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Green stand tall as United fall
Thursday 7 February 2013
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Green stand tall as United fall
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Fresh from the Douglas Cricket Club's inaugural T20 on Friday night, Muddies Green players assembled to take on top four placed United at home on Sunday afternoon.
United, in winning form and unaware outstanding points are yet to be assigned to the Muddies, thought they were defending the number one position rather than chasing it, and things started badly for them losing the toss.
Muddies chose to bat on a very flat deck, re-rolled from Friday. Confirming their strength, however, United made very quick inroads taking the wickets of promoted opener Butters (O), Darlington (5), Redfern (3) and Doble LBW for a first ball duck to leave Muddies reeling off 6 overs at 4/15!
Harrold (26) batting at four due to lateness showed strength of character returning a virtual run a ball 24 in his partnership of 29 with a seemingly out of batting form Miglioranza.
But it was Harrold who fell first, caught with the team score in the thirteenth over at 5/44.
Shortly following drinks, in form D'Adonna (1) looking solid with the right temperament popped a defensive shot straight to silly mid on, 6/55.
Enter Doug Barnes. With 13 overs remaining, he and Miglioranza batted watchfully with the outfield running slow. The pair were placing nothing more than cautious singles and twos for eight overs lifting the team to 6/82 after 26.
Pictured: Muddies Green's Simeon Miglioranza bowling his way to 3/11 following 44no with the bat.
With a few wickets left to work with Muddies managed 20 off the next three overs before Barnes was caught trying to follow up his first boundary for a very handy 18 of the 47 run partnership.
Miglioranza managed as many as the first four batsmen collectively and remained unconquered on 44 not out taking 11 off the last over.
So with 114 to win United were confident and Muddies remained optimistic their total was now at least defendable having bowled many a side out for under 100 this season.
Butters and Sorensen bowled with discipline and the fielding backed the bowlers well before Sorensen produced a climbing outswinger that attracted the edge through to the efficient keeper McCullough. 1/17 after 4 overs.
The openers finished with one wicket between them off four overs each, conceding 17 runs apiece and at 1/35 D'Adonna was introduced on a well suited pitch that saw him produce three maidens, 1/6 off 6 overs.
The batsmen remained very cautious to his bowling but it was Redfern who broke through with his second ball, deflecting from bat then off the keeper's upper arm and offering Darlington at first slip a classy chance that he pulled off to have United 3/45.
Redfern bowled almost as tightly as his partner, bar a single six and four off six overs to finish with 1/14. It was this 10 to 12 over period in the innings that swung the match to favour the Muddies as United managed a mere 18 runs off 10 overs.
With the score on 67 United started to collapse needing well over a run a ball. Miglioranza and Barnes partnered for the second time in the match returning 3/11 off 3 and 4/14 off 4 respectively, including the opportunity for McCullough to complete three more superb catches behind.
The last six wickets fell for the same 15 runs as Muddies' first four wickets and United lost by 21 runs.
This Sunday is one not to miss as the club plays the first ever competition game against itself - BLUE vs GREEN at home starting at a probable revised 11am rather than the 1.30pm plan.
Both teams are excited at the prospects of competing against their club mates (and no doubt will share a cold beer to laugh about it all after). All welcome at Port Douglas Sports Complex.