SA Churches and Community Cricket Association 2010/11

[auto]

Hey Auto, Happy New Year buddy!

This one's for you mate!

Bet ya he keeps that foto is his wallet

[Gunnerson]

Hey Auto, Happy New Year buddy!

This one's for you mate!

Bet ya he keeps that foto is his wallet

I bet GH doesnt reply to you with spelling like that He would be to good for the likes of you.

[Gunnerson]

Knobhead hey? Yes you are mature

[Goat Herder]

You provide the evidence, I'm just calling it how I see it...

And Auto, just to prove I didn't just pad The Pidge up for a photo stunt, here's some rather amusing proof that he made it out to the middle. Looks like Libba going out to bat with Spider Burton.. Video footage of his (2 ball comical) innings to make it's way onto Youtube in the very near future..

[Goat Herder]

Nice looking shirt but is there much point having a design on the shirt if it's tucked in to the pants?

Maybe, maybe not..? Some guys tucked them in, some didn't (as per pic). I can assure you that the SA playing & dress tops were the most hotly-wanted items amongst opposing states after the tournament finished for those players wanting to swap shirts.

Just as a side note, the SA team finished in 3rd place at the end of the Championships, and as mentioned, a few key moments cost us 2 wins, which also damaged our chances of being in contention to win it. But that's cricket, and with the average player age a tick over 25yo, with several 20-21yo's, 1x 17yo, those lads learnt as much in 5 days as they would in a season and a half of Div 1 cricket, and that is far more important than the end result.

Here's Pidgey's first ball, clearing the front leg for the slog sweep..

[Goat Herder]

You can't really see it in this pic (Borgas & Roling bonding closely, as you can see.. ), but on Day One there was torrential rain, so the players headed out to cover up the pitch. For the record, Day One's match vs Southern Districts was played on hard wicket due to monsoonal rain on Boxing Day Eve (pitches not covered) and downpours on the morning of the 27th.

[Goat Herder]

This is more what the rain was like - the Queensland boys covering their pitch on Day One..

[Goat Herder]

Here's Tarcs losing his off stump to a skidder on Day One vs Southerns, once we finally got underway..

[Goat Herder]

The highlight of Day One was a 100 run partnership between Ash (54) & Smithy (47). Here's Ash digging one out.

[Goat Herder]

And here's the All-Australian vice-captain, J.Smith, in full flight and cracking a cover drive to the fence..

[Goat Herder]

A personal highlight of the week away for me on Day Two was having the privelege & honour of meeting former Australian Test captain & batsman of the 60's, Brian Booth. Not only did I have the privelege of meeting the man, but he was kind enough to spend the best part of an hour & a half talking about the state of the game, and recollecting feats of current & past players & results. As a self-confessed, obsessive student of the history of the game, it is something I will cherish forever and never forget. A nicer man you could never wish to meet. Truly an honour.

[Goat Herder]

Out in the middle though, Western Suburbs had won the toss and sent us in on a juicy deck. Hoddo defied the conditions though, driving, pulling and slapping his way to compiling a classy 82 against a quality attack. Smithy figured in his 2nd 100 partnership in 2 days, at first grafting, and then flourishing on his way to 50. The feat of both batsman was amplified by the fact that Pakistani first-class leg-spinner, and Player of the Championships & Joint Bowling Trophy winner, Fawad Ahmed, led the Western Suburbs attack and is probably the best leggie I've seen for a long, long time. Neither Hoddo or Smithy looked out of their depth, despite the conditions, and the classy Ahmed turning it square.

[Goat Herder]

Hoddo taking full advantage of a rare dragged down delivery from Ahmed..

Also, Day One's match was reduced to 38 overs per side and Day Two's late start reduced it from 50 to 40.

[Goat Herder]

After slows starts on Day One, One Ball Bandit and Fricky hit their straps early to break into the Western Suburbs top order, with both taking 2 early wickets each. Then 'Captain Braveheart' got hold of the ball and devastated their middle order, taking 5 wickets and helping to secure our first win for the week.

[Goat Herder]

Here, the boys get a bit pumped at a 'c Spry, b Holland' dismissal, with Pidge about to hurl the ball skyward. It was an important dismisal too, as the lad could bat and also made his way into the All Australian side at the end of the week..

PS; Notice the pure, uninhibited 'Borgasm' happening in the middle of the pic..

[Goat Herder]

Big Pidgey cops a Dutchy molestation..

[Goat Herder]

Every Carnival, SA & Western 'Burbs play for the Max Marten Trophy - in honour of a dearly departed former life member of our Assoication - and we were more than happy to take 'Ol' Maxy' back with us this time.

In a close call, Hoddo's 82 on a wet deck just shaded Dutchy's 'Michelle' for Player of The Match honours.

[Goat Herder]

Day Three vs the undefeated NSW B side saw the sun finally poke it's head out - and Dutchy finally won a toss!

This match was to become 'The Making of The Superbad', as Super' (65) & Smithy (85) posted a 129 run partnership for the 2nd wicket - the 3rd 100 run partnership that Smithy figured prominently in, 3 days in a row.

Here's Hoddo getting hold of one early on before he stepped aside to let the two lads mentioned above to take centre stage.

[Goat Herder]

Some important cameos from MacDonald (23), Roling (17) and Cossens (13) with wickets in hand towards the end, lifted our score to around the 220 mark.

Here's Smithy showing his class..

[Goat Herder]

Superbad cuts one to the backward point fence on his way to 65..