Quote of the week:- One-day cricket is an exhibition. Test cricket is an examination. (Henry Blofeld, BBC cricket commentator)
Despite all but one of the club’s matches being washed out on day 1, two of the club teams achieved victories last Saturday (day 2), Sixth Grade won on a forfeit and the Fourth Graders finished with a tie!
First grade was at Glasshouse Mountains for a rain-induced one day (50 overs) game and their club did an amazing job to get the pitch and ground into good order after their 300mm plus of rain during the week. Some late changes saw Alex and Nick Bennett and veteran Troy Dennien into the TNT team.
Losing the toss, Tewantin-Noosa batted first on a pitch that had its first roll on Friday but the top order was able to set up a strong platform in the difficult conditions. Chris Wright (35) attacked the bowling early before the rest of the team batted around Jake Dennien for the majority of the innings. Thunder was well on track for a 170-plus score after the 30th over at 3 for 100. Alex Bennett then hit a run a ball 32 with Dennien continuing on to 53 before Scott Aufderheide took the willow to the leather and scored 25 off 13 balls to lift the total to 9 for 207.
Fielding after lunch, Aufderheide and Tom Stewart started well before Dom Taylor relieved Stewart. When the red ball swings, there is no better bowler in the competition than Aufderheide and he was at his pinnacle in this innings.
At the first drinks break Glasshouse Rangers were 5-32 off 16 overs, Aufderheide having four wickets as well as making a direct hit runout. He bowled his 10 straight for 4-28 with eight coming off the last over, including four over-throws.
Glasshouse grinded well to put on 96 runs for the sixth wicket but the run rate was always under control. They were all out for 175 with Dom Taylor’s 2 for 20 and the others bowlers doing their part and picking up wickets. Worthwhile noting that Troy Dennien took four catches behind the stumps in a return to his old position in the team.
This result extends the team’s unbeaten run of matches to 19, a club record that is going to be very hard to beat. Next week the team will be at Coolum in the final match of the year.
Second grade
Playing against Glasshouse at Read Park last Saturday, the team was in a good position after completing day 1 the previous weekend. They had bowled out the Rangers for 74 and by stumps had earned first innings points being 7 for 85. Resuming last Saturday, the tail certainly wagged with Adam Curry taking advantage of a very flat and hard wicket, scoring an aggressive 75 along with Harrison Lea’s solid 30. A 10th wicket partnership of 87 runs helped the Thunder to 194.
Glasshouse made it very obvious from the first ball that they had no interest in chasing the score and shut up shop. They finished the day on 3 for 120 off 51 overs. The bowlers showed great character in tough conditions with the standouts being Ben Giddy, Talon Reichart and James Denslow. The boys are at home again next week against Coolum.
Fourth grade
There are usually three outcomes for a cricket match; win, lose or draw. But the Fourths added another outcome in their one-day match against the second placed team, Glasshouse Rangers – a tie. The Thunder team lost the toss and found themselves batting and targeting a score of 150-plus off their 40 overs. They started strongly with a 65-run opening stand by Brendan Wright (24) and Tony Watson (32) before losing quick wickets to be 3-80 after 25 overs. Then new player, Connor Harrison (41 no) and diehard Naveen Chand (44) put on a 72-run stand with some outstanding shots played. The team registered a good, competitive score of 4 for 162.
Having the Rangers 2 for 30 saw the Thunder in a great position to take the game. Tom Daly’s bowling was spot on with many missed chances but he still picked up two important wickets in his eight overs. Connor Harrison also bowled well, unlucky to pick up a wicket in his spell. That left eight overs to bowl and 32 runs for a Ranger’s win. Jack Floyd and Naveen Chand were given the ball and both bowled tightly, pushing the required rate out to a run a ball. Wickets in the 38th and 39th overs helped keep the rate steady. At the start of the last over, Glasshouse needed six runs for victory. A few loose throws kept the heart rates pumping with Glasshouse levelling the score with one ball left. Naveen Chand with ice in his veins and having a ‘Nav’ kind of day bowled the last ball with the field up, and knocked over the middle stump for a tie! Exciting stuff and a great team effort.
Junior cricket
The rain had again caused many of the junior matches to be cancelled but the two Under 11 matches were able to be played, much to the delight of the players and parents. Lightning 134 went down to Coolum Sharks 175, and Storm 126 was beaten by Palmwoods 142. Better to have played and lost than to have not played at all.
