By Steven Doble

With nothing but doubt over the rainfall the local Astute Financial Muddies drove through said rain to Cairns to find a halo of open skies allowing a delayed start to their semi final match against potential “hoodoo” team the Mareeba A Bandits.

Fine drizzle soon abated to leave an undrenched outfield and with the coin toss falling the Crabs’ way they marched out to bat on what looked beautiful pitch. After 3 deliveries the drizzle re-commenced and a further three balls later they trudged off again!

With a total of 55 minutes lost, play resumed and the weather did not intervene again. The pitch had a bit of life with an unnoticeable tacky finish, so the bowlers were encouraged but struggled with consistency.

Perhaps just as well given openers Taylor (0) and Doble (4) were back in the shed at 2/9 by the 11th over of a maximum 75. Leading run scorer Sheldon Walz was joined by in form batsman Simon Cody producing a 30 run stand before Walz (8) fell to a poor shot from the bowler he most wanted to dismantle, Bomber Adams.

Darlington under the flu influence looked far more mentally controlled than normal and built again with Cody to produce a 32 run stand before fairly typically getting through his shot early, caught high from the outfield for 14.

Muddies building to 4/71 had let the balance between the teams return and considering the last game’s collapse of 6/13 a replication would have seen them all out for 84.

When Cody was adjudged leg before wicket for 36, Mareeba must have felt the control slide their way, 5/74. This left Julian Harrold and Gary Postans at the crease, neither feeling in great form but the weight of time still on their side with a further 40 overs available. The pair set about some watchful batting although their stand of only 18 was dominated by Harrold who looked the goods before dabbing a direct catch to short point for 13, 6/92 and not exactly where the reigning premiers had aimed to be!

Postans was joined by Pete Gilmour who has performed in both Muddies grades this season, mainly with the ball though and finally a decent partnership ensued. The next 10 overs produced 42 runs with the pitch settling down and allowing both batsmen to get on the front foot, strangely the only time in the match. Postans (14) eventually mistimed a drive to feel the ball ricochet off his pads onto the stumps to be the only victim of Mareeba’s batsman skipper and today part time spinner.

As had occurred a couple of times, the Muddies soon after lost a second wicket, this time Gilmour for a match turning 30, 8/133, but at least a total to potentially bowl at. The tail had turned around their previous misfortune and thus far produced about 60 valuable runs.

Trying to rival Taylor’s 31 ball duck, Matt Scheisser remained on nought until his 21st delivery but the time in the middle had proven invaluable and he went on to 14 runs of a 20 run partnership with Keel Sorensen, 9/153 followed by Barnes/Sorensen for another 16 for the last wicket.

Since being 4/71, this time the middle order and tail united to return 98 more runs, all out for 168 with 2 balls and 1 minute remaining in the day’s play. This could have ended 9/169 had it not been for the desperation of the last bats who were only just run out in the quest to maximise their team score.

Incorrectly (oh what a surprise) the umpires decided to make the teams play on for another 45 minutes to make up for time lost despite the scheduled overs being bowled due to the haste and sportsmanship of Mareeba. The result was a focussed team effort by the Muddies for that short period, steaming down 15 overs to have Mareeba 1/12 at completion of day 1.

Day 2 offered some blue skies, a little humidity, a slight breeze and a great batting deck for Mareeba who the umpires gifted (incorrectly, oh what a surprise) an extra 15 overs to chase down the Muddies score.

After the previous night which saw Scheisser dive three times to complete just the one catch there was some concern for his shoulder and with the first delivery a waste high full toss down leg side more than a casual glance went around the fielders, anxious about his form but by the time he had bowled the #3, run out the #5 and later on caught Bomber, it was clearly his day and amazingly that sore shoulder started to smile instead.

Gilmour bowled almost unchanged in the first hour and quite honestly Mareeba despite being an awesome batting team just never really got away. 1/12, 2/29, 3/29, 4/33, 5/41, (best partnership of 19) 6/60, 7/65, 8/74, 9/76, all out for 81 and a Grand Final berth booked for Muddies C’s to have the chance to take out back to back Premierships next Saturday/Sunday.

Bowling figures were shared despite some greedy spells due to great pressure and bowling areas, thanks goes to Gilmour 21 overs (2/26), Scheisser 12 overs (2/16), Barnes 16 overs 3/23), Walz 7 overs (2/15 including the two most prized scalps) and Sorensen who only needed 4 deliveries to bowl the last wicket.