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Post by SixAndOut on Sept 30, 2017 9:46:59 GMT
GENERAL NEWS
Round 14:
Award ceremony will be held to recognise the leading players. Report will be posted here. Stay tuned.
Round 8:
Tigers CC have announced Patrick Botham (NZL) will sign a 3 year contract as Manager. "It's a big task but we are looking to hit the ground running against the Avalanche."
Round 7:
Tigers CC management have relieved William Menzies (WIN) of his position as manager following A 0-7 record. Defeat to Jets CC was felt have sealed Menzies fate. Replacement to be named shortly.
ELIMINATED:
Jets CC -- R13 Patriots CC -- R12 Roughnecks CC -- R12 Nomads CC -- R11 Avalanche CC -- R11 Lightning CC -- R10 Tigers CC -- R9
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Post by SixAndOut on Oct 16, 2017 12:40:22 GMT
MATCH REPORTS - ROUND 12
A poor match between Tigers CC and Nomads CC resulted in a narrow 1 wicket win for the Nomads. This match keeps the Nomads record at a midtable 6-6 never really being able to build anything all season. Nomads manager Andrew Rowe told the press "it could have gone all very badly wrong were it not for the 79 run partnership put on by last pair Bronte and Steele." This pair, with a name like a 70s cop duo, prevented Tigers from wrapping up the tail after being a disastrous 109/9. Meanwhile Tigers CC are on course for the wooden spoon for this year. In a post-match interview Tigers manager Patrick Botham said "my goal since taking over was build team confidence and climb to second last. I feel we are more or less on the right track with the first but the second is difficult. We are disappointed to not be closer."
Roughnecks CC entertained Lightning CC and they needed a win to keep any remote chance of a title alive. As it is they have been eliminated after crashing for just 124 in 24 overs. A good start of 42 by the opening pair Monaghan and Dunhill was the highlight of the reply to Lightning CC's 210. At regular intervals wickets were lost with nobody able to come to grips with the pace of the ball on the wicket. Roughnecks boss Randall Hussey reflected on a frustrating afternoon saying "It just didn't click today." Lightning CC manager Dwight Hogan will be relieved by that win as the calls for his head were getting louder and louder. "An unexpected win, but a good win. We'll take it" he said with a smirk.
Raptors CC and Jets CC are vying for control of the league and a twist of fate in the fixtures meant these two sides met late in a massive "6 pointer". Jets CC chose to bat first and had a big opportunity to post a very big score. Instead Norman and Launceston contrived to help put them to the sword with seven wickets between them bundling Jets CC out for a paltry 172. Raptors response was indicitive of the reason they are clear favourites to take the title this year. Norman's unbeaten 86 off 83 and Campbell-Ryce 52 from 49 wore away at Jets will to defend this small total. In the end the Raptors came home 6 wicket winners. When asked if the title was now Raptors Man of the Match Mike Norman said while collecting his large champagne bottle prize "We've taken a huge step tonight toward the title but we still have two games to go, we won't be happy dropping points in the final two games." Jets CC manager Isaac Wood told reporters "We aren't conceding defeat but let's be honest we need a miracle now. Raptors have been so strong all season." Jets remaining fixtures against the inconsistent Nomads CC and Tigers CC do give a glimmer of hope for a photo finish. Raptors CC fan spokesman Claire Anderson was beaming as she told journalists "nothing is over till it is over but I am much more confident about our chances than I was last week. Jets play really good cricket so was quite nervous. Yay, Raptors!." Miss Anderson will be delighted hear bookmakers have put the Raptors at 1/20 from 2/5 before the match. Jets CC have drifted out to 8-1.
Despite beating the Avalanche CC by 3 wickets in a low scoring match the Patriots CC couldn't avoid being officially eliminated from title contention. TopTen Bowler Woody Boycott was again amongst the wickets as Avalanche CC, despite a rearguard by Archibald and Morrison, could only manage 182. In truth Patriots made hard work of this run chase also however Holbrook scored the winning run to give Patriots the win. Patriots climb to third in the table and their manager Merv Burke said "we will be looking for second now." Damien Scott, the Avalanche manager, was surprised by the collapse today. "we've not suffered too many of those low scores this season, been batting quite solidy really. It's something to think about when we get the lads back into training."
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Post by SixAndOut on Oct 16, 2017 12:41:07 GMT
MATCH REPORTS - Round 11
Although eliminated from any possibility of winning the league title back in Round 9 a change in management at Tigers CC is starting to produce the desired results. A poor Roughnecks CC performance saw them bowled out for 177 in reply Tigers scrapped home by 1 wicket. Speaking of the match Tigers manager Botham said "confidence is returning to the side, for sure." Roughnecks manager Hussey said "very disappointing, we let the fans down today".
Raptors continue to fly high at the top of the table after a comfortable and expected 86 run win. In truth 311 was always going to be difficult for the mid-table struggling Nomads CC. Nomads CC managed a meager 226 in reply. Raptors manager Taber speaking to the press likes the teams chances this year but is "not taking anything for granted". Nomads manager Rowe has tipped Raptors to go all the way after their 4th win on the bounce. "They are relentless and ruthless. It is going to take something special to stop them this year." Raptors CC have a massive chance to put the league title virtually out of reach against Jets CC.
Second placed Jets CC wanted a big say in where the title went this year but stumbled badly against Avalanche CC. Their bowlers never really managed to impose themselves on the Avalanche who posted 297/7. Gordon Walcott put on 108 for the Avalanche. Jets batsman didn't fare any better crumbling for 180 in 37 overs. Berry, WM doing the most damage with a four-for. Jets CC manager Wood told the press "A bad slip, no doubt about it but there are still three games to go and the next one is against Raptors CC so we will have to bounce back quickly". Avalanche CC manager Damien Scott highlighted 34 year old Berry for praise saying "even at 34 he works his socks off for this team, an inspiration for everyone."
Embattled Lightning CC manager Dwight Hogan has been put under increased pressure with his teams 40 run loss to Patriots CC. Things were looking up for Lightning CC when Patriots CC were bowled out for 141 but old frailties returned as Patriots bowlers led by a five-for from top-ten bowler Woody Boycott destroyed Lightnings chances. Hogan told the press "Bitterly disappointed today and simply not good enough". Patriots CC manager Merv Burke claims Patriots were very lucky. "Not a great game in any measure of the word. Glad to put that one behind us with three points." Patriots are on the edge of elimination in this competition.
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Post by SixAndOut on Oct 16, 2017 12:41:23 GMT
MATCH REPORTS - Round 10
Raptors CC took another step toward the title with a narrow 1 wicket win over the struggling Tigers CC. Manager Kenneth Taber feels they chased hard after Tigers posted a difficult total. Tigers were probably not looking to take much from this game but came away with their credibility intact and a feeling of competitive resurgence.
Jets CC also kept pace with the Raptors CC in their chase for the title with a neat five wicket win over the up and down Lightning who have had little consistency over the season. Jets CC manager Isaac Wood said in post-match comments that "With Raptors and the Jets being this competitive the title is going to be decided on the final round."
Roughnecks CC look an outside chance and they did themselves no harm with an emphatic 127 run win against 4th placed Patriots CC. Roughnecks English manager Randall Hussey disputes claims the league is beyond them despite being 6 points off the pace saying "We are going to push till the end. There are twists and turns to come and we will be there to take advantage."
Elsewhere Nomads CC beat Avalanche CC by 5 in a midtable clash. Andrew Rowe concedes this years campaign is pretty much over and although they will fight hard to win every remaining match they are looking forward already to rebuilding for next season.
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Post by SixAndOut on Oct 16, 2017 12:42:02 GMT
MATCH REPORTS - Round 9
Tigers CC under new manager Patrick Botham attained their first win of the season after beating the fancied Patriots CC by three wickets. Although pleased with the win Botham was not getting carried away saying "we've stopped the rot, now we need to build on it." Despite the win Tigers CC are the first team eliminated from the competition. Tigers fans will be looking for this season to end and big changes to be made.
In other news Raptors CC and Jets CC both took important wins against Avalanche CC and fellow contenders Roughnecks CC respectively to maintain their fight at the top of the table. This is increasingly looking like a two horse race as they pull away from the rest of the pack with five rounds to go.
Lightning CC recorded a much needed win against Nomads CC. A season which looked promising early on has fizzled out and manager Dwight Hogan had admitted to feeling the pressure on his job.
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Post by SixAndOut on Oct 16, 2017 14:29:59 GMT
MATCH REPORTS - Round 1:
4822 travelled to Tigers Park to witness the first match of the OCC Championship between Tigers CC and Avalanche CC. Avalanche prevailed after making 223/10 in the first innings. In response a dreadful batting performance from Tigers CC saw them collapse for 112/10 in just 25 overs. A delighted Oswald Proctor took home the first Man of the Match for the Avalanche after a nice lower order 45 and a wicket. Tigers CC manager Will Menzies said it was "a terrible way to start a new competition and on your home ground at that. We want to bounce back."
Patriots CC and Jets CC took it to Patriots Field for the second match of the OCC Championship. The Jets pravailed by 77 runs after Patriots were knocked over for a sub-par 159. Patriots South African manager Mervyn Burke wasn't impressed with his sides performance but insisted it was too early in the season to make any radical statements. "We've points to improve, that's for sure." Meanwhile Jets English manager, Isaac Wood was delighted with the start. "We worked hard in training and pre-season and it bore fruit against one of the more favoured teams this year."
Raptors CC kicked off their campaign at home against Lightning CC with an emphatic win. Lightning chose to bat first and their decision turned out to be a bad one. Craig Line of the Raptors demolished their batting order taking 7 wickets. Lightning limped to a very meek 120. Raptors response was almost as calamatous at one point bein 6-39. Percival Goodwin moved the ball around well to capture 5 for the match however O'Davis and Fitzpatrick steadied the ship to take the Patriots the rest of the way and hand them three points. Kenneth Taber, a quietly spoken Melbournian, thought his lower fought back well to back up the work of the destructive Craig Line. "It would have been a travesty if all Liney's work had've been for nought".
The final game of the round saw the Roughnecks and the Nomads do battle at Roughneck Park. Both these teams were tipped to be mid-high table come the end of the season but this match will have everyone re- evaluating their guesstimations. Nomads CC opted to bat first and standout 80+ run innings from Seton and Peacock delivered a very respectable 296 from all 50 overs. The first club in this championship to go the distance and the highest score made so far. Justin Rowell acted as the mastermind of a Roughneck fightback making 80 in the process able supported for a time by Beeston and McShay but ultimately it was not enough. Both Nomads manager Andrew Rowe and Roughnecks CC manager Randall Hussey believed this was an exciting contest which set a good tone for the coming rounds.
CHAIRMAN'S TROPHY
Avalanche CC awarded the inaugural Chairman's Trophy after having the best result in the round. This fluid prize will subsequently be awarded to the whoever beats the current holder.
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Post by SixAndOut on Oct 21, 2017 15:53:37 GMT
MATCH REPORTS - ROUND 13
Given their abject display today against Tigers CC you could be forgiven for thinking that morale has collapsed completely at Lightning CC. Admittedly the pitch was surprisingly lively and temperature was hotter than expected which made conditions difficult but 80 from 17 overs is never acceptable even for a bottom of the table clash. It was 28 year old Australian Michael Bossley and 33 year old Scot Hank Blair who combined to do the damage and give Tigers batsman a seemingly simple task however even they struggled under the gruelling conditions being 73/7 until Harvey Strange and that man again Bossley took the Tigers home. Both managers agreed this game was not one for the purists. Whilst Tigers manager Botham seems to have righted the Tigers ship somewhat the pressure on Lightning CC manager Hogan continues to grow. Rumour has it the board are seriously beginning to consider his position with possible replacements being lined up for a quick transition. Lightning Chairman Godfrey Masterton has denied this speculation by saying "Hogan is our manager, we retain full confidence in his position."
This was quite simply a must win game for the Jets. A loss here and Raptors would be crowned champions. If the Jets were looking for help from the Nomads they would be bitterly disappointed. Nomads put on a steady 261 from 50 overs which included a magnificent 124 from 132 from South African Richard Dean before being brilliantly bowled by fellow South African Davy Wagner. West Indian Adrian Marshall also chipped in with 50 before some diabolical running between wickets with Dean saw the former sent him back to the pavilion. In reply Jets CC top order failed to fire and it was left to the middle to late orders to try to bring the run rate down with some wild swinging resulting in some unnecessary wickets falling. With 40 to win Walter Westerfield was wrapped on the pads after being bamboozled by a turning ball by Grant Bronte. Jets captain Westerfield dropped to his knees as Umpire Slee's finger was raised in a similar final condemnation that the romans would have appreciated. Jets title race was over. Speaking after the match Westerfield said "We weren't good enough today. Congrats to the Raptors they played some brilliant cricket all season. We'll rebuild and return". Nomads manager Andrew Rowe whose team could climb to second if results on the final day go their way also congratulated Raptors and gave the hard battling Jets his teams commiserations.
It's fair to say both Roughnecks and Avalanche have had disappointing seasons. A season started promisingly including a 149 run win against title contending Jets but soon saw Roughnecks campaign stall. Avalanche also had flashes of brilliance but were never in the running. So it was that these two teams met in very hot conditions. The outfield was quite fast which promised to suit the batsmen. Roughnecks top order was devastated by a quick three wickets from Willie Berry to leave them 23-3. If not for Faulkner putting down an awkward chance as McGee flashed away outside off stump to an unusually wayward delivery it could have been worse for the Roughnecks. Wadsworth and McGee steadied the ship with a much needed 77 run partnership. Foster and Owens later combined for an 81 run partnernship but it was a rearguard to some accurate bowling by Southwood and enabled them to reach the low total of 219. Avalanche made heavy work of the response getting skittled for 167 only wicket keeper McNamarra showing any ability to get on top of the bowling and fighting to the end until he was caught by Dunhill at long off trying to swat away a rising delivery.
A crowd of 5381 on a bright sunny day at Patriots Field saw the Raptors run out emphatic 168 run winners against third placed Patriots. If the Jets lost to the Nomads then Raptors would be crowned champions but Raptors Captain Mike Norman revealed that Raptors manager Ken Taber told his team not to worry about Jets result and to focus solely winning their game to put the issue beyond doubt. "We knucked down, focused and got the job done". Batting first the Raptors batsmen put on a solid 275 despite Woody Boycott coming at them with three wickets. In the field all bowlers except Norman chipped in to demolish the Patriots for 108. No single batsman were any kind of batting threat to the total. Flannery was awarded the man of the match award for a more than useful 60 off 77 and two wickets. Patriots manager Merv Burke congratulated the Raptors saying they were "simply awesome all season". When asked about his own team he said "I am confident this club will strength in post-season and provide a bit more of a challenge for next time around. We've learnt plenty from this season." Raptors manager Taber thanked the opposition managers who have offered their congratulations but said "we have one more game to go and we want to finish on a winning note." A much deserving Raptors will be given the Championship trophy at Roughneck Park next week.
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Post by SixAndOut on Oct 30, 2017 10:28:47 GMT
ROUND 14
Jets and Tigers met for the final time this season at Jets Dome and both teams were looking to finish the season on a strong note. Both teams were able to field their strongest sides for this one but it was Jets who came out on top and sealed second spot after Gerald Griffiths put on an impressive 90 not out from 85 balls an effort which helped earn him Man of the Match. Reflecting on the season at the end of the match Jets manager Isaac Wood said "congratulations to the Raptors. Fully deserved. My team put up a great fight though and we are looking forward to getting back into it". Pat Botham of the Tigers was delighted with the way his team were no longer taken for granted after an abject start but urged them to push on.
The near bottom of the table clash between Lightning CC and Avalanche CC produced an even sided game which Lightning ended the thin margin of one wicket. Englishman Derryn Lord's unbeaten 104 steadied an almost calamitous batting display which saw 4 wickets taken by an impressive Jared Whitlam. Whitlam looked to be on course to guide his team to victory but Lightnings West Indian tailender Ewen Hart weathered the storm showing a maturity and calm beyond his 21 years to give the strike to Lord when necessary. Speaking to the press following the match fellow West Indian and manager of the Avalanche said "Gritty is how I'd describe Hart's performance. The lad is going to do good things in the future." Pressure on Lightning manager Hogan has once again eased slightly however it will be interesting to see if Lightning management take the opportunity in the post-season to implement a new direction for the club.
Expectations were high that two teams pushing for a top quarter finish would produce an entertaining match and the nearly 5000 fans who watched this game were not disappointed. A strong opening 312 from the Patriots which included a very determined 87 from 19 year old Laurence Woolworths set up the contest nicely before being brilliantly caught at gully by Justin Stuart. Indeed Stuart took three catches as he seemed to be everywhere on the field at once. Solid innings from a number of Nomads batsmen brought the score to 19 to win before the overs ran out. Many suggest the Nomads could have gone even harder at the Patriots given their wickets in hand however batting depth has been a problem all season. A visibly irritated Nomads manager Andrew Rowe pointed out how he sees the delineation of duty in response to these assertions. "Nonsense. If the tailenders are required to win a match by themselves then that indicates that the batting has failed somewhat. We have very capable batsmen who can chase down a score on their day. Today it was beyond our reach."
Final match of the season was fittingly Roughnecks vs Raptors. Raptors had already clinched the title with their very impressive 168 run win against the Patriots in the last round. Would this match see them take their foot off the accelerator and go into holiday mode? The short answer was no although the Roughies did make a good fist of it considering a slightly higher mid-table position was the only potential takeaway from this match. A solid 307 was built during Raptors innings Heard and Flannery putting on a magnificent 107 run partnership for the first wicket. Roughnecks couldn't find an answer until Flannery lobbed back an easy chance back to the bowler Owens. Flannery shook his head vigorously as he walked back to the pavilion annoyed at his lack of concentration when he and Heard had looked so comfortable. Coincidently he would however get his revenge on Owens when he bowled him. In reply good innings from Wadsworth (74) and captain Foster (80) and a very strong 110 run partnership between Wadsworth and McGee kept Roughnecks hopes alive but Barber and Fitzpatrick's three wickets apiece made life very difficult. Roughnecks were to be 15 runs short as they run out of lives when New Zealander Rex Launceston took out Beeston's off stump. It was jubilation in the middle of the wicket. A mass huddle of Raptor's squad players and management on a job very well done. Roughnecks players stood and applauded. Captain Merv Norman took official possession of the Championship Trophy in a presentation ceremony. Roughies manager Randall Hussey said "Congrats to the Raptors and Taber, a solid performance from a well balanced team. We hope to emulate these guys in seasons to come." Roughnecks finished 7-7 for the season. Raptors CC fan spokesman, Claire Anderson pictured at the ground wearing her teams colours with hundreds of other supporters called this the "best day of my life. Champions, baby!" Ken Taber, Raptors manager, said "The team has been consistently good all season. Jets ran us hard but we responded brilliantly when we had to and never let up. So proud of these guys." The victory party will be thumping tonight.
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