Iona comeback as hundred run stand saves the day; Villa, Paddies and Padua prevail
Harley Malpass and Adam Richter were batting heroes as Iona College claimed victory over Marist College Ashgrove, while Villa’s Finn Thallon and Paddies’ Steve Hogan shone brightly.
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Villanova College’s Finn Thallon scored a century while Harley Malpass was a game winner as Iona College claimed a brilliant victory over Ashgrove during a spectacular third round of the AIC First XI cricket competition.
And on another fabulous day of schoolboy cricket, Eddies almost rose from the dead to defeat Padua College, while Ashgrove’s Will Nickelson smacked an unbeaten 114.
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It was a batting feast at Iona where Ashgrove, after winning the toss and electing to bat, posted 272 runs, losing just five wickets in a top notch batting display.
On a scorching hot day and a road like pitch ideal for building an innings, opener Tom Wex scored his first half century of the 2023 season, with three six hits and five fours.
Frankie Piper was dismissed for 11 by Adam Richter but Will Nickelson and Ben Ferguson cashed in on the short boundaries to form a 71 run partnership.
This came after Nickelson and Wex worked together nicely in a 113 run stand.
Nickelson was batting for almost the entire Ashgrove innings, and in that time where he added countless cherries to his Keith Dudgeon bat, he found the rope 12 times and cleared it thrice. But, the most impressive aspect of his innings, where he brought up an unbeaten 114 was how he managed to stay composed.
It must have been tempting to go swinging with the square leg boundary so close, but even with the temptation, unforgiving 30 degree heat, and the moment itself, being a potential premiership deciding game, Nickelson came out on top.
James Brandon added 21, before Iona were sent in chasing 273 for victory.
Lachlan Braggar, Archer Anderson, Adam Richter, Harley Malpass and Darcy Pratten all took one wicket in a tough day out for the bowlers.
At this point in the clash Ashgrove had to have felt like they held the upper hand and rightfully so with a great total and an even better bowling attack.
Enter Harley Malpass.
After dangerous openers Zayne Thomas and Liam Johns were dismissed cheaply by Tom Davies, Malpass (87*) steered the ship and saw out the innings to capture victory.
The first drop batsmen who has been in tremendous form was not alone. He was joined at the crease in a matchwinning and potentially premiership deciding stand of 127 runs with No.8 Adam Richter (82).
With wickets falling left right and centre, Malpass stayed the course before his partner in crime Richter, who hit five sixes and six fours in his stunning 62 ball knock, joined him to snatch victory off Ashgrove.
Joey Laner, Flynn Cleary, Sam Lewis and Davies bowled their hearts out but in the end it wasn’t enough to stop Malpass, Richter, wicketkeeper batsmen Hamish McKeon (39) and Bragger (31) from calling game. The Iona boys coming back from 4/30 to score 7/275 with one over to spare.
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At Curlew Park, St Patrick’s College registered an impressive 58-run victory over St Peter’s College, leaving just themselves and Iona left undefeated.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, the Paddies openers James Weedon and Lachlan Allen got off to a steady start.
Weedon tallied 13 while Allen toiled away for a well earned 55.
Steve Hogan, who has had quite the summer, picked up the pace and scored a quickfire 34 off 51 deliveries, which included three fours and a six. He was well supported by Mitchell Hartshorn, who scored a crucial 28 off 35 balls, hitting four fours.
The other notable contributions came from Henry Moore (17) and Mathew Pereira (25) as St Patrick’s College posted a formidable total of 204 runs on the board.
Ashish Neredumilli and Noah Johnson took one apiece, but it was leg spinner Matt Harvie who stole the show with a fifer.
In what is his third season playing First XI cricket, harvie continues to shine a the bowling crease and it was no different here with figures of 5/33 off his ten.
In response, St Peter’s College got off to a good start, with their top-order batsmen getting starts but failing to convert them into big scores.
James Nelson (22) and Sree Bachu (6) and Harvie (12) fought hard before an inspired middle order partnership between Luke Dyer (27) and Bastien Walter (42) gave the Saints a glimpse.
But, once they fell, both at the hands of Thomas Smith, it was all over.
The pick of the St Patrick’s bowlers was Hogan, who took 4 wickets for 29 runs, which included the crucial wicket of St Peter’s opener Bachu and first drop Noah Johnson.
Thomas Smith was also impressive with the ball, picking up two wickets for 18 runs, while
Mathew Pereira took three wickets for 14 runs and Hartshorn 1/20.
Despite the efforts of the lower-order batsmen, St Peter’s could only manage 146 runs in their 35 overs, falling short of the target by 58 runs.
Indeed it was a dominant display by St Patrick’s College, who were clinical with both bat and ball.
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Villanova College’s Finn Thallon scored an unbeaten century as his side rose above St Laurence’s College at Curlew Park today.
It was celebrations all around as the inform Thallon scored a beautifully paced 101 not out from 134 balls in almost three hours at the crease.
His innings helped Villa to the high water mark of 9-241, sharing in a partnership of 64 with captain Tom Rieck (1-41) who came hard at the attack during his 33 ball innings.
When Villa were 2-1, who would have guessed they would reach 241, but they did thanks to
Thallon had help from his mates along the way - brother Ben Thallon and Henrik Frederiksen - but this was some performance.
AIC First XI centuries do not grow on trees and this is a moment he will talk about for the rest of his lives and be the focus of much story telling at College reiunions into the future.
There was some excellent bowling from Laurie’s around Mohr, Stallman and Douglas, but no one could dismiss Thallon.
When St Laurence’s batted they challenged hard through Tom Stenhouse who hit an aggressive half century, but Frederiksen found success with the bowl (three wickets) while Rieck, Clark and Moloney bowled tightly.
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St Edmund’s College almost produced one of the great sporting recoveries, only to fall marginally short of victory in a thriller against Padua College.
Chasing 207 to win, Eddies finished 9-199, a remarkable effort given the side was belted from pillar to post by a rampant Iona College just seven days earlier.
Boy this group showed plenty of heart and spirit after Padua had set an imposing target.
Padua’s Braithyn Pecic scored 51 to score a quarter of his team tally, a total which should have delivered victory. Ketelhohn took three wickets for Eddies.
It did, but only just as Eddies grouped together to almost pull off the win of the season. It was a real team effort led by captain Naish (44).
Padua’s Cameron Plackett was a bowling hero for his side with four wickets while Will Tozer took 2-20.
Round 3
Villanova v St Laurence’s College
St Edmund’s College v Padua College
Iona College v Marist College Ashgrove
St Patrick’s College v St Peters
Originally published as Iona comeback as hundred run stand saves the day; Villa, Paddies and Padua prevail
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