KFC Team of the Week – CRCA #10

Find out below who made the CRCA Best XI from the two Premier League, three 2nd Grade, two 3rd Grade and one Twenty20 match played last week.

Every week throughout season 2020-21, The Daily Examiner will name a Team of the Week who will go into a poll to be named KFC Player of the Week and win a $10 KFC voucher.

AFTER a week dominated by the batsmen, this time it was the bowlers who held the upper hand in Clarence River Cricket.

While Coutts Crossing's Noel O'Connell scored 104 not out, teammate Bill North (63) was the only player to raise the bat for a half-century across all eight matches played last week, compared to ten players the week prior.

In case you missed it:
KFC Team of the Week - CRCA #9

Find out below who made the Best XI from the two Premier League, three 2nd Grade and two 3rd Grade matches played on January 23 and the Cleavers Mechanical Night Cricket matches played on January 20.

Find out who is the 10th KFC Player of the Week for this season on The Daily Examiner website tomorrow (Saturday). Meanwhile, voting in our subscriber exclusive poll for the KFC Player of the Week will resume next week.

1. Matthew Lucas (Brothers) - 3rd Grade: 38 retired

Lucas took advantage of being elevated to the top of the order to become the eighth batsman from Brothers Jimmy Watters Painting/Hello Travelworld to retire on 35 this season.

Brothers escaped with a six-run win over GDSC Easts JDs Take Away at JJ Lawrence Synthetic last Saturday to maintain their place at the top of the table after 12 rounds.

Lucas was complemented by captain Daniel Moar (22) and Ben Walters (20) before Troy McLaren (16*) and Billy Nelson (11*) took the total to 5 for 134 off 30 overs. Bevan Blackadder (0/8 off 5) and Riley Wondergem (1/12 off 5) both proved difficult to get away while Jon Green (3/25 off 4) notched his second three-wicket haul in as many weeks.

In reply Brendan Palmer retired 36 for Easts and Wondergem scored 31, but Brothers bowled tight lines to restrict Easts to 8 for 128, with McLaren (2/16 off 5) and Will Lucas (1/10 off 5) the pick of the bowlers.

2. Jimmy Watters (Easts) - 2nd Grade: 2/24 (8), 39 runs

The fourth time this season the GDSC Easts Valley Finance, this time with a rare win to celebrate - just the side's second of the season.

After Easts' opening bowlers softened up the opposition batsmen, Watters chimed in with his off spinners to take 2 for 24 off 8 overs as Westlawn MI Organics managed a total of just 85 runs with Adam Cotton (30 off 55) top scoring.

Watters then top scored with 39 off just 25 balls as Easts reached the target for the loss of five wickets in just 13 overs.

3. Noel O'Connell (Coutts Crossing) - 2nd Grade: 104 not out

The in-form batsman across all competitions, O'Connell had recorded scores of 50, 54, 10* and 69 in his previous four 2nd Grade innings and a 40 retired for Clarence River Over-40s leading into last Saturday's 2nd Grade match against South Services at JJ Lawrence Turf.

As correctly predicted by former teammate and former DEX sports editor Matthew "Moose" Elkerton on the club's Facebook page, O'Connell stepped it up another level to score his first hundred since 2007.

"Backing N O'Connell for a big one, heard he's been seeing 'em like beach balls," Elkerton posted on the team list prior to the match.

Finding himself out in the middle in the first over, the Coutts Crossing Grafton Hotel No.3 was soon joined by Bill North (63) at 2 for 11, and proceeded to put on 128 runs for the third wicket. Josh Harris (16) and Matt McKee (11) kept providing support for O'Connell to reach his milestone, not before being dropped by Jack Blanch at long off on 98, as the team posted 5 for 212.

Linden Harris (1/30 off 8) was the best of Souths' bowlers.

In response brothers Jack Kelleher (38) and Linden Harris (30) put in a decent fight, but regular wickets including 3/32 off 5 for Andrew White and three catches for infielder Lewis Chevalley before skipper Matt McKee (4/14 off 3.5) cleaned the tail meant Souths fell 81 runs short to be all out for 131 in the 25th over.

4. Bill North (Coutts Crossing) - 2nd Grade: 63 runs

For the second time this season North combined with Coutts Crossing Grafton Hotel teammate Noel O'Connell (104*) to both past fifty in a partnership against South Services.

Running between the wickets was a feature of the pair's 128-run partnership in 24 overs. Both North and O'Connell - who is usually a prolific boundary hitter square of the wicket - only struck four boundaries each in their respective innings, and a total of 10 for the team, as a slow wicket and outfield made the batsmen have to earn every run.

5. Al Green (Coutts Crossing) - 3rd Grade: 2/11 (5), 35 retired

Coutts Crossing's 3rd Grade side took its winning run to six in a row with a five-wicket win over B&S Kitchens Tucabia Copmanhurst.

Tucabia would have been happy with their total of 5 for 148, with valuable contributions from Greg Niland (37ret), Alex Bertus (35ret) and Kyle Denhert (32) before some late hitting from Nick Fuller (16), but may have felt it was about 10 runs short thanks to Al Green's superb spell of 2 for 11 off 5 overs.

Green then top scored with 35 retired, including a 54-run 3rd wicket partnership with opener Mal Tilse (33), before Lance Chevalley (31*) guided the Coutts tail past the required target.

6. Chris Chamberlain (Easts) - 2nd Grade: 47 runs

A week after knocking over second-placed Coutts Crossing, GDSC Easts Poplar Sheds stamped their mark on the 2nd Grade competition with a 36-run victory over competition leaders Sunline Fencing Tucabia Copmanhurst at McKittrick Park, with the win sliding them into third spot.

Middle order batsman Chris Chamberlain (47 off 55) led the charge as Easts posted 135. Tucabia brothers Jesse Powell (3/19 off 6.4) and Ethan Powell (3/23 off 8) helped ensure the total wasn't higher, with Easts all out in the 37th over.

7. Chris Brophy (Easts-Westlawn) - Premier League: 44 not out

Brophy pulled a man of the match performance for the third match in a row, and guiding GDSC Easts-Westlawn Crown Hotel to its third GDSC Premier League win in a row in the process.

Coming in at No.7 with the score at 5 for 64 at Ellem Oval, Brophy's 44 not out, which included a 63-run 6th wicket partnership with Ethan Munro (18) ensured Easts-Westlawn a competitive total of 141 off 38 overs. South Services opening bowler Matt Dalton (3 for 20 off 7) continued his impressive season with the ball, while Chris Cleaver took 2 for 17 off 8.

In reply Souths were well on track with representative duo Dylan Cleaver (35) and Joey Pigg (21) putting on 62 for the 2nd wicket. But with just 25 runs required at about three runs per over, Souths collapsed in a heap, losing five wickets with no addition to the final score of 117.

8. Ben Shipman (Easts-Westlawn) - Premier League: 5/32 off 8

The main catalyst for South Services' disastrous collapse at Ellem Oval was Ben Shipman, the brisk right arm seamer taking 5 for 32 off his 8 overs.

At the other end, Ethan Munro continued to impress since being promoted to the Premier League side from Westlawn's 2nd Grade side, taking 3 for 7 off 4 overs.

9. Aaron McFadyen (Easts) - 2nd Grade: 25 runs and 4/13 off 5.2

Rated by some as the fastest bowler in the 2nd Grade competition, the GDSC Easts Poplar Sheds quick added to his six-wicket haul against Coutts Crossing the week prior to take four more against Sunline Fencing Tucabia Copmanhurst.

Despite 28 off 48 for opener Justin Blanch, Tucabia's run chase of Easts total of 135 didn't go to plan for Tucabia, as McFadyen and his brother Josh McFadyen (4/10 off 6) combined to take eight wickets between them for the second week in a row.

McFadyen took the last three wickets with an lbw and two bowled to finish with 4 for 13 off 5.2 including three maidens and Tucabia all out for 99 in the 34th over to deliver Easts a 36-run victory and all the momentum with six rounds remaining in the competition.

10. Andy Kinnane (Brothers) - Premier League: 5 for 37 off 8

The representative off spinner has been named in the Team of the Week for the third time, despite being in a losing side of a GDSC Premier League top of the table clash.

All five wickets in Kinnane's spell of 5 for 37 off 8 were top six batsmen, stemming the momentum after Derek Woods (21 off 95) and Matt Dougherty (31 off 44) had put on a 52-run opening stand at Ulmarra Showground.

Jaye Yardy (26 off 34), Matt Pigg (29 off 21) and Andy Ellis (22 off 16) also made starts, but the spin of Kinnane and Kallen Lawrence (2 for 38 off 8) ensured no one was able to go on and make that big score, as Tucabia posted 9 for 162.

It set up a potentially mouth-watering run chase, however the opening spell between Brad Chard (3/12 off 7) and Taine Riley (2 for 7 off 4) quickly diffused any hope Brothers Clocktower Hotel had of victory.

Lawrence (0 off 13), Eli Fahey (4 off 13), Jamie Firth (0 off 5) and Ben Jurd (0 off 5) were all removed cheaply to be left at 4 for 17.

Jordan Newman (24 off 36) and Sean Walters (19 off 43) attempted to resurrect the innings with a 45-run 6th wicket partnership. But then Ellis (3/21 off 5.4) came to the party before Chard returned to clean up the tail.

11. Michael Cooper (Easts) - 2nd Grade: 4/13 off 8

The man of the match for GDSC Easts Valley Finance was Michael Cooper, who set the tone for the day from ball one.

The opening bowler took 4 for 13 off his 8 overs including 3 maidens.

NIGHT CRICKET

Meanwhile, there were no notable standouts worthy of Team of the Week selection in the Cleavers Mechanical Twenty20 Night Cricket round 13 clash between Lawrence and Northern Districts at McKittrick Park on Wednesday, January 20.

Lawrence were cheering on Andrew Davison as he top scored with 32 off 44, sharing a 37-run 3rd wicket stand with Adam Bancroft (20 off 24) as Lawrence made 91 off 19.4 overs.

The class of Northern Districts' attack was on show, restricting Lawrence to just four and a half runs per over, with six bowlers taking wickets including Craig Dickinson (2/15 off 4).

Northern Districts then chased down the total for the loss of just four wickets.

The round 12 clash between TLE Tucabia Copmanhurst and South Services on Monday, January 18 was washed out.

SO FAR THIS SEASON...

• KFC Team of the Week - CRCA #1

• KFC PLAYER OF THE WEEK #1: Jake Kroehnert 105

• KFC Team of the Week - CRCA #2

• KFC PLAYER OF THE WEEK #2: Beau Sevil 105*

• KFC Team of the Week - CRCA #3

• KFC PLAYER OF THE WEEK #3: Craig Paul match-winner

• KFC Team of the Week - CRCA #4

• KFC PLAYER OF THE WEEK #4: Billy Blanch leads the way

• KFC Team of the Week - CRCA #5

• KFC PLAYER OF THE WEEK #5: Andrew Ellis 120

• KFC Team of the Week - CRCA #6

• KFC PLAYER OF THE WEEK #6: Nathan Blanch 4/30 (22)

• KFC Team of the Week - CRCA #7

• KFC PLAYER OF THE WEEK #7: Tim Bultitude earns call up

• KFC Team of the Week - CRCA #8

• KFC PLAYER OF THE WEEK #8: Simpson sets the standard

• KFC Team of the Week - CRCA #9

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