Quokkas Cricket Club December 2019 - Quokkas Cricket Club

Archives

31Dec

Post Match Report: Quokkas CC def The Rainbow Hotel

Big Dog, Ed, Post Match Report, Rainbow Hotel No Comments

From Captain Jay…

Crowds arrived early at Ramsden St Oval for what was the Quokkas final clash of the decade. The cricketing gods, having had this day pencilled in their diary for all eternity, ensured that it would be a day built for cricket. 24 Deg. in the shade, overcast in the morning, a firm green outfield, a decade’s worth of previously unwanted craft ales, a 50 bag of sausages, six stumps, two match balls, four bails, 34 cones and two teams. Perfect day.

The QCC arrived nearly an hour early and hit the nets. The opening pair having a rare opportunity to see a few and find the edges before the match.

The Rainbow opted to bowl from the Southern End.

This is a controversial decision for Ramsden Street Oval as bowling from the South sees cow corner edging a snake-infested valley of native bushland. Preferably bowlers line up from the North providing a batting target over mid-wicket in a neat line of Range Rovers, Rav 4’s and entry-level BMW’s.

QCC BATTING

Tuesday and Sizzle opened up the account.

Tuesday playing his traditional two-hand forehand shot down the ground for multiple boundaries. Sizzle punishing the first ball of the day and then being bowled for 5 runs off 3 balls, he had taken the Capt’n pre-match instructions on – “Run Rate mate”.

Dutchy strode to the middle to join Tuesday, and it looked like a run feast was in store, this pair having put on multiple fast flowing 50 run partnerships in the past. Dutchy, eying a good ball, full of a length on off stump decided it was the perfect ball to launch over the leg side into Snake Corner and was promptly bowled for 7.

Rainbow had their tail up @ 2/38, with Tuesday piling on the majority of those runs. Tuesday retiring for a fantastic 30 off 20 balls. Good to have him back in the squad.

Jay © and Snipper set about steading the ship and put on steady 60 run partnership off 44 balls before Jay, tired off running 2’s and 3’s ran himself out to make way for the inform number 6 – Alex Gow. 3/108 off 13 overs.

Excellent first session from the QCC.

Alex proceeded to tear the Rainbows arms off, smashing 33 off 15 balls and again retiring (3rd, or 4th time this season). Joining his brother James (VP) Gow put on a steady 14 off as many balls and retired not out. JRod – arguably QCC’s high-performance coach, teamed up with the Big Dog to put on a combined 45 runs off 31 balls.

Ed carefully saw out the innings, slowing the run rate, with 1 run off 2 balls faced.

All up – QCC: 3/199 ( 7 retires / Not Outs)

A near-perfect, team-oriented batting performance. (Except for Ed).

QCC BOWLING

A competitive total on the board, but a few known hard hitters in the Rainbow camp Capt’n was not taking any chances. Tossing the new ball to Snipper and the Animal with the task of putting the Rainbow openers on the back foot.

Snipper taking a wicket on the 3rd ball of the day.

Rainbow 1/2. Animal working the other end and the QCC was off to a good start with the pair finishing out the spell with 1/30 off 4 overs.

Ed and Jay took the next spell applying the clamps to the run rate and Jay dismissing the now set opener with a late in swinging, slower ball yorker, clocked at 124.2 Km/hr.

Ed bowling some peaches and slowing the rate with 0/11 off 2.

With two set batsman at the crease and a bit of pressure on the run rate QCC had brought in the field, with a slip, a gulley, a catching short fine leg, catching mid-wicket. Cutting off the singles and providing some great cricket all round.

Sizzle came into the attack, and it tends to go either way for the QCC’s king of spin. Either picking up a tonne of wickets or a conceding a tonne of runs. Unfortunately, today was the latter with one of the batters mucking up Sizzle’s perfect length by using his feet and launching Sizzle downtown. It was time to spread out that fielding net again.

JRod taking QCC to drinks with a pair of economical overs conceding 0/11 off 2.

At the break – Rainbow in the hunt with 2/ 91 (Just 9 runs shy of QCC’s drinks total).

Stepping back on the field QCC needed to halt the carnage and there was a bloke fielding at a shortish mid-wicket, who said – “I’ll do it mate”.

VP served up 2 stingy overs at 0/5 (and was unlucky not to have at least 2 wickets). This was the match turner, Rainbow needing to up their run rate by a small percentage, slowed considerably. In partnership with Big Dog (1/14 off 2), the four overs after the break provided a scoreboard pressure that stuck for the remainder of the inning.

Followed up by 5 straight fantastic overs from Dutchy and Alex, 2/11 (off 3) and 1/13 (off 2) respectively the pressure was on the Rainbow now to score at 12 an over.

Snipper, Jay and VP turned the screws conceding another 25 runs over 3 overs of desperate hitting from some of the Rainbows seasoned veterans.

Ed fittingly bowling the final over of the QCC’s decade and taking the team to a well-deserved 20 odd run win.
11Dec

Match Preview: Quokkas v The Rainbow Hotel

Uncategorized 1 Comment
Match Facts:

Ramsden Street Oval

Clifton Hill

Time:

1pm

The Big Picture:

It’s the last game of the 2010s for the Quokkas, with the boys in maroon looking to end the decade victoriously, or at least with a few laughs.

A quick browse of the 201011 season folder on my computer revealed little in the way of stats, but I did find a photo of Pup and the Big Dog.

Big Dog and Pup c 2010

In all, that’s what we’re all about; giving people a go and bringing people together through the medium of pub-grade cricket. It’s been quite a journey over the last ten years, but more on that another time.

For now, its all about getting this Sundays game organised and executed with as close to eleven “players” as possible. And having some fun.

Incidentally, many thanks to the 101 friends / family / passers by to line up for us over the last ten years. It’s been fun and I think we’ve created some smiles.

A quick look at the “Rainbow Hotel” folder on this very site indicates that we haven’t beaten this weeks oppo for many years, with yours truly bowling one of my special many-ball overs, and hitting the winning runs the last time we did beat them.

There you go, sometimes strange things happen when giving everyone a go.

Form Guide:

The Quokkas have been in unprecedented form (weirdly coinciding with my unavailability), knocking over The Clyde Hotel with relative ease in the last match – losing only 1 wicket in the chase in fact.

Thanks to J Rod for representing the true Quokka spirit.

Artists impression of the Quokka spirit

In the Spotlight:

As two of the founders of the Club, its probably about time Ed and The Big Dog got a bit of publicity.

#realopeners

THE DOG is in career-best form with the bat, having creamed 58 runs in his 2 innings so far off only 61 balls. Both innings have also been not outs. If he were to start a band, it’d be called The Foundations.

In addition to this, he is on 598 career YPCA runs, so needs only 2 to be the third player to score 600 runs or more. He has also taken 47 YPCA wickets at 22, which works out to be nearly 5 wickets per season or 0.72 per match.

This will also be his 91^st total appearance for The Quokkas, ten more than the clubs second-highest wicket taker; Ed.

One of two players to have scored more than 1,100 runs (G’day Dutchy), Ed has a YPCA batting average of 39.46, a high score of 58* and 27 not outs to boot. He always talks down his footwork, but with 89 fours and 33 sixes, an even 50% of his runs come from boundaries; so there may not be too much movement there. Ed is not out in 49% of his innings.

Our “offie” has also snared 46 YPCA wickets at 18, and is equal for most catches on 25 (G’day Tuesday) with an impressive average of 0.43 catches per match. Ed is also 3^rd for run outs / stumpings (5) behind Radar (12) and Curto (6).

Team News:

After having a list as swollen as a belt after Christmas lunch, the numbers are down this week and we have just the ten available at the time of writing. Jay is Captaining though, which almost mean at least 14% more fun and entertainment, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we have 20 ins by Sunday morning.
1. Ed
2. Bid Dog
3. Dutchy
4. Local
5. Snipper
6. J Rod
7. Alex
8. Jay ©
9. Sizzle
10. Nimble
Pitch and Conditions:

Ramsden Street is a personal favourite and I was moved but unsurprised when it was renamed Revsden by the local council in recognition of my sporting achievements there.

Its looking like a cool morning with a top of 22, so it should be rather pleasant out there.

Stats and Trivia:
- This will be J Rods 50^th appearance for The Quokkas and 38^th YPCA match. Well done mate, its always a pleasure to hear how happy your family are when you leave the house
- On milestones, this will be Jays 40^th total appearance for The Quokkas. The TFB has been a near-constant in his years with the club and certainly makes it a richer place
- Alex is on 470 career runs, averaging 39.17 for his career and 65 for this season. Statistically he should get to 500 Sunday if given the chance.
- Local is on 449 career runs, so just needs the one to get to 450. Interestingly, he has conceded 446 career runs, so has one of the best runs for:against ratios in the team
- Special is on 87 career runs, only needing 13 to make it to his ton. Well done that man, he’s got there in 7 innings, it took me about 7 years.
Resplendent Quokkas
03Dec

Post Match Report: Quokkas v The Royston Hotel

Post Match Report, Royston Hotel No Comments

From Captain Local…

Pub league games at Fairfield oval on a pleasantly warm day in late November are placed squarely in the column marked ‘good’ on life’s ledger.

When they’re played against a team like the Royston and with such Quokkas at a captains disposal as we had on this day, the entry edges over to ‘excellent’.

Another good day

That’s not to say we won the game. Captain Local does not break his duck that easily. But a good game – a bloody good game – was had, and the Royston were deserved winners.

Bowling first, the Quokkas brought the heat to bear in support of an audaciously conventional field set by Local (conventional in the normal cricketing sense. In the pub cricket sense it was optimistically heavy on off-side fielders and conspicuously light on legside boundary riders. Luckily Dutchy was there to point this out several times).

Our bowlers were up to it however, and the Royston found boundaries hard to come by throughout the period before drinks. They still clicked along at 7 or 8 an over, but they had to run for it. They retired a couple of batsmen and both Alex and Jay took the first of their wickets.

After the break, the Quokkas turned the screws, ripping through the middle order. Alex and Jay did the bulk of the damage, not just bowling but also catching off the other’s bowling in an outrageously courteous display. The runs kept coming though, and as the fielders tired, mistakes crept in.

Speaking of courteous displays

We hung on against some huge hitting in the last few overs – and some injudicious use of our greatest bowling weapon, Big Dog, by Captain Local – but while the Royston ended up posting a big score (219), to the Quokkas credit we bowled them all out, including their returned retirees. Jay finished with 3/7 off his three overs, which is not a bad return in any form of cricket, let alone one only slightly less batter-friendly than playing on the beach.

The last wicket of the day featured an all-time classic Quokka catch from Sizzle, running along the forward square leg boundary to take an unbelievable one-hander right on the rope. MAGNIFICENT. It was exactly what we needed to send us in to the sheds in a positive mood.

After an excellent bbq laid on by the Royston, our openers Ed and Special suited up to begin the chase. Showing off his full range of shots, Ed began effortlessly harvesting singles down to backward point, having survived a scare on the second ball of the innings when he was dropped at third man (this would set the tone for the Royston fielding all afternoon). Special offered support and elegant stroke play as the pair took us towards drinks and our total.

After Ed retired and Special departed for 23, Jay, J-Rod and Sizzle all swung the bat, each making valuable contributions, but at this stage the run rate had started to climb. Dutchy and Radar then came together and lifted the Quokkas back into contention, each composing their own style of 30 in quick time.

Alex came and went, the victim of an unfortunate run out but doing the right thing and trying to keep the score moving, before Nimble and Local came out for the eighth wicket partnership. Nimble was damaging square of the wicket and the pair ran hard, benefiting from both dropped catches and some wayward throwing.

The last over began needing an unlikely 24 off of it, but Local got lucky and sent the first ball over the backward square leg boundary. Hope, that cruel flower, began to bloom in Quokka hearts.

Alas, the Roys held their line and neither Local or Nimble could find anything more than ones and twos for the remainder of the over, coming up shy of the total by just 11 runs.

Despite the loss, it was an excellent performance from the Quokkas against very high quality opposition, and a lot of credit has to go to the Royston for their win. Their big hitting in the final overs of the first innings was always going to be hard to overcome, but their hospitality after the game made losing very easy to endure.

Speaking of easy to endure

Congratulations to all the team from the day for the effort, especially Ed, Dutchy and Radar with the bat and Alex and Jay
(and Sizzle!) in the field.
02Dec

Quokkas CC def The Clyde Hotel

Clyde Hotel, Post Match Report No Comments

From Captain (Mr) Ed…

16 Degrees and 90% chance of rain – perfect for cricket. We bowled first and the Clyde unwittingly inspired us to perform to the levels of our Sensai by cranking out Rocketman as the first song on their jukebox. This did indeed lead to greatness with wickets falling in regular intervals to the Dog, Snipper, Alex, Dutchy and Sizzle. Some guy pretending to be JRod took 3/3 and took 2 catches. I repeat to 2 catches. In a great and inspiring captaincy move, I ignored Ray Jayners advice and had a second slip for the entire game – 2 catches taken and probably 6 votes to the captain. Clyde bowled out for 140 in 22 overs.

Google has opinions on this

The Quokkas came out and, to be honest, did it easy; winning in the 19^th over for the loss of 1 wicket (the real JRod). The Clydes bowlers had no answers for the big hits and dashing cover drives from Snipper (32 off 18), Alex (30 of 17) and Rofan (30 off 18) or the Doggedness of the Dog 27NO with Special hitting the winning runs with 6 overs to spare for a 9 wicket win.

Quokkas Cricket Club

Categories

Archives

Post Match Report: Quokkas CC def The Rainbow Hotel

Match Preview: Quokkas v The Rainbow Hotel

Post Match Report: Quokkas v The Royston Hotel

Quokkas CC def The Clyde Hotel

Recent Posts

Recent Comments