to be bowled, 2/30.
With second string bowlers needed to complete 6 overs between them Skipper Doble brought himself on the over before drinks and the score at 2/44.
Wall made calls to let the batsmen know their scoring was relatively slow encouraging them to at least get to fifty by drinks, hoping an error would be the result.
Instead Doble managed an atrocious over with three extra deliveries due to wayward full tosses and wides as the visitors walked grinning off the field with 13 from the over at drinks, 2/57.
Chancing a second over after drinks and after Sorensen claimed a second wicket Doble managed 1/8 off his next over being the opening bat for 27, to have United 3/58.
The next partnership produced 60 runs in 8 overs as all bowlers lost a little of their line or rhythm and again a few misfields resulted and balls fell wide of fielders or short or marginally over their heads.
Sean Evans returning to the side took up the other spare overs to return 1/21 with Sorensen 2/19, Redfern 1/37, Scheisser luckless 0/18 and Deep the pick of the day with 3/23, Muddies to chase down 8/157.
United bowlers put further pressure on immediately, Wall bowled off his third ball faced for a duck.
Tom Goodall and Keith Taylor toiled to great line and length and a ball and pitch that seemed to be offering a little more than the Muddies bowlers experienced. With 3 scoring shots off 18 balls Tom batted slower than usual but demonstrated respect only to be superbly caught and bowled off a delivery he smashed at ankle height for the bowler to catch in his follow through for 5, Muddies 2/17 having consumed 12 of their 30 overs.
Taylor called for a second and was run out by metres; 12 off 34 deliveries and Muddies went to drinks needing 130 off the remaining 15 overs. The result was starts for McDonald and Doble 5 each, Scheisser (with luck) 12, Redfern and Singh 14, Evans 9, Raj 6 and Sorensen not out 8, Muddies all gone with n over to spare for 96.
The day had never belonged to the Muddied, and United had played one of their best for the season.
The last of a spate of home games is against Mareeba next week who field a team like a lottery on occasions, so it will be interesting to see who they bring down the range for next Sunday 1pm start at the Astute Muddies Mud Pit...
