Judy Masters Park - NDCC 2nd Grade has booked themselves a spot in the One-Day Semi Finals with a hard fought encounter against Balgownie on Saturday. Entering the match knowing that a loss would probably spell doom in the shortened version of the competition for the Butchers, all-rounder Graeme Sismey led from the front with a sparkling performance.
Losing the toss and being invited to bat, NDCC were in trouble early when Jackson Stewart (1) was run out after an ugly mix-up with captain Mick Allen (22). Allen was initially aggressive with some delightful upper cuts over third man, but toned down to settle into building a foundation with Ean Martin (25). Later dirty with himself, Allen missed a full toss that rattled timber bringing Lee Turner (40) to the crease. With Martin a picture of steadfast defense, Turner's innings was accentuated with a range of piercing strokes through the off side. Perhaps slightly sluggish due to morning rain, most of the well timed shots only fetched two's and three's. Martin did start finding his feet with typically elegant shots over the top, but fell when a swept bullet was intercepted by a screamer at square leg.
Enter Rhys Marsh (20); rediscovering his form since coming back to 2nd Grade just prior to Christmas. With a dwindling run rate somewhere around two and a half, Marsh's urgency between the wickets gave the Butchers hope that they might wrest back some initiative. Turning one's into two's and forcing fielding errors, Marsh's real moment came when he unfurled a cracking pull that was fielded by his watching father only moments after it left the bat. As the run rate approached three, Marsh fell in the pursuit for faster runs.
Michael Doig (26) joined the in-form Turner with the task of upping the run rate and signaled the Butcher charge with a whirlwind 11-ball innings. Frustrated Magpie bowlers attempted to bounce Doig but could only watch as he disdainfully pulled high over the ropes, and generally ran amok for ten minutes. By now top scoring Turner was eying a well deserved half century, falling short as he too started to ante up. Toby English (15) looked comfortable with an easy-as-you-like boundary over mid off before too falling victim to a run out. Sismey (31) bashed four boundaries to all parts in the quick fire cameo needed to close the innings; ensuring the Butchers passed the 200 run milestone which had seemed so far away after forty overs. Jacob Hand (5), multiple U16A centurion, had no choice but to slog as did Jack Daskey (2). Steve Bond finished with a strike rate of 100.00 in his 1* (1).
A buoyant Butcher side were stunned on the resumption when Balgownie raced to 0-34 after 6 overs. Perhaps it required divine intervention as the heavens opened up, forcing all from the field for what resulted in a net loss of 3 overs. With a revised target of 191 off 47, success was quickly realized when the attacking opening bat holed out to Bond at backward point. This is where Sismey (3-21) once again stamped his authority on the match, ripping through the heart of the Magpie top order with a cunning exhibition of seam bowling. He so foxed Balgownie's up-and-coming Hayden Daley that the scorers recorded the method of dismissal as LBW. Truly the ball crept between bat, pad and body to peg back the top of middle. When Bond wrapped his hands around a sharp low chance at square leg, his second for the day, Balgownie had lost 3-17 with each honour going Sismey's way.
Balgownie maintained a relatively healthy run rate, certainly helped by the Butcher attacking fields and a damp ball that had lost any swing long ago. Bond (1-40) and Allen (2-37) were miserly enough but just one expensive over from each saw their economy fly back to the required four an over. Bond's wicket though was huge as a swashbuckling innings was cut down to just twenty. The spinners Daskey (1-15) and English (2-24) were expensive but the wickets vital as all three were set batsmen. Hand had a relatively quiet day but let all know he was ever present when pulling off a stunning stumping standing up to Allen's medium pace.
Balgownie were a sniff at 9-175 with 2.1 overs to go but Turners safe hands in the deep ended the drive and what was an entertaining match.
A vital win, securing a semi-final berth and pleasing in the sense that up and down both batting and bowling charts were healthy contributions from a lot of players.
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