After the second weekend of the 2023-24 cricket season the Tewantin-Noosa Thunder cricket team leads the First-Grade premiership table with wins in their first four T20 matches. Last Saturday playing down at Caboolture they won both of their two matches to add to their wins the week before.
With eight players unavailable for selection due to holidays and injuries the team that travelled south had five new faces in their line up with at least three making their First-grade debuts. However, during the day every player performed to the selectors expectations and the overall results were great team efforts.
The first game was against the Caboolture Snakes who had a very different team to previous seasons but they still were able to field a strong side. After losing a couple of early wickets Cam Taylor (23) steadied the ship with Andy Batten before Taylor was out with the score on 3 for 59 in the 10th over.
This brought Sam Baker to the crease and what was to follow was quite incredible. The two players continued to consolidate rotating the strike in between some great cricket shots before exploding in the last 5 overs which they took for 73 runs. Andy finishing 81 off 55 (6 sixes) and Sam 54 off 31 (4 sixes) to see Thunder finish their 20 overs at 3-168.
Then in the field the Tewantin-Noosa bowlers and fielders picked up where they had left off the previous week. They were able to keep Caboolture to 34 off the powerplay with the crucial wicket of ex-Sate player Glen Batticciotto taken by Cam Taylor who bowled a wicket maiden in the 5th over. Caboolture were held to 2-55 after 10 overs with the minimum runs a credit to the bowlers. In his First Grade debut, Ben Potter was brilliant with his leg spin through the middle order. Caboolture were going as hard as they could but just could not keep up with the required rate despite their captain, Cameron Trask making 88 off 54. Talon Reichert and Jarrod Officer came back to bowl at the death and the Snakes innings finished on 3 for 154. Any win is a good win against Caboolture but this victory will stand out with the partnership between Andy Batten and Sam Baker as one to remember. After what was witnessed in this match, much is anticipated from this duo throughout the season.
The afternoon match was against the Caloundra Lighthouses who had won both matches last weekend before losing their morning match on Saturday. The Thunder team batted first as they had done in their first three matches and again it proved to be a winner. The boys posted 152 for the loss of 5 wickets off the back of the skipper Michael Eckard with a really impressive 69 off 54 balls. Cam Taylor with 34 off 30 contributed well whilst everyone else chipped in to see the team keep the rate above a run a ball.
Bowling with a strong breeze blowing down the field, was a perfect scenario for the team’s slow bowlers and confidence was high that it would be tough for the opposition to score more than the 150 runs set for them on the large ground. It was a welcome back to one of the team’s best bowlers from past seasons, Scott Aufderheide who bowled a maiden in the 2nd over before the chase fell apart for Caloundra. Talon Reichert took a wicket in the 3rd over before Scott went for only 1 in the 4th. Wickets to the experienced Jarrod Officer in the 5th, 7th and 9th overs and another to Cam Taylor in the 8th had the game over at 5 for 38 from 10. Talon came back to take 2 more wickets in the 13th over with Ben Potter extremely impressive at the other end with his leg spin.
As usual in the T20’s all of Thunder’s seamers were happy to push into the wind with no complaints so the spinners could bowl with it. Brilliant team effort to see Caloundra all out for 81 in the last over. No one could recall a misfield in their innings. Bowling honours went to Talon Reichert with 3 for 19 and Officer 3 for 21, both off their 4 overs.
There are no matches next weekend but the season resumes with a T20 night match against Maroochydore Swans at Read Park on Thursday, October 5. Match will start at 6pm. All other Senior and Junior grades matches will commence on Saturday, October 7.
JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVE TEAM TRIALS
The selection trials for Junior Cricketers who aspire to be part of a Sunshine Coast Representative Team are to be held on Sunday, October 8 at grounds as follows:-
Under 12- Cooroy-Eumundi Cricket Club
Under 13- Cooroy-Eumundi Cricket Club
Under 14- Coolum Cricket Club
Under 15- Glasshouse Cricket Club
Full details are at – sunshinecoastcricket.com.au/events
