Quote of the week from the late Shane Warne- “You can’t afford to live your life with regrets.”
Both of the Tewantin-Noosa Thunder Cricket team’s semi-final matches were abandoned last weekend due to the state of the pitches.
This means that both the First Grade and the Sixth Grade teams will play off for their respective grade premierships over the next two weekends. (Saturday and Sunday 12 and 13 March and Saturday 19 March).
First Grade will play the strong Caboolture Snakes team at Read Park commencing at 10am on Saturday. The Caboolture team has been one of the most successful clubs for some years and will test out the local boys. Their team includes the competition’s top run scorer and Ex-Queensland Bulls player, Glen Batticciotto and Brisbane First Grade player and the top-wicket taker, Preston White who has taken 52 wickets this season.
However, the Thunder team includes the second highest run scorer, Lewis Waugh with 983 runs and four of the top seven wicket-takers in the competition -(Ben Laughlin 49, Dom Taylor 44, Tom Stewart 41 and Jake Dennien 33).
It is probably fitting that these two outstanding teams should meet to decide the premiership as they are almost 40 points above the third and fourth-placed teams on the season’s ladder.
It will be local cricket at its best and players, supporters, juniors and anyone who enjoys cricket should come to Read Park on any of these days to watch the contest. The club canteen and bar will be open.
Sixth Grade will play the University of the Sunshine Coast on the same days, also commencing at 10am.These two teams are evenly matched and finished only two points apart on the season’s points ladder.
Junior cricket
The season has finished for the junior teams, but the club will be entering some players into a winter competition.
Master blasters
During the season a number of under 10 boys and girls have taken part in what is known as the Master Blasters on a Friday night. Last Saturday some of the Master Blasters played a trial game against the club’s under 11s players to experience what stage one cricket is all about. Stage one rules- hard ball, helmets, bigger boundaries, wicket keepers and played on a synthetic wicket, not grass.
It turned out to be a great day of cricket, everyone had lots of fun with some players wearing pads and helmets for the first time. Parents were all brilliant helping out with scoring and umpiring.
The Master Blasters batted first, picking off the opening bowlers with ease and scoring freely. At drinks, the Master Blasters were cruising comfortably at eight an over and only two wickets down with Perry smashing 55 off 20 and Hugo 52 off 20. After drinks, the stage one bowlers tightened the screws, bowling some thunderbolts with wickets being broken and catches being taken.
Nate was bowling heat and picking up three quick wickets and Brody bowling leg spin picking up four. The Master Blasters posted a very respectable 8-366 after 20 overs.
With the Master Blasters now needing to bowl extremely well to defend their total, Nigh and Bailey bowled first-class lines. When they were rested after taking four wickets, the Stage one batters went about their work showing the Master Blasters how the game should be played with Archie putting three balls onto the roof with some power hitting.
After some great bowling, powerful hitting and excellent fielding the game came down to the last over. The stage one team had to get 24 runs of the last over. The result- The Master Blasters had won the match with a catch taken by Brody off the last ball of the game. Well done to all the Master Blasters that played on Saturday. These boys and girls are the future of the club, and the skill levels were terrific to see.
