The SquizLog

Cawsey Shield Premiers

It was a devastating spell of bowling that was the decisive factor in today's Cawsey Shield Grand Final. (For the uninitiated, the Cawsey Shield is the Under 12 representative competition within the New South Wales Districts Cricket Association.)

When young Brad Salmon came on to bowl first change South Eastern were 1 for 20 and their number 3 batsman, Winder, was scoring freely and looking dangerous. Winder scored a single from Salmon's first ball. Winder's batting partner Wright then survived two balls before Salmon struck, clean bowling him with a ball that swung in late. Next ball Salmon snared another wicket when the left hander McKenzie foolishly played across the line and spooned a catch to Josh McGowan who held it well at backward square leg. After his first over Salmon had 2 for 3.

At the other end Alex Pitty bowled a maiden first up, keeping Winder quiet. Then Salmon bowled five dot balls to the new batsmen, Nabarro, who managed a single off the last ball. Pitty followed with another maiden over, this time to Nabarro.

So by the time Winder faced up to the first ball of Salmon's third over, he had scored only one run from the previous four overs and in that time seen two of his team-mates depart. Salmon ran in to bowl. Looking to reassert his dominance, Winder drove the ball forcefully back at Salmon. Unfortunately for Winder he played the ball in the air and Salmon took a very sharp return catch. The danger man had gone.

To put the icing on the cake, Salmon then clean-bowled Darcy Matthews (son of Mo) in his next over to finish with the figures of 4 for 5 from four overs. At the end of Salmon's spell, South Eastern had slumped to be 5 for 25. They never recovered.

Central Coast 4 for 73 (J Hayward 24 not out) beat South Eastern 68 (B Salmon 4/5, C Soper 2/13, D Tonkin 2/14)

Update: the success was written up in our local paper, the Central Coast Express Advocate, on Wednesday 11th February.

Posted to Cricket, Personal by Keith Pitty