The C Grade Astute Financial Muddies travelled to Cairns for their final qualifying match of the season last Sunday knowing that although they were in third position on the ladder the result of this match against first placed Mulgrave could result in Muddies finishing anything between 1st and 5th.

Semi finals are between the top four teams.

A vehicle accident saw the costal road close with 8 players south of the accident and 3 players north.

The latter had to make the extra 2 hour drive back via Mareeba to arrive at the ground 1 hr 20 mins late and thankfully Mulgrave allowed Muddies to bat first.

Darlington (13) got a good start before being typically caught (and breaking the bat), 1/24 in the 4th over.

Taylor was joined by Tom Goodall who carried on from his School Representative form with another 40 odd runs with quality strokes around the park as the pair put on 69 together.

Part timer Sheldon Walz, keen to keep his record of managing a score better than his age each season failed playing across the line bowled for 2 and Doble trying to up the rate heading into the last 6 overs was also bowled off an inside edge, 4/104.

Evans did not last long also playing across the line for a duck but it was Schiesser who partnered Taylor (46no) to the end managing 16no off 13 in a 35 run partnership with calculated shots pushing the ball around the field.

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Muddies ended their innings of 30 overs with 139 to defend. 

The bowlers started well keeping the Mulgrave run rate beneath the chase but by the tenth over they had not succeeded with a break through, 0/40.

Two dropped catches were looking critical as Schiesser was the first to strike when Doble completed one of his three catches for the match followed by Schiesser (2/27) then bowling the other opener, 2/48 off 12 overs.

Patience was again discussed but when a third catch was dropped this time by Schulz the lads felt the game slipping away.

Unorthodox batting was complimented by poor length bowling and Mulgrave’s number 3 batsman was on his way to a match winning top score of 55. Redfern did not extract the bounce and turn this pitch offered him two weeks earlier when he took 6 wickets, ending with 0/29.

Keel Sorensen (1/33) generally bowled better than his figures suggested (having two of the dropped catches off his bowling).

Barnes also had a dropped catch but went for 1/30 off just 3 overs and Schulz ended wicketless with 0/20.

Mulgrave got over the line with 2 overs to spare and Muddies then focussed on other game results to see if they would sneak into the semi finals and follow their position as Two Day Premiers for the grade/season, but not so, the results of other matches all went against them and now their otherwise successful season is at an end.

Thanks to all players and to all sponsors for a great season, now time to support the B Grade Astute Muddies in their quest for a Two Day Premiership to match that of their C Grade Club mates.