The St Patrick’s College First XI rise from 5-24 to march to within the brink of an AIC premiership
The St Patrick’s Day march may have been cancelled, but the spirit of the fighting Irish was alive and well as the St Patrick’s College First XI stormed to within one match of an extraordinary AIC cricket premiership this afternoon.
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The St Patrick’s Day march may have been cancelled, but the spirit of the fighting Irish was alive and well as the St Patrick’s College First XI stormed to within one match of an extraordinary AIC cricket premiership this afternoon.
Ben Clarke, Bailey Reed, Lachlan Hughesman and Ben Buechler were the batting heroes as St Pat’s climbed off the canvas to recover from 5-24 to reel in the 9-142 set by Villanova College in the top of the table clash.
“We found another way to win again. From 5-24 we had no right to win that game,’’ said St Pat’s coach Vic Williams.
“But the partnership between Hughesman and Buechler is the one which got us back into the game. Then Ben Clarke and Bailey Reed finished it off nicely.’’
The AIC premiership is now dangling in front of St Pat’s entering next week’s final round when they play away to St Peters Lutheran College. St Patrick’s remain unbeaten.
St Patrick’s cannot be beaten for the title, but they can tie if they are defeated.
In a gripping climax, Clarke and Reed carried on the grand work done earlier in the innings by Hughesman (45) and Buechler (15) who had come together with the innings in tatters.
Reed hit the winnings runs as the pair added an unlikely 42 runs to present coach Williams and his team with a three wicket win.
St Pat’s did it the hard way after the Villanova bowling attack reared up like a prodded cobra against the St Patrick’s top order.
Set 143 to win, St Patrick’s were seemingly out of the contest at 5-24.
But you could not knock St Pat’s over with an elephant gun as Hughesman and Buechler battled on.
Villanova paceman Joshua Smith (2-18) captured the vital wicket of a set Hughesman in his second spell, but even then Clarke refused to leave Buechler’s side as the pair inched together a 16 run stand.
Then came the Clarke-Reed stand which snatched victory from the grasp of Villa.
Despite restricting Villanova to 9-142 earlier in the day, the St Pat’s players would have lunched uneasily during the innings break knowing the pressure the Villa attack would be placing on them.
With teammates egging them on, Dale D’souza, Smith, Aiden Lee and Javen D’souza hunted as a pack as St Pat’s crept to 5-42 from the first 18 overs.
Dale D’souza claimed the big wicket of inform Charles Moore and then another while representative fast bowler Smith roared away at the other end.
Adding to St Pat’s tension – and Villa’s heightened enthusiasm – was the run out of Sasha Rees who was victim of the Henderson-Godwin combination.
Then Hughesman then went about trying to reinforce the St Patrick’s innings with all-rounder Buechler, with the pair hanging tough to give St Patrick’s a fighting chance.
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In the first session on the blinding green grass of Andrew Slack Oval, Paddies’ paceman Buechler was outstanding for St Patrick’s in his opening bowling spell while Moore (3-16) and Jack Davey (2-16) were miserly with the ball.
Williams said that pair were outstanding and responsible for getting his side back into the contest with the ball.
St Pat’s were on their toes early when Bailey Reed bowled Henry Holt in the second over after delivering a wide the delivery before he struck.
Holt’s opening batting partner, the tall Javen D’souza, was of a positive mindset and one sensed he was eager to put his long stride to good use and get at the St Patrick’s bowlers.
He attempted a pull the first ball he faced and then lofted a drive which lobbed between the fielders off Buechler.
He was able to break the shackles against Buechler with a lofted cover drive for six, and pushed on to top score with 25.
Buechler was on song with the new ball, beating the batsmen on five occasions in his first five overs.
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Reed, with a smattering of zinc across his nose and under his eyes, was a nice support act at the other end despite a couple of wides.
Villa batsmen D’souza and Blake Muller (24) were confronted by a ring field and scoring was not easy.
Reed induced a leaning edge against D’souza, but the chance was missed and D’souza and Muller went on to add 42.
In a close game, Dale D’souza’s 18 and Smith 14 late in the innings took Villa out of the 120s and into the 140s.
At Runcorn, Oliver Lunt (41) and Sam Gorman (43) led the way to St Laurence’s making 7-173 from just 35 overs against St Peters Lutheran College, and then Gorman starred with the ball later in the day as Saints reached 9-155.
After the inform Ben Murdoch had reduced Lauries to 2-3, Lunt and Gorman added 73 before Gorman was dismissed by Eashan Nakar after a fluent stay at the crease.
Connor McNeven (18, run out) and Nicholas Parrott (33) maintained the rage, with Parrott garnishing an innings which had a delayed start due to a wet outfield.
New ball bowler Murdoch (4-41) has been an enforcer for St Peters all year but it was Naker (1-24) who took the bowling honours.
When St Peters batted, Hugo Mitchell (24) and Tom Smith (22) took off after the total like they did not have a worry in the world.
They added an enterprising 46 in the first 10 overs before Gorman trapped Mitchell LBW.
Gorman then went on to claimed the first three wickets to fall.
At Banyo, Marist College Ashgrove’s allrounder Tom Philp scored an unbeaten 77 as Ashgrove rose to beat Padua College by four wickets.
Ned Paddison (30) top scored as Padua College (178, 45 overs) challenged Marist College Ashgrove.
Paddison, who looks the part, was supported by all-rounder George Kelsall (28) in an even batting performance that ensured a busy day for the Ashgrove top order.
All Padua batsmen reached double figures against an attack spearheaded by Jacob Kumaru and Philp.
Padua went hard at the Ash bowlers, with Dan Matheson’s late 21 not out threatening to take his team a bridge too far for the Ashgrove batsmen.
When Ashgrove batted, Matheson then made inroads with two early wickets and Padua were in the box seat.
But Nathan Harding and Philp swung fortunes around to elevate Ashgrove to 2-102 after 27, leaving them to come home with 76 in the final 18 overs.
However, Duncan’s run out of Harding and then Joe Cotgreave dismissal of Mills reduced Ashgrove to 4-115 and Padua had the upper hand again.
Padua were not counting on Philp who carried his team home for a four wicket win.
At the Tivoli Fields, St Edmunds’ Kobe Rae (57) shone brightly through his team’s innings of 146 against Iona.
Rae was helped by Dylan McAteer (21) and Geol George (27) whose tailend contribution with Caleb McDonald almost carried St Edmund’s to 150.
Best bowlers for Iona were Thomas Biggs (1-21), Archer Linning (2-24), Mitchell Yarrow (1-26) and Daniel Linning (2-22), while Luke Furjes took 3-44.
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