Frank Piper the batting hero; AIC First XI takes off after Rd 1
Frank Piper was a batting hero as Marist College Ashgrove claimed a last over victory over Villanova during a whirlwind start to the AIC First XI cricket competition.
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Frank Piper was a batting hero as Marist College Ashgrove claimed a last over victory over Villanova during a whirlwind start to the AIC First XI cricket competition.
In round 1 action, St Patrick’s College beat Padua during a run feast, Iona College claimed a rain shortened win against St Laurence’s while St Peters also pipped St Edmunds.
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In Ashgrove, pening batsmen Frank Piper returned to the crease after retiring hurt 31 runs into a brilliant innings, to hit the winning runs for his side.
With three required off the last ball, Piper pierced a gap between mid-off and cover with a magnificent stroke and ran courageously between the wickets to seal the win.
Earlier, an heroic partnership by Connor Moloney and Finn Thallon helped Villanova resurrect the visitors after a slow start where at one stage they looked in trouble at 5-66.
The pair of them garnished the season opener, finding the beautiful picket fences of McMann Oval on numerous occasions during their 73 run stand.
Tom Davies, Sam Wilcox and Louis Morris took wickets early to go along with fielding brilliance by Tom Wex, who undid Villa’s Tristan Bailey.
But Moloney put his head down and got to work, tallying 41 off 72. All the while, Thallon was building himself an innings.
Eventually the partnership was broken by Morris, who was on a hat trick after clean bowling Moloney and dismissing Henrik Frederiksen with an LBW.
That proved to be a bad idea as Fallon hit another gear. He rocketed from 28 to 44 in no time, smacking two gorgeous sixes over the cow corner fieldsmen and a four with a crisp flick of the gloves, sending the ball on its way to the fine leg boundary.
Seeing them like watermelons he belted yet another six straight after bringing up his half century.
At the other end was Zac Joyce who was feeding off this run scoring Friendzee. With a couple classy flicks off the pads and boundaries of his own, the No.9 batsmen put together a timely cameo of 25.
Fifty-nine runs later the danger man finally dismissed. Tom Davies was the man to do it before earning the scalp of Larry Clark.
In the end the visitors posted a formidable 9-197, tasking Ashgrove with a difficult run chase after an extra long innings break.
Because of the rain, Ashgrove needed 161 runs off 34 overs.
In the run chase, Frank Piper dazzled with an unbeaten 31 before retiring hurt. In his time at the crease he looked in great touch. A wonderful cover drive for four and pull shot six just a couple highlights from the 48 balls he faced.
His opening partner Tom Wex also helped Ashgrove get off to a semi-comfortable start with a patient 16 off 34.
The tireless Frederikson was rewarded for his gruelling six over spell in the muggy heat when getting rid of Wex. It was just what the team needed after the ball prior, a fantastic direct hit by Joyce in the field was ruled not out.
Only four runs later, wicket keeper batsman William Nickelson was undone by the first ball of Connor Moloneys spell. Expert fieldsmen Joyce had no issues snapping up the miss timed pull shot.
The ship was steadied in style by Ben Ferguson and James Brandon who combined for five fours and a six as Ashgrove charged towards the total.
Once again it was leg spinner Joyce who was in the mix, picking up the important wicket of Brandon who mustered 22 off just 27.
Ashgrove kept chipping away, seemingly looking to have it all under control. They were running out of time and right arm off spinner Larry Clark found just the spot on the pitch to bowl Harry Marshall out for 17 and break the 33 run partnership.
In the drama their was confusion between the wickets which saw a composed Ferguson, who was 38 off 44, run out - leaving two new batters at the crease at 5-143.
Tom Davies came in, smacked a four and then left, making the equation 11 needed off 12 balls. Then it was eight off the last after Moloney bowled Sam Lewis, but Ashgrove scrambled to victory.
At Banyo, St Patrick’s College run machine Steve Hogan scored 72 as the AIC First XI cricket season started with an intriguing derby clash.
Padua College did well chasing St Patrick’s massive 8-287, but faced with revised target due to rain, Padua came to rest at 7-247 and as a result Paddies won.
It was a stunning day for batting, with Ryan Jessop’s dismissal of Padua batting battleship Will Tozer (44, 32 balls) tilting the game St Patrick’s way. Even then Padua pushed on and on, well beyond 200 and toward 250 chasing an unlikely win.
Captain Braithyn Pecic (55), Pacey Broadhurst (27), Jett Barker (24), Will Webster (23) and Tozer all contributed before Cameron Plackett and Nathan Black continued the sprint toward the winners post.
Earlier Hogan, the Paddies right hander, amassed his 1656th run this season across Lord Taverner’s under 16 club cricket, senior grade cricket and now today’s match. His average is 51.75.
All this from a Year 10 student who announced his arrival to the broader cricket community last season by making a First XI century - despite being in grade 9.
Hogan’s 72 (71 balls) was part of a thrilling day of batting at Banyo as his Paddies’ outfit scored 8-287.
Padua were no shrinking violets in reply during the Battle of the Northside, but it was a mammoth task and St Patrick’s finished deserved winners.
Hogan was no one man band as opener James Weedon (53, 61 balls), Austin Tsingos (59, 84 balls) and Mitchell Hartshorn (26, 22 balls) kept things ticking over all morning.
Padua medium pacer Will Tozer and Ryan Newbold kept plugging away, while young leg spinner Issac Nixon had his moments, but the day belonged to Hogan and co.
Padua captain Braithyn Pecic had a busy day - he opened the bowling, then put on the wicket keeper pads before later scoring a half century.
At Runcorn, Iona College claimed a close victory over St Laurence’s College after rain interrupted play.
Iona had made 5-185 batting first, and when Laurie’s target was revised, it left the home side needing 145 to win from 32 overs. St Laurence’s were bold in their chase, but finished short - making 8-123.
Mackenzie Douglas (33 off 28 balls) had given St Laurence’s a sniff of victory after all rounder Xavier Santos (23) and Aiden Mohr (22) had contributed.
But the bowling of Iona’s Archer Anderson (0-14, 7 overs) and Adam Richter (1-14) pinned St Laurence early in their innings.
It was a great start to the season for Iona batting trump Zayne Thomas (66) who batted for well over two hours, much of it with Liam Johns (46).
But after their initial success, Laurie’sworked their way into the match.
Ben Stallman (3-28) and Aiden Mohr (0-25) were bowling aces, with Stallman halting Iona’s advance with wickets, and Mohr with his tight bowling.
This was after St Laurence’s ace Xavier Santos had held up his end of the bargain when he took the new ball, making sure Iona did not get a runaway start.
On Mayer Oval, St Peter’s right arm leg spinner Matt Harvie shone with ball in hand, collecting three wickets with his masterful ability to change his speed to confuse the batsmen. Behind him was medium paceman Luke Dyer,leg spinner Jack Webb and quick Noah Johnson who all took two-a-piece to skittle Eddie’s’ for just 79.Right arm paceman Seb Sinnott took wicket number one for St Peters in season 2023 and it came on the back of immense pressure. From the start, runs were hard to come by, and with the slow outfield it never got easier. Indeed it took no time at all for the right arm Dyer to stamp his prints on the match, coming into the attack after drinks and dismissing Ben Naish. And boy was it a crucial wicket, as he was just starting to get going. In fact, his demise came off a sweet shot out the bats’ middle, mid-on fielder Harvie gobbling it up with no trouble. Dyer could have had his second three balls later had the umpire raised his finger for an awfully close LBW appeal.
Ashish Neredimulli applied plenty of pressure from the opposite end, charging in and bowling surprisingly quick out swingers. He isn’t the tallest, but he makes up for it with his momentum through the crease. Countless times he beat the bat, giving wicket keeper and the cordon great entertainment. At this time, runs were hard to come by for the boys from Ipswich. Then, Harvie was given a chance and on the last ball of his first over a spectacular delivery sent Pat Albion back to the sheds after a faint outside edge was handled expertly by wicket keeper. St Peters had their rivals on the ropes with opener Cooper Read still fighting at the crease. Leg spin struck again for St Peters once more but this time it was through Webb, another impressive young spinner in the Saints stacked bowling line up. It was a loopy one on the money from Webb which weaved its way through the defences of opening batsmen Naish, who’s bails went flying when facing his 74th delivery.
Webb went bang bang, tossing another one up for newcomer Fletcher Brown. Dyer made no mistake catching the red at deep cover and executing more posts drinks break dominance by the home side. The wickets kept tumbling, and of course it was another one of St Peter’s hidden bowling weapons in Johnson who with the safe hands of Sinnott, dismissed Ryder Rundell after he had just belted a boundary in the over prior. Johnson made it 7-60 moments later when securing the wicket of Ethan Ketelhohn with an LBW.After a short break due to the wet weather, the boys were back on. But, it didn’t take long for Dyer and Harvie to clean up the bottom order, to have their opposition all out for 79. In the end, Webb, Johnson and Dyer took two wickets while Harvie secured three, all at a very economical rate. High praise to the eight St Peters bowlers who although weren’t awarded with a win due to the second innings being rained out, played extraordinarily to keep Eddies’ on the back foot the entire game.
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