Premier Cricket: Akon Mawien hits the winning runs as Uni nose out Dandenong
The South Sudanese refugee makes a memorable entrance to First XI cricket as Melbourne University defeats Dandenong in a cracking Round 1 match.
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The ball was pitched up.
With scores level, Akon Mawien wound up, hit it high over mid-off and won Melbourne University the match over Dandenong in an enthralling Round 1 Victorian Premier Cricket encounter at Shepley Oval on Saturday.
Chasing Dandenong’s 9-163, Uni achieved victory nine wickets down with 13 balls to spare.
But there were no nerve-ends to spare as the match reached its absorbing conclusion.
When they lost their seventh wicket Uni still needed 41 runs.
Isaiah Borgas and James Bett came through with a valuable and sensible partnership of 25 to tilt it the visitors’ way.
Then Borgas (28) hit James Nanopoulos straight to Suraj Randiv at mid-off with the score on 149.
In came the experienced Steve Reid, and he whacked a Nanopoulos slower ball for four and took a single off the next ball as University crept closer to its target.
The Panthers had been repeatedly frustrated at their inability to win an LBW shout, but they gained one when Reid was given leg-before to Nanoupolous. That made it 9-158.
In came debutant Mawien — the first South Sudanese cricketer to play at Premier level — to join the composed Bett.
The 22-year-old survived a sustained LBW appeal, and when he left the next delivery his teammates stood to applaud.
Bett took a single off the bowling of Peter Cassidy, and Mawien squirted another single behind square leg.
The scores were squared when Bett steered Jake Thomas to third man. And then Mawien hit the winning runs, cracking Thomas hard down the ground.
Bett, who finished 13 not out off 46 deliveries, was quick to embrace him. There were stirring scenes as the pair came off the ground, Mawien’s grin as wide as the Westgate Bridge as the Melbourne University players made a pack around him.
“When I went out there ‘Bettsy’ said they were attacking the stumps and I had to keep them out,’’ he said soon after in the changerooms.
“All I had in my mind was to tie the scores first and then, yeah, put him back over his head!
“Can’t believe it happened that way.’’
It was a tough loss for the Panthers, who had fought hard on a demanding wicket to reach a target they almost defended.
Opener and acting captain Brett Forsyth crafted 48 off 105 balls and shared a handy stand of 55 with brother Cam (25). Last pair Jacques Augustin (14no) and Thomas (14no) added 29 for the last wicket.
Reid picked Ed Newman, Comrey Edgeworth and LJ Edwards and had 5-34 off his 10 overs.
Dandenong’s team leaders thought the total was at least 20 short.
It proved to be so.
But the Panthers scrapped to defend it, taking wickets regularly enough to keep themselves in it.
Former Sri Lankan Test player Randiv went for 17 off his first two overs, handing over to fellow spinner Akshat Buch at the creek end.
The left-armer found turn, and turned it Dandenong’s way as he captured 3-28 off his 10 overs.
Randiv returned from the other end and claimed 1-32 off 10.
Nanopoulos (3-48 off 10) was more expensive than usual but balanced it with three wickets, and Thomas (1-25 off 8.5) and Cassidy (1-19 off nine) kept it tight.
With rookie Mawien at his side, Melbourne Uni coach Antony Keely called it an “unbelievable game that could have gone a whole heap of different ways, but it fell our way, which was very nice’’.
“I thought we won it and lost it and won it and lost it several times, but our experienced players helped out the young fella here,’’ he said.
He said he was “always, always’’ backing Mawien, who arrived in Australia as a refugee in 2004 and joined the club from Sunshine Heights.
“He’s an all-rounder,’’ Keely said of Mawien, who had 1-35 off his 10 overs. “He bowls right-arm heavy with a naughty slower ball. He’s very raw but he’s got a lot of tools.’’
Mawien said he was enjoying his time at Uni.
“All the guys here are great guys. I’m loving it. It’s just like Sunshine Heights, to be honest,’’ he said.