The cricket season commenced across the Sunshine Coast for First Grade teams last Saturday, with eight T20 matches being played.
The Tewantin-Noosa Thunder stated their season in an afternoon match against the Coolum Sharks line up. Batting first, the Thunder scored quickly with a number of sixes sailing over the boundaries in the first few overs. Most batsmen started well but no one continued on to register a half century.
Best of the batsmen were Ben Claypole 31 (off 27 balls), Sam Baker 30 no. (off 24) and Andy Batten 30 (off 26). At the completion of their 20 overs the local team had scored 143 runs for the loss of six wickets. This was a reasonable score but one which would test the Thunder bowlers and fieldsmen to defend so early in the season.
The Coolum Sharks batsmen set out on the chase with a positive attitude and kept up with the required run rate but lost wickets regularly. The new Thunder captain, Michael Eckard used 7 bowlers and wickets were shared around. With 5 overs left Coolum required 40 runs (at 8 runs an over) and it seemed like it was going to be a very tight and exciting finish. With 4 overs to go they still required 36 runs for the win. At this stage young Tom Stewart and the experienced Jarrod Officer were bowling quick and tight and the Sharks batsmen had trouble finding the boundary. With 3 to go they still required 29 runs to finish ahead. The experienced Ben Laughlin bowled the second last over for a measly 3 runs and effected a run out. The excitement was slowly evaporating in the match, as the Sharks required an unlikely 22 off the final over which was to be bowled by Talon Reichert.
At stumps Coolum were 6 for 126, giving the Thunder boys their first win of the season by 17 runs. Jett Taylor took the bowling honours with 2 for 21 off his 3 overs. One other positive for Thunder is that there were only 2 extras (wides) in their 20 overs.
The night game did not start well for the Thunder team. Batting first against the Glasshouse Mountains Rangers the home team was bowled out for a disappointing score of 79. No one has checked the club records, but this would have to be one of the lowest scores ever registered by the First Graders in a T20 match. Only Ben Laughlin (22) and Talon Reichert (14) were able to pass double figures.
Faced with what looked like a defeat in their second match, the Thunder boys went out into the field determined to at least make the Ranger batsmen work hard for the win. The Thunder opening bowlers were spot on bowling the right areas and length. Jett Taylor bowled 2 overs for 10 and Ben Laughlin took 2-12 off his four. Talon Reichert picked up another two wickets and soon the Rangers were struggling to score runs. They slumped to 5 for 57 and eventually at the end of the twenty overs they finished 7 runs short, being at 7 for 72. This was a great team win for the boys in blue and every player contributed with good fielding, superb catching and tight bowling.
So, the day finished with two wins although the night match was a little too close for comfort.
NEXT MATCHES
Next Saturday there will be another round of two T20 Matches. The First Graders travel to Caboolture and will face the Snakes in their T20 match in the morning. (9am Start)
At 1pm they will then play against the Caloundra Lighthouses team.
This week captain Michael Eckard and the coaches will need to have the team re-group and prepare for the matches with the determined attitude they showed in the night match. This is a young team with talent, and all the players will need to perform at their maximum if they are to be a force for the premiership.
