Birthday boy Will Mortimer makes stunning AIC debut for St Patrick’s; Iona claim early scalp
AIC First XI cricket exploded to life when a St Patrick’s birthday boy took 7-23 during a sensational round 1 of action. See how all the matches unfolded here, including Iona’s big early season scalp.
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Iona College started its back-to-back premiership quest by claiming a big scalp in round 1 of AIC First XI cricket, while across town St Patrick’s birthday boy Will Mortimer snared a sensational 7-23 on debut despite his team losing a thriller to St Peters.
This season Iona College are looking to make it three premierships in the last four years and ticking off Ashgrove was a great way to start on their home turf on Davine Oval in Wynnum.
A half century from opener Liam Johns (53, 70 balls), a top notch first spell from left-arm quick Finn Haller and the production from leg spinners Luke Biddle (2-43, 10 overs) and James Turner (2-20, 10 overs) was significant in the 43-run win.
In other matches Villanova College snared their first victory under new coach Nathan Reardon, the former BBL star, against St Laurence’s College.
In Ipswich, St Edmund’s put up a good fight before Padua prevailed with seven-wickets in hand and at Curlew Park, St Patrick’s off-spinner Mortimer claimed seven wickets on debut in an agonising seven-run loss against St Peters.
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On Davine Oval, Iona’s bowling attack delivered the goods to prevent Ashgrove from hitting their stride and ultimately won them the game.
Ashgrove were bowled out for 132 and Iona’s successful defence started with 15-year-old Finn Haller (2-17, 8 overs) on one end and wrist spinner Luke Biddle, also a quality batsmen, on the other end.
The pair won the first 10 overs in the field and at one stage had Ashgrove reeling at 3-3, in need of rescue.
Later in Iona’s fielding innings, right-arm quick Flynn Donnelly (1-25, 7.2 overs) and leg-spinning pair Jesse Haller (1-23, 10 overs) and Turner (1-20) kept applying pressure to ensure no late-game heroics from Ashgrove’s tailenders.
LANER, MEAD SHOW PLENTY OF HEART IN FACE OF QUALITY IONA BOWLERS
Three runs for the loss of three wickets was not the ideal start for Ashgrove after they turned the tide in the field to restrict Iona to 175 after they scored 74 runs without loss.
Under immense pressure, Ashgrove captain and No. 5 Joey Laner (31, 28 balls) and his opener Ben Mead (36 not out) forged a critical 45-run partnership which had the game hanging in the balance a little over 15 overs in.
The power-hitting of Laner produced four fours and two sixes and with Mead taking care of his wicket at the other end, Ashgrove looked a healthy chance.
Once Biddle bowled Laner, momentum shifted back into Iona’s favour.
Despite gallant efforts from 14-year-old wicketkeeper Max Edye (19, 52 balls), No. 10 Josh Pope (9, 35 balls) and No. 11 Archie Murray (10,16 balls) to try squeeze home, it felt like Iona were home once Laner and the more-than-capable Archer Tallon (8) were dismissed in the middle stages.
POPE, EASTER SPEARHEAD ASH BOWLING EFFORT
Earlier, Year 10 Ashgrove debutant Pope and left arm fast bowler Will Easter took five wickets between them to prevent an Ionian eruption in the first innings.
Iona were bowled out for 175 but they were treading towards a bigger total when 15-year-old spinner Pope, in his debut, made an important breakthrough.
Iona openers Jackson Williams (25) and Liam Johns (53) had put on a 74-run partnership when Pope struck accordingly to snare the first wicket.
His spin buddy Archer Tallon then joined the party to dismiss Johns. The big wicket, off the bowling of Pope and wonderful fielding of Jack Watson, then came in the form of No. 3 Josh Ritchie (8) whose dismissal provided Ashgrove a slight upper hand.
The visitors, despite impressive defiance from No. 6 Alex Harrison (29), capitalised on the momentum shift to take the next seven wickets for 79 runs.
WOW WATSON!
Ashgrove all-rounder Jack Watson couldn’t contribute with the bat because of the brilliant bowling of Year 10 young gun Finn Haller but, in the field, he was worth his weight in gold.
Watson took four catches. All of them were impressive but none better than the catch that removed high-class Wynnum Manly Sea Eagles youngster Ritchie.
Watson caught the ball moving at speed on the boundary line and had to throw the ball back infield to himself to snag an Adam Voges-esque catch near the grandstands.
At Curlew Park, St Patrick’s College off-spinner Will Mortimer celebrated his sweet 16th with a stunning seven-wicket haul - only to have the Saints march in and steal victory.
St Peters somehow recovered from Mortimer’s extraordinary debut performance to win by seven runs.
Earlier Mortimer, who missed last season due to a stress fracture in his back, returned with a bang to make a big difference and propel his side into a winnable position chasing 110.
St Peters, however, returned serve to have the home side all out for 102 in an impressive response.
Jack Landsdown (3-12) was incredible and not far behind him were bowling spearheads Oliver Goring (3-21), Isaac Krause (2-25) and Lars Sagorski (1-20) who were able to spoil the party with just seven runs in hand.
The Saints had got off to a reasonable start with top order batters Isaac Krause (18) and Charlie Conway (30) grafting away in the middle but quickly Mortimer moved in to dismiss key men Conway, Beau Guppy (30, 36 balls) and St Peters skipper Sagorski.
Mortimer (7-23, 9.4 overs), a man possessed, picked up seven successive wickets to have St Peters all out for what looked to be an attainable 109.
MORTIMER MAGIC
The highlight individual performance of the round came from Mortimer, whose tricky spin bowling sent the Saints batting order into a free fall.
The visitors were 3-53 before he intervened to take seven in a row, and importantly remove the high-class Conway who showed great fight with the bat.
The Year 11 student spun a web of intrigue around his rivals to put victory within sight for his batsmen. He was impossible to play at times, with his slow bowling pulling batters into a shot.
No one could find a way around him, Mortimer consistently dishing it up in an awkward area.
After having a long spell off through injury, you’d think he’d be rusty. Instead, Mortimer was at his deceiving best.
RESPONSE OF DREAMS
In a superb response, Saints captain Lagorsi orchestrated a staunch defence of the total.
Lagorski’s telling field placements, bowling changes and even his own magic with the ball helped turn the tide.
After taking the first wicket of Peter Sheppard, all-rounder Krause, an amped-up Landsdown (three consecutive wickets), Oliver Goring (3-21, seven overs) and finally Conway cashed in.
Nick Weedon, the St Patrick’s No. 7, scored a team high 29 (50 balls) when coming in at 5-51 but once Goring found a way through it was St Peters’ game to lose.
On Andrew Slack oval, Villanova opener Christian Frederiksen started the season on a high note when producing a match-best 78 runs to set up a comprehensive 161-run win over St Laurence’s.
Frederiksen’s classy showing in the first innings thrust Villa onto the front foot and the home side did not look back.
It took 32 overs for Villa to bowl out the visitors for 67 with captain Finn Thallon (2-3, six overs) heading an on-song bowling attack which featured off-spinner Oscar Tesch, left-armer Lucas DAmore, leg-spinner Andrew Dickie and paceman Lachlan Whaites.
KNIGHT, FREDERIKSEN FORGE TELLING PARTNERSHIP
Villanova couldn’t have asked for a better start from their opening pair of Max Knight (45, 49 balls) and Christian Frederiksen (78, 142 balls).
Initially the dynamic duo put on a first-wicket stand of 73 runs with Knight in a rush. He belted eight fours before tall, right-arm fast Jacob Bingham bowled him.
The slightly built Frederiksen, who was dismissed with a stunning one hand grab by Ben Stallman, took his side all the way to 4-192 and was a rock in the middle before coming undone in the 43rd over.
With a late cut to third man he brought up his well-earned half century, a just reward for seeing out the new ball, repelling eight different St Laurence’s bowlers and making his batting partners feel comfortable.
His patience, poise and clean hitting of the ball along the ground was impressive, as was his rotation of the strike (54 runs scored without the help of a boundary).
Villanova captain Finn Thallon (20, 12 balls) and Alex Borger (34, 48 balls) made valuable contributions around the laser-focused Frederiksen to set St Laurence’s 229 runs for victory.
WELL OILED GREEN MACHINE
The Villanova bowling attack benefited from a challenging trial match against Ashgrove on the same oval the week before with all five bowlers causing troubles for the opposition batsmen.
Thallon’s first spell yielded two wickets and it was the perfect follow to a clinical run out by Max Knight in the early stages.
Off-spinner Tesch (3-26, 10 overs) then took charge, snaring three wickets before the likes of Whaites (1-6), the flame-haired Dickie (2-12, 6 overs) and Borger (run out) chipped in to earn an early mark.
In Ipswich, new Padua College captain Isaac Nixon had his fingerprints all over the team’s seven-wicket victory over St Edmund’s College.
Nixon snared four wickets, took a catch and ran out St Edmund’s opening bat Will Schreiber in a high-class performance in the field which saw the home side bowled out for just 112 runs.
Ryan Out (2-31, 10 overs), Quinn Walton (2-14, 10 overs) and Nixon (4-28, 9.2 overs) were masterful with the ball, with Walton seemingly impossible to get away.
The Valley product bowled five maidens and went for just 1.4 runs an over.
DE WAARD, NOON MAKE SURE OF IT
The St Edmund’s bowlers gave things a real shake and it wasn’t until Padua’s Ben de Waard and Adam Noon put on a brilliant partnership that the game was safe.
Rylan McDonald, Charles Cass and Max Halls took a wicket each to remove Padua’s top three batters for a combined score of 17.
Entering the fray with plenty of runs still to get, wicketkeeper-batsmen de Waard and No. 5 Noon made put on an influential 87-run partnership to steer the visitors home.
Indeed St Edmund’s were right in it, but de Waard’s unbeaten 40 and Noon’s 30 not out was compounded by the 29 sundries leaked.
Originally published as Birthday boy Will Mortimer makes stunning AIC debut for St Patrick’s; Iona claim early scalp
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