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  • Match Facts:

    Fairfield Oval, Fairfield

     

    Time:

    1:45pm start

     

    The Big Picture:

    I was recently reading about the plan to create a London to Melbourne Airship service between the First and Second World Wars that would’ve involved airships (not blimps), fuelled by highly flammable gasses, making the journey in the then astonishing time of about 2 weeks.

     

    The plans for the service became quite advanced, with flight paths set, areas for aerodromes identified and suitable staff appointed. Enthusiasm abounded for the project and it was all going well, until the first flight, which crashed.

     

    In a similar vein, The Quokkas season has come back down to earth after a giddy start to the season in a fairly painful way.

     

    The last match saw The Quokkas bowled out for 121 with only Ed and Dutchy scoring in double figures. The procession of wickets was so fast that Ed had to be raced back from barbecue duties (thanks Sizzle!) to re-enter the fray after retiring on 30.

     

    <<Insert joke about Eds running here>>

     

    The Pinnacle are usually great fun to play against, so we are looking forward to meeting them on the field of battle regardless of the outcome.

     

    Also, it’s a 1:45 start. Don’t forget that.

     

    Form Guide:

    Quokkas: WLWWL

     

    Team News:

    Perhaps it’s because its Summer, or perhaps it’s the short turn-around between games (14 days is hardly enough time to recover!), but for the first time this season the Quokkas are struggling to get XI together. Usually this is something that only occurs on Sunday mornings, so perhaps we are just getting really efficient.

     

    Regardless, the XI at the time of writing is:

    1. J Rod (c)
    2. Local
    3. Alex
    4. Pup
    5. Leighlan
    6. Dutchy (w/k)?
    7. Ed
    8. Special
    9. Sizzle
    10. Pete Sforcina
    11. Big Dog

     

    In the Spotlight:

    Leighlan makes his debut this week, entering the books as Quokka #96. The bearded man has looked good in the nets and even better with a can about his person, so fits the bill.

     

    Pete Sforcina returns from high altitude training to bring a little more stability to the bowling attack, conceding only 4 runs an over this season while maintaining a bowling average of 16.

     

    Pitch and Conditions:

    The brown paper bag was obviously successfully delivered to YPCA HQ as the Quokkas find themselves back at one of the nicer grounds in the league. However, given our last showing at Fairfield, we have a few demons that need banishing.

     

    We are expecting it to be partly cloudy and 25 on Sunday, so a perfect day for Pub cricket all up.

     

    1:45 start.

     

    Stats and Trivia:

    • Alex is on 380 career YPCA runs and has a career average of 38, so should hit the 400 mark this Sunday if given the chance, making him the 7th member of that club
    • Similarly, Local is on 373 career YPCA runs, so could also be in the 400 club soon
    • Now that you ask, there are 10 living Quokkas who are currently in the 300-run club; Pup (355), Rev (323), Curto (324), Gladys (340), J Rod (376), Rowdy (355), Alex (380), Local (373), Tuesday (312) and Jay (343)

     

    This will be our first official 1:45 start

     

  • From Captain Jay….

    Ed Batted well and his first ball ended up on the pavilion roof, as is standard. Dutchy batted very well and bowled a great over.
    Great catches from Rev and Special gave QCC some inspiration in the field. Generally dreadful batting from the nine batsmen (other than Ed and Dutchy) left QCC to defend 120ish runs. Was never going to happen.
    Artists impression of Revs catch

    Artists impression of Revs catch

    Weather was perfect, ground was perfect,  VP cooked the snags like a pro. Great day for cricket. QCC really shat the bed though, and ruined its so far perfect pub league record for season 18/19
  • Match Facts:

    Fairfield Oval, Fairfield

     

    Time:

    1pm start

     

    The Big Picture:

    Happy New Year.

     

    The Quokkas come into 2019 in unknown territory, having won all of the Pub League matches that they played in at the end of 2018.

     

    This game is being played against a team being made up of (largely) Rainbow Hotel players, but is being completed with players from the Terminus and the Curtin. All 3 pubs are among our favourites to spend Sunday afternoons with, so it should be good fun.

     

    The Quokkas will be looking to kick off 2019 in the way they finished 2018, while having fun along the way.

     

    Form Guide:

    The rules of Pub League cricket are egalitarian, but heavily in favour of the batters, with no LBWs, first ball free hits etc. With that in mind, its particularly impressive that The Quokkas now seem to be a bowling side, having bowled out their opponents in each game this season.

     

    Further, The Quokkas are only conceding 6.42 runs per over and taking a wicket every 17.6 runs; or one wicket taken for less than 3 overs bowled.

     

    Quokkas: WLWW

    Mixed all-sorts: n.a

     

    In the Spotlight:

    The Quokkas TFB (Token Fast Bowler), Jay, comes into this game as Captain; mostly because he was so keen to get an extra game in January that those in Quokkas HQ approved it so long as he organised the whole thing himself.

     

    Which he has done with typically positive energy.

     

    The TFB is in fine form this season, averaging 28 with the bat and 21 with the ball.

    Jay

    One of these guys is Captain

     

    After a few years of playing commitments interrupted by wine, and not necessarily in the good way, Tuesday is a welcome inclusion to the team.

     

    The big-hitting left hander has looked very comfortable in the nets, and in the Members on Day 3. Good warm ups.

     

     

    Team News:

    Once again, we come into the game with more than enough players ‘available’, though what this translates to will probably be another Sunday morning of doing the ring-around to make sure we have XI.

     

    The team, at the time of writing, is:

    1. Ed
    2. Tuesday
    3. Ami
    4. VP
    5. Dutchy
    6. Liam
    7. Pup
    8. Jay (c)
    9. Sizzle
    10. Radar (wk)
    11. Rev
    12. Special
    13. Big Dog (protecting his bowling hand)

     

    Pitch and Conditions:

    The Quokkas return to the refurbished surface for Fairfield, a happy hunting ground for them from days of yore. Also, a less happy hunting ground for those that played in the game when the Curtin held 7 of the craziest catches ever, essentially performing gymnastics yet still holding them.

     

    We are experiencing peak Melbourne at the moment, with the weather going from 42 degrees, to 21 (with rain), to 23 on game day. A good chance that the ground will be fast and dry.

     

    Stats and Trivia:

    • Radar is up to 478 YPCA runs and is averaging 31 this season, so is a good chance to become the 5th member of the 500-run club this week if given the opportunity
    • The TFB, with 19 YPCA wickets, is 1 off joining the 20+ wickets club as its 8th member and draw level with J Rod
    • This match will be Tuesdays 20th for the Quokkas and with 26 dismissals (catches + runs outs / stumpings) has the chance to go ahead of Dutchy (26) and catch up to the leader in Curto (29)
    • Ed (983 career YPCA runs) is 17 off becoming the second member of the 1,000 run club. With a career average of 37, and a strike rate of 1.7 this season, he should get there in the second over
    SONY DSC

    The socks that enabled nearly 1,000 runs

     

   

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