Mixed results on the eve of finals

F I R S T X I

OLD SCOTCH 1XI 80 (16.3)

def. by MELBOURNE HIGH 9/87 (28)

S. SHEARER 36, W. CLARK 19, S. GOODWILL 3/10, C. LOVERIDGE 2/20

On a warm Sunday morning, the boys arrived to the Main Oval excited to take on the reigning premiers in what was a must win game to remain top spot.

We won the toss and bowled and started off the day perfectly with tidy opening spells and a big early wicket from Shearer. At 1/29 after 11 overs, it begun drizzling, this quickly turned into a thunderstorm and we were off the ground hastily. After an hour on the sidelines and the game shortened to 28 overs a side we were in a perfect position to set ourselves up for a good day out. After the delay we resorted to our spin cartel and they worked their magic. Sam Goodwill (3/10), Mike Sparks (1/18) and Charlie Loveridge (2/18) bowled beautifully and we managed to restrict Melbourne High to 9/87 after their 28 overs.

At the innings break we had a simple equation ahead of us and knew we needed to get off to a strong start. However an early wicket fell and we were on the back foot in the 3rd over. What we weren’t to expect was for Old Haileybury who were 2nd on the ladder to proceed to accomplish a Bonus Point win which suddenly meant we would need a BP to maintain top spot. All of a sudden an easy target suddenly turned into 6-7 an over on a tough wicket against a good bowling attack. After 2 more wicket Shearer and Clark were at the crease at 3-17. A mini fight back had us at 3-62 and within a stones throw of top spot. What ensued was unexpected but an impressive display of bowling by Highs #1 spinner resulted in a big collapse as we would lose 7/17 and be bowled out 8 runs short of our target. Credit to Sam Shearer for a gusty 36 and for keeping us in the game whilst wickets fell around.

Although this result wasn’t ideal, it sets up a GF rematch this weekend as it’s do or die against Melbourne High. The boys are ready and excited to get stuck into some finals cricket and look forward to a big game on the Main once again.

— Will Clark (1XI Captain)

S E C O N D X I

OLD SCOTCH 2XI 189 (36)

def. by MELBOURNE HIGH 4/190 (28.1)

T. FISH 43 & 1/32, C. SCHILLING 34, J. BENNETT 1/23, L. APPU 1/39

In a rain-affected 36-over contest on the weekend, OSCC 2XI's hopes of a finals berth came to an end as they were defeated by MHOSB. Our total of 189 was chased down comfortably by Melbourne High, who won the game with six wickets in hand, finishing the chase in just 28 overs.

After losing the toss, OSCC were put in to bat first. The start was steady, but it was Tom Fish (43) and Charlie Schilling (34) who led the charge with solid contributions. Schilling played a composed knock, finding the gaps and rotating the strike effectively, while Fish's aggressive strokeplay kept the scoreboard ticking.

Mike Winneke (21) and Lachie Francis (20) also made valuable contributions but were unable to convert their starts into bigger scores.

With the ball, Joel Bennett was the standout performer for OSCC, finishing with figures of 1/23 off 7 overs. His spell was crucial in trying to slow down the run rate, but the chase was well-paced by MHOSB. Despite Bennett's control, OSCC’s bowlers found it tough to break the key partnerships, as MHOSB’s batsmen remained in charge throughout the chase.

Despite the loss, I am proud of the team's efforts throughout the season, but ultimately, this result means we will miss out on a spot in the finals..

— John Stavris (2XI Captain)

T H I R D X I

OLD SCOTCH 3XI 9/165 (33)

def. MCC 8/124 (33)

J. СОВВ 50, N. BENNETT 30 & 1/2, H. PARSONS 2/7, M. GRIFFITHS

After winning the toss the Old Scotch 3s elected to bat. We started very slowly going 2/28 after 9 overs when a patch of rain hit reducing the game to a 33 over a side match. From here we knew we needed to significantly increase the run rate which Cobb (50,) Bennett (30) and Harle (19) managed to help us post 165 runs,

Parsons was a highlight with the ball applying pressure to their run rate with tidy figures of 2/7 from 7. While 6 other bowlers took single wickets as we rolled into a comfortable victory as MCC decided to bat the overs rather than chase our total.

As the home and away season concludes we now look to our semi-final against Old Camberwell.

— Nic Bennett (3XI Captain)

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