It has been a great year for Noosa district sporting teams; The Noosa Tigers won the AFL flag, the Noosa Dolphins are the Rugby premiers and the Noosa Lions top division soccer team were awarded their premiership recently. Now the Tewantin-Noosa Thunder First Grade team have lifted themselves to the top of the Sunshine Coast Cricket Association premiership ladder. This came about after last weekend’s first innings win over the Gympie team. The other highlights from the weekend matches were a five-wicket haul for First Grade bowler, Scott Aufderheide and a stunning century to Blake Steel in Third Grade.
FIRST GRADE: The second day of the match against Gympie resumed on a hot morning last Saturday on a very good batting wicket. Gympie were 1 for 10 chasing TNT’s 5 declared for 312. Gympie had two of the top-ten bats in the competition at the crease and they batted really well to get the to 90 before they lost a wicket 10 minutes before lunch. In the second session the TNT bowlers had to work very hard but when Gympie’s captain went with the score on 115, the home side got on a roll. After some late hitting Gympie eventually were all out for 183.
The Thunder players bowled well in hot conditions on a flat pitch but in some areas the ground fielding was below what was expected of them. Scott Aufderheide was back to his best snaring 5 wickets for 53 and probably deserved to be 5-30 odd, with some late streaky batting inflating the figures. Other wicket takers were Tom Freshwater and Tom Stewart with two each and one to Jarrod Officer
Thunder went out to bat for 32 overs and bonus points were the only thing that mattered. A very handy 1.53 bonus points picked up in the last session sees the team go a couple of points clear on top of the ladder. The boys have now won 14 of 18 games played so far this season (one drawn). It will be a big game next Saturday playing second placed Glasshouse at their home ground.
THIRDS; The match against Palmwoods continued last Saturday with the opposition 2 for 60 chasing TNT’s 258. Thunder were playing one man short after a late withdrawal but captain Jason Toohey took two early wickets to have Palmwoods 4-73. They then put on a 100-run partnership before the next wicket fell to Adam Curry (1-18 off 5 overs) and then another to Nick Bennett who finished the day with 4-68 off 18 overs. Mike “Rowdy” Thomson toiled away and when he took his wicket the match was in the balance with Palmwoods on 7 for 207. Later Toohey (3-78 off 21) struck again and the scores were even. A lucky snick for 4 carried Palmwoods over the line.
After a disappointing loss Thunder still had 13 overs to try and salvage some bonus points. Blake Steel walked to the crease in Thunder’s second dig and put on an amazing display of big hitting, managing to score 124 not out with 13 sixes and 8 fours on no more than 35 balls, losing three pills in the process. TNT ended the day 4-168 from 13 overs. Next week the team is at home playing in a day/night match against Caloundra Lighthouses.
FIFTHS: The team’s match resumed last Saturday needing a season high 225 runs to take first innings points against a Yandina side full of experienced, seasoned cricketers, determined not to make it easy. Tewantin-Noosa were 1-10 at start of play.
Tony Watson (32) and Nigel Webster (48) got TNT off to the start needed compiling a 71- run partnership before Webster departed two runs short of his 50. Brendan Wright (28) chimed in nicely with some well-placed boundaries taking 18 off one over and 10 off the next. After losing more wickets Evan Baxter (aka Euan Buxton) strolled to the crease with TNT still needing 80 odd runs with only 4 wickets in hand. Baxter put the big shots away and chiselled away at the Yandina attack ball by ball. Baxter was ably supported by Naveen Chand and Ian Brundell with the later putting on a nervous but good display of ball clouting which got TNT to within six runs of the total with only one wicket left. Jack Floyd and Baxter (37 no.) both held their nerve against a Yandina side throwing absolutely everything at them, passing the score with two overs remaining. TNT 9 for 229.
Well done everyone, great win – next week at home against the Burpengary Brumbies.
