The combined Sandringham-Mackie turf team has won its way through to the finals. Team captain, Sam Dimopoulos, filed the following report.
Arriving at Donald McDonald for the final home and away game before finals there was a sense of excitement amongst the group.
MCC won the toss and sent us in to bat sensing a up and down pitch.
D.Park (1) and Singh (17) opened the batting before a dubious LBW removed Dale with the score on 15. Entered Guytesky (19) and Singh soon fell, the score 2/25 after 8 overs wasn’t ideal and said a bit about the pitch. Enter Lakmal (130) who played the second greatest innings I have seen in our team (second to Affridi 148 no v Whitefriars last year). No boundary was off limits as the scoring rate climbed, departure of Mikal saw Niblett arrive and join in with two huge sixes (19) before departing with the score 4/143 at drinks and the scoring rate at 6. The tail simply held up an end as Lakmal dismantled any confidence MCC had in their ability – all out in the 39th over for 218 – a run rate of 11 per over. Sign that man up for another year!!!
Afternoon tea was a magnificent array of sandwiches, fruit, sweets and cordial.
The afternoon sun was in full force as we took the field, Niblett (3/27 off 6.4) and Wernham (1/17 off 5) took the new ball, with Niblett striking with the first ball and Wernham following soon after – both bowled well and had our opponents on the back foot. MCC middle order held up for a while as Lakmal (1/11 off 4) and D.Park (5/15 off 5) came on each claiming a wicket and both bowling tight overs. B.Park (0/24 off 4) and Dimopoulos (0/9 off 5) came on and the run rate was reduced to 4 an over 5/96 at drinks.
Dale Park came back on in the 23rd over and bowled the most devastating over imaginable, reading wicket, dot, wicket, wicket, dot, wicket – MCC was 9/105 in a blink, credit they held us out for another 7 overs before Niblett came back on to claim the final wicket in the 30th over.
Special thanks to Maxi Meltzer for keeping on a difficult pitch and Deepak Kumar for filling in.
A good hit out as we take Melbourne Uni in the first semi final at McAlister Oval, Park st, Parkville on Sunday.
The semi-final will be played against Melbourne University on Sunday March 3 at McAllister Oval, Park St, Parkville, near the corner of Brunswick Rd and Royal Parade from 12.30pm.