Not a bad performance overall week one but certainly could have been better. In the end, we bowled out Ottam for 176 in 45 overs, but we rally should be chasing a few less runs. We lacked just a little intensity in the field, dropping some chances and failing to take advantage of others, allowing Ottam to chance their arm and get away with quite a lot. After Marty’s early double strike, we were right on top, but they fought back to be 3/123 with 22 overs to go. But Jimbo and Brendan ran through the middle and lower order, Brendan finishing with an outstanding 4/21 off 9 overs.
The Gladdies did the business week two, locking in a finals berth with a workmanlike chase. Kunal got unlucky falling to a freakish catch early on, which only became more painful as the game wore on, for reasons that will become clear. TJ and Cramsie then set about seeing off the openers, before eventually opening up. We scored 6 off the first 6 overs, then 68 off the next 10, amid the odd dropped catch here and there. Cramsie went first, smashing 30 off 2 overs to bring up his 50, departing shortly afterward. TJ played a rock of an innings, racking up 26 singles in his innings of 60, and by the time he fell, we were all but home. Our batting was good, but there’s no doubt it was assisted by the Ottam fielding, which was proudly brought to you by JEP Ryan Contacts and Spectacles (sorry buddeh). Several guys got some good time out in the middle, and it would be good to repeat that in the final round of the regular season, essentially a meaningless fixture that will have zero ramifications for the finals make up. So much to play for.
