piginfo

A last ball one run outright loss in Round 3 last year against NSCC at Primula ultimately cost us a position in the semi finals. Turn the clock ahead 1 year, then turn it ahead another fortnight, and waddiya know – against the same team at the same venue and the result was reversed with a crushing 10 wicket outright win. The match was highlighted by a superb performance from man of the match and 40 year old birthday boy Nick Dowd together with the return of the D Train. The game was the “opposite of highlighted” by the catastrophic failure with the bat of the rest of the team (standard).

In week 1, Dowdy lost the toss and we were sent into bowl. James Madden then set about dropping 3 catches, until finally the NSCC batsmen started hitting the ball to other fielders and not constantly chasing the confidence sapped JM. After some good top order knocks and a few batting mini-starts, the Pigs managed to get through the 10 NSCC batsman for 123 or 122 (depending on which scorebook you read) and Pigs headed back into bat at around tea time (where no tea was actually consumed*).

Battling a requirement that two of our batsman had to leave early and one batsman was to arrive late on week 2, a juggling act was had with the batting line up. Jeff and Mark got us off to a good start until about the time that we started talking about how good Jeff was looking, particularly to the short ball, when he was caught – would you believe off a mishit short ball*. Madden then, coming off his three dropped catches, got a donut. Joe came in, looked good, left. D Train and Wardy had a good 69 run partnership (Ward – 4) but as time ran out for D Train he was adjudged lbw to a floating delicious full toss from Williamson which he missed, for a good 80. Wardy, with his partner gone, immediately followed. Fifty or duck, boy, Guy Mourdant, scored the latter. Clear, also the latter. With Josh now gone (home), Dowdy just in, wickets falling, Tenney on a work call, and still needing 10 runs for the win, Dowdy and the extraordinarily reliable Matthew Jackson got us over the line for first innings points and then a 23 run lead by stumps.

Week 2 came ready to celebrate Dowds 40th b’day. He was on 32(ish) (runs) and Matty J on 2. Their partnership yielded 87 before Matty J attempted, unsuccessfully a suicidal run. Matthew Tenney finally came in to bat with all phone calls completed, and got 1. Thus leaving Dowdy on 88 with 1 wicket in hand. Josh managed to keep his head down before Nick brought up his century with off a deflected direct hit run out chance. Josh then swung hard and was caught in the deep – leaving the Pigs with a 107 run lead.

NSCCs second innings started with AJ Price being first to go – golden duck to Josh, with a nick to that man Dowdy, who deflected to Matty J, who then deflected it back to Dowdy, who deflected to his right hand, to his left, up in the air, before finally catching it. Next over, Demanuele got a nick off Turnbull, to Dowdy at second slip. Okay, someone buy this guy a lottery ticket.

Wickets then fell quickly and NSCC were 6 for 40 shortly after tea needing another 67 for us to bat again. A good partnership between Sule and Hindle followed, and although Pigs had plenty of time a few worried thoughts passed as to whether 4 hours in the afternoon sun would leave us on the same number of points we had before the first ball of the day. What possible strategy could we adopt to get us home? Only one – the birthday boy. Dowdy’s first ball to Hindle was a waist high full toss, travelling at around 25 kph which Hindle dispatched, all the way to a good one handed catch by Matty Jackson at mid wicket. Guy dismissed Sharma – 8 down. Sule kept the runs coming, but (finally) Dowdy bowled another pie, which took a top edge – 9 down, and (even more finally) his 18th ball was half decent, and he got an edge to first slip.

Pigs needed 16 to win and Joe and Matthew Tenney picked them up in 2.2 overs and we went to the Great Northern and got drunk. A good win – next week we play the up and down Comenarra.

* Ironically – like rain on a wedding day