WOMBATS FOUND WANTING AT YCAC

by Ian Gason

YCAC’s score of 209 was too much for the Wombats, who were bowled out in 32 overs, for 139, YCAC victors by 70 runs. Some powerful hitting by the YCAC veterans at the top of the innings assured we would be chasing a big total.

Having said that, Wombats take a lot of positives from the game. Being a friendly, a non-league game, it not only gave us a chance to give a few fellows a better run with the bat and the ball, but it gave us a good practice for a (possible) finals run at Koiwa.

I was particularly pleased with the bowlers, and the way they stuck to their games. Sure, they were on the receiving end of some punishment, but rather than resort to bouncing out batsman (and getting hooked and pulled into submission….) they kept battling away, line and length, and reaped the rewards. The YCAC top 4 is a class act, and with 100 up for the loss of just 2 wickets, we fought back exceptionally well to dismiss them as ‘economically’ as we did.

I should note here (because no-one is going to let me forget) that YCAC’s top scorer, their captain Kamran (64), should’ve have been back in the pavilion (yes, this place REALLY has pavilions!) for a single figure score, had I not, off the bowling of Spacey, put down a relatively simple out-field catch. Looks like I’ll be getting the Herschelle Gibbs Award this year…..

John, who may have finally found himself a nickname (Chef), was expensive, but again unlucky. One edge fell just short of a diving Dinosaur, and at least 2 more flew past his right. He caught the opening batsman, who had moved along briskly to 30, off the bowling of that man Ax for the second breakthrough after a good gully trap was set, big enough to catch a bear and yet the guy still fell for it. He even had TWO gullies to choose from! Rob gave him a couple of deliveries just outside the off stump on a good length, and then gave him one he could cut, which he had been doing all morning. Good rewards for persistence.

Brett and Rich Cosway, two fellows who haven’t had their hands on the cherry much this year, bowled well. Brett was on a hat-trick with a sharp caught and bowled. Cosway (1 wicket), took some stick in his later overs, but opened with 2 very tight ones. Like Luke’s fielding the other week, they showed us what happens when a guy is hungry.

Spacey also picked up 2 wickets, including Japan National XI batsman Mark Ferris. You earned your little dance, Spacey. Bird, held back so the other bowlers could get a run, finished with 2/9 in 2.4, with a little help with the “over the fence and out” rule. 1/15 on any other ground, Birdman……

A couple of the bowlers finished with some big numbers against their name. Largely this was due to some high caliber batting, but also inflated by short boundaries square of the wicket. There isn’t much you can do when a guy can flick a 6 off his leg stump, but those short boundaries should have driven a point in: stray and you will be punished. Overall, all lot of positives, and finished off with a good fight back. Had I held that catch, had we not kept Bird back, we may well have been chasing a score of 120-140, so well done Wombats.

The batting probably didn’t hold as many positives as the bowling; certainly not my batting anyway. Bird opened with Zulu, keeping Dinosaur back till number 7. The Keystone Cops couldn’t have been more obvious than the set-up that got Zulu: 2 balls swinging away, 3rd ball swinging in, down comes the timber. Full praise for the bowler, Mark Ferris, who in fairness to Zulu, is an opening bowler for Japan. John was soon in the hot-spot coming in 1st drop, and for a guy who hasn’t been in the middle for 2 months, showed he is the goods. Richard, who was minding his own business watching the footy at the Clubhouse when he got roped in to play, well batted for 20 runs. Hope to see more of that. Birdman rode his nine lives for 26. Spacey, not many people get a mention for 5 runs, but well done at number 10. All singles, no silly shots, just turned the strike over for that man, Dinosaur.

Well, it grumbled like Dino, but it sure didn’t bat like him. This is the man who once helped accumulate 24 dot-balls in a row, but you would know it if you saw him on Sunday. Batting with the tail, he thrashed the YCAC bowlers for a very entertaining 53 not out. The smarta** even brought up his 50 with a bludgeoned pull over mid-wicket for 6. He sent the ball to all parts of the ground with powerful timing. I’m trying, but I can’t think of anything bad to say about our Cap’n Grumpy here today. Great knock Dino. The innings finished when debutante Ravi was stumped for a well composed….zero. Wombats all out 139.

Let’s not be too concerned with the result. We showed we can fight, even when we are getting smacked around. The fielding was tight, well, mostly….A few blokes got a hit against some quality opposition and came away with their heads held high. Spacey showed common sense in avoiding heroic slogs. Jarrad showed plenty of heroic slogs (OK, they weren’t slogs….) and relished the much needed chance to lash out rather than prop. Importantly, we showed we can post a decent total without Chuck. All signs are good for those finals.