By Randall Woodley
TEWANTIN-NOOSA CRICKET
First Grade: At stumps on day one of TNT’s match against Glasshouse Rangers finds the home team on 1/75 needing another 205 runs to take first innings points. Rangers won the toss and after being in trouble at 5/84 at lunch turned the tables and took control of the match in the afternoon. They scored another 195 for their last five wickets finishing late in the day on 279. If the TNT team is to pass Glasshouse Rangers’ score next Saturday, a tremendous batting effort will be required by the boys.
Four of the team’s top batsmen will be away next Saturday with the Sunshine Coast Rep side playing in the Schaeffer Shield competition in Toowoomba. Their places will be taken by four second grade team members. Best of the local bowlers were Codey Rzeszkowski who bowled six maidens of leg spin in a row and finished his 30 overs with 2/79. Other wicket takers for TNT were Jarrod Officer 3/79 (22 overs), Rowdy Thomson 2/36, Stephen Shaw 2/44 and Robbie Payton 1/30. With nine overs of play left in the day some may be forgiven to assume TNT would try to get through to stumps without much excitement, but Steven Shaw had other ideas, scoring at a rapid rate to unfortunately to be dismissed for 49 off 18 deliveries.
Congratulations to local teenager, Darcy Morgan and TNT’s English import, James Beesley, who both played their first matches yesterday in the top grade.
Second Grade: Playing Glasshouse at their home ground, the TNT team fielded first and spent a long hot sun and humid afternoon chasing leather. Unfortunately, the Thunder’s fielding and catching was not up to par and the home side finished with 255. William Gear cleaned up the tail taking four wickets.
When TNT batted, opener Alexander Bennett got a howler lbw first ball and captain Chris Wright was bowled for a quick-fire 30. At stumps the TNT boys were 2/45 with a big job ahead of them next week. Like the First Grade team this team will lose four players, including nightwatchman, Nick Bennett, all promoted to First Grade next Saturday.
Fourth Grade: Batting first in the match against Caloundra at their high school oval, TNT lost two early wickets until Craig Moore and the welcome return of Luke Anstey put on a 96-run partnership to steady the ship.
At tea, TNT were 5/166 off 39 with Craig Moore finishing on 78 and Anstey scoring 49. Other good scores were from Naveen Chand 19, Graham Chaplin 25, and Justin Talbot 25 taking the total to a respectable 230.
Caloundra started the innings with their big hitting opener, fresh from his century last innings, and he continued that form to punish anything short or loose straight to the boundary, finishing on 72 not out. At stumps Caloundra were 2/106. Justin Latimer easily the best of the bowlers taking 1/22 off 6 with Anstey taking the other wicket. The match is in the balance but TNT are confident they can win the contest.
