KFC Team of the Week - CRCA #9
Clarence River cricketers turned on plenty of outstanding performances in the first week back from the Christmas break. Find out who made the Best XI...
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AFTER a delayed restart to the Clarence River Cricket Association season due to wet weather, local cricketers turned on plenty of outstanding performances in the first week back from the Christmas break.
The batsmen in particular shone with 10 players reaching half century milestones and a further five reaching the retirement score of 35 in 3rd Grade. The batting dominance is reflected in the CRCA Team of the Week.
Find out who made the Best XI from the two Premier League, three 2nd Grade and two 3rd Grade matches played on January 16 and the two Cleaver Mechanical Night Cricket matches played on January 11 and 13.
1. Nick Wood (Coutts Crossing) - Twenty20: 63 not out
Wood batted with impeccable control to guide Coutts Crossing Inspirations Paint to an eight-wicket win over Westlawn in round 10 of the Cleavers Mechanical Twenty20 Night Cricket competition at McKittrick Park on January 11.
With the dot balls accumulating at the other end, including a Ben Shipman maiden in the 16th over, Wood maximised his opportunities when was on strike and regularly found the boundary.
Earlier Coutts had restricted Westlawn to 5 for 119, with Bill North stumping both Jackson Grieve (46) and Jacob Ellis (40) in the same Noel O'Connell (2/20 off 2) over towards the back end of the innings to help halt the momentum.
In the run chase Wood came to the crease at 1 for 25 and put on 80 runs with Pat Phillips (35) before seeing the team home with an over to spare.
Two nights later Brothers Elders Real Estate snuck past newcomers Northern Districts in their belated Twenty20 debut after their first two matches of the season were washed out.
Jordan Newman (3/16 off 3), Andy Kinnane (2/18 off4) and Sean Walters (2/17 off 4)) helped Brothers restrict Northern Districts to just 85 off 17 overs, before Jack Weatherstone (34) led the timely run chase, reaching the total for the loss of four wickets.
2. Alex Bertus (Tucabia) - 3rd Grade: 63 not out
Flying the flag for GDSC 3rd Grade, Bertus came back from retiring on 35 earlier in the afternoon to help bump B&S Kitchens Tucabia Copmanhurst's total to 202, along with teammate Tim Simpson (52)
However, competition leaders Brothers Jimmy Watters Painting/Hello Travelworld were equal to the task, and reached the hefty target in the 25th over thanks to contributions from Richard Hargans (38ret), Jesse Benfield (35ret) and Harley Johnson (39no).
The other match saw GDSC Easts JD's Take Away (9/119) triumph over Westlawn GJR Sheetmetal/Jones Mechanical (9/103), who fell 16 runs short after 30 overs despite an extraordinary cameo from captain Shaun Simpson (43* off 22 balls).
Jaiden Harrison (36*) top scored for Easts while Jon Green (3/10 off 3) had a good day out with the ball.
The highlight for Westlawn was the fact five members of the Amos family played, and between them contributed two wickets, four catches and three run outs in the field
3. Keaton Stutt (Tucabia) - 2nd Grade: 65 runs
Emerging as one of Clarence Valley's sporting talents of the future, the teenager single-handedly saved 2nd Grade competition leaders Sunline Fencing Tucabia Copmanhurst's blushes against bottom of the table GDSC Easts Valley Finance.
While Jeff Rainbow (4/24 off 4) ripped through the top order to have Tucabia reeling at 4 for 26, and then off spinner Jimmy Watters (4/19 off 8) carved through the middle order, No.3 batsman Stutt (65 off 107 balls) kept his cool, ultimately the last man out in the 38th over leaving Tucabia to defend 116.
Stutt put on 31 runs for the 8th wicket with Jesse Powell (10 off 30) and, impressively, a 29-run partnership for the last wicket with Craig Dehnert (7 off 11), which would ultimately prove decisive.
Easts fell 25 runs short in the chase, all out for 91 with Watters (34 off 47) top scoring, and Billy Blanch (3/10 off 7) the pick of the bowlers for Tucabia.
4. Josh McFadyen (Easts) - 2nd Grade: 3/19 off 7 overs, 80 not out, two catches
GDSC Easts Poplar Sheds were boosted by the inclusion of Josh McFadyen, whose brother and father play for the team.
The highly talented cricketer originally from the Murray Valley has been unavailable due to work commitments, but showed quality that would not be out of place in the Clarence River representative side as he guided his team to victory in the 2nd Grade clash against Coutts Crossing at Lower Fisher Turf.
Chasing Coutts Crossing's total of 169, McFadyen (80* off 80 balls) combined with Brandon Disson (50* off 45), who came to the crease with the game well and truly in the balance at 4/68, to lift the runrate and put on an unbeaten 101-run stand to reach the target in the 33rd over.
5. Noel O'Connell (Coutts Crossing) - 2nd Grade: 69 runs
The Coutts Crossing Inspirations Paint No.3 saw off a potent bowling attack to reach his third half-century in four innings in the side's six-wicket loss to GDSC Easts Poplar Sheds, including a 69-run partnership with debutant Andrew White (27 off 60).
6. Ryan Cotten (Westlawn) - 2nd Grade: 77 runs, 1/24 off 8
Cotten continued his good form for Westlawn MI Organics this season in what ultimately finished in a thrilling high-scoring tie against South Services.
Chasing 5 for 219, Westlawn was in deep trouble at 5 for 22, before No.3 Cotten was joined by Rhys Hebbard (90*) and the pair put 175 runs for the 6th wicket.
7. Rhys Hebbard (Westlawn) - 2nd Grade: 90 not out, 1 /25 of 8
After Souths skipper Billy Wynn (2/47 off 8) finally broke the shackles and hit Cotten's stumps, Hebbard kept the chase going to achieve his highest score of 90 not out, and scores level after 40 overs.
Casey Wear-Preston's economical spell (0/22 for 8) would ultimately prove valuable for Souths.
8. Billy Wynn (Souths) - 2nd Grade: 51 not out, 2/47 off 8 overs
In a breakout season with the bat, bowling all-rounder Billy Wynn scored his first half-century for South Services in the clash against Westlawn.
Most of the top order fired with Casey Wear-Preston (56 ret hurt), Jack Kelleher (36) and Brett Woods (47) helping to post a big total of 5 for 219 off 40 overs.
Ryan Cotten (1/24 off 8) and Rhys Hebbard (1/25 off 8) were the pick off the bowlers for Westlawn.
9. Jimmy Watters (Easts) - 2nd Grade: 4/19 (8), 34 runs
Despite his side languishing at the bottom of the 2nd Grade table, the GDSC Easts Valley Finance captain is leaping ahead in the Champion Player stats on the MyCricket website thanks to his consistent all-round performance, including 4 for 19 off 8 overs and 34 runs off 47 balls in a beaten side against Tucabia at Ulmarra Showground.
10. Chris Brophy (Easts-Westlawn) - Premier League: 5/14 off 8
The surprise packet of GDSC Premier League in recent rounds, the GDSC Easts-Westlawn Crown Hotel veteran spinner took 5 for 14 off 8 overs against Ulmarra Hotel Tucabia Copmanhurst, against whom he scored a similarly match-defining 44 the last time they met.
On this occasion Tucabia managed just 9 for 90 off their 40 overs at McKittrick Park, with Matt Pigg (22) top scoring and Derek Woods (18*) and Taine Riley (7*) adding 21 runs for the last wicket.
All of Brophy's scalps were batsmen in the top seven, while Ethan Munro (1/13 off 8) and captain Nathan Blanch (2/19 off 8), who bowled five maidens, were equally as miserly.
In response, Easts-Westlawn reached the target six wickets down with 11.1 overs in the bank, with Shannon Connor (27) and Ben Shipman (21*) top scoring.
Matt Pigg was unlucky not to be included in the Team of the Week for his all-round performance, after reaping returns of 4 for 20 off 8 overs with the ball.
11. Aaron McFadyen (Easts) - 2nd Grade: 6/27 off 7.3 overs
A talented all-rounder who has had an excellent season with bat and ball for GDSC Easts Poplar Sheds, McFadyen caused all sorts of problems for Coutts Crossing in the 2nd Grade encounter at Lower Fisher Turf, finishing with 6 for 27 off 7.3 overs.
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
Originally published as KFC Team of the Week - CRCA #9
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