JONTY: Alright boys, we’re getting to the pointy end of the cricket season now so the quality will come to the fore. Marcus, tell us a bit more about the stirring two-run win you witnessed on Sunday, was that your best action from the weekend?
MARCUS: That was absolutely the best action that I saw this weekend. The underdog Narre South taking down the experienced veteran heads of Hallam Kalora Park. To set the scene, Hallam Kalora Park was 9/178 chasing 220 and, bear in mind, they only needed to tie being the higher seed. Mahela Udawatte was at the crease with Will Whyte. Udawatte farmed the strike just about perfectly and reached his 100 the over before the match finished. Narre South had been on top for much of the day but you could tell they were fraying a little bit; there was frustration with the fielding, they didn’t have their coach there, he was sick, so they didn’t have that guidance and it was Cal Tout in the end that made the vital breakthrough in the 79th over. It put Will Whyte’s off stump on its back essentially. The silence from Hallam Kalora Park people is something I won’t forget. I had my camera ready to film the reaction of the Hallam boys when they hit the winning runs! It was incredible.
JONTY: Was it the fifth or sixth ball of the over?
MARCUS: They tried to run two on the third ball and then Tout and Udawatte collided when Tout went to get the ball. It meant they couldn’t get the two and caused quite a bit of tension after the game; then there was a dot ball and Whyte was bowled.
JONTY: How much did Whyte face?
MARCUS: Only 11 deliveries. Udawatte farmed the strike very well.
JONTY: Heartbreak.
DAVE: For the ageing Hawks. How many have finished?
MARCUS: Cox has already announced it, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see another two or three call time.
DAVE: A changing of the guard.
JONTY: They could drop off?
MARCUS: They won it in 2020-21. They don’t have many young guys coming through, they top up with older guys.
DAVE: I was at the Pakenham Pink Ladies Day so a special shout out to President Phil Anning and his team. I was hosting the day so got there early and there was an army of people working behind the scenes so that was impressive.
MARCUS: Unlike your outfit…I notice you didn’t dress up for the occasion. I saw photos of you in a dark blazer and jeans – you seemed to be the only one not in pink!
DAVE: I had a pink shirt on that I wear to work sometimes.
*MARCUS CONSULTS FACEBOOK TO FIND PHOTO
DAVE: It’s pink, 100 per cent that’s pink.
JONTY: I’d hardly call it pink…but we move on.
DAVE: Over $100,000 has been raised for the McGrath Foundation by the Pakenham Cricket Club so well done. On-field, I only saw a little bit of the game but Tooradin made a surprise selection, young Kyle Parrott played his first game in the last game of the season. He batted at three and made 53. The kid’s got a lot of class. He works the ball beautifully off his pads, elbow up; you can tell he’s a class cricketer. A special shout-out too, to Daniel McCalman. He has held Merinda Park together for the last decade and made 161 not out on the weekend, his highest ever score. It seems like since Chris Smith started on his record rampage, these blokes seem to be realising that 100 isn’t the benchmark anymore, you can go on and get big scores. I think Pink Ladies Day is the best ongoing event from any footy or cricket club so it was a privilege to be a part of.
JONTY: Well summed up. My best action was at the Berwick Springs win, Jackson Marie’s third-ball six, although he didn’t go on with it, set the scene for their typical fearlessness. They were undaunted by the big occasion. He did it despite there being bat-pads on both sides; slips, a leg-slip, and it also transferred the pressure immediately. A shout-out also goes to Archit Vora who scored a magnificent century for Berwick Springs. He works in the ED, doesn’t get to training very often but got there twice during the week and it showed on the weekend.
DAVE: Hey boys, before you move on, how’s this for best action? After a big day at Pink Ladies Day, my wife was a bit hungover on Sunday and needed something to eat. She said “Can you get me an egg and bacon McMuffin and two hash browns”. I get down there, slightly hungover myself and go into the drive thru, place the order and the bloke goes: ‘sorry mate, that’s McDonalds…you’re at KFC.’ Read cricket snicks for more.
*LAUGHS ALL ROUND
TAILENDERS
JONTY: In an international sense we also saw some very good cricket over the weekend, New Zealand v Australia, the first test. It was some lower-order players who really got the job done, New Zealand with Glenn Phillips and Matt Henry, Australia with a big 10th-wicket partnership between Green and Hazlewood. So, in our local comps, who are the lower-order batters who can do damage?
DAVE: Heading into finals, the obvious one is Dylan Sutton from Tooradin. He’s a multiple Team of the Year player and bats low but made 44 not out on the weekend and guided Tooradin to a really good score. He’s the one I think will lead Tooradin to a premiership this year. I’ve said their batting depth will be a factor all season. At Pakenham, I’ve spoken a lot about Dale Tormey and Chris Smith but they also have probably the tallest bloke in the comp, Nick Sadler. His top score is only 20 this year but I like the way he bats and I have a feeling he will make a good score under real pressure in finals. I have a story for you boys. In 2014-15, a cricketer from Kooweerup called Matt Bright made 424 runs batting in the middle order. Since then, he has made 506 runs in nine seasons. He now bats down the bottom. He’s had two hits this season for a duck and currently zero not out. That speaks to the quality of Kooweerup. He made three 50s in 2014-15 but, since then, his highest run aggregate in a season is 138. He’s eager to bat, but he’s an off-spinner, and it’s like the others need to bat above him to justify their position in the team.
MARCUS: That kind of question is right in Dave’s wheelhouse, he can just dig into the archive.
DAVE: I just remember it so vividly.
MARCUS: I mentioned Tout’s bowling earlier. He also made 44 runs at number eight in this game, which a significant contribution was given they had just lost three wickets in an over when he came in…and obviously given the margin of win. He also did it earlier in the season in a one-day game against his old side, Beaconsfield. This time they were chasing and he made 23 not out in a chase of 166 with one wicket remaining. The other one that came to mind was Josh Dowling for Springvale South, final game of the home and away season last year. They were 9/95 chasing Parkmore’s 136. He came in and he hit seven off 15 and allowed Yosh Kumara to dominate at the other end; a perfect ‘hold up an end’ sort of performance. It meant Springvale South finished the season undefeated, and Parkmore was relegated, given they needed to win to stay up. Dowling nearly did it against Narre South too, just a few weeks ago.
DAVE: From the outside looking in, Springy South looks like a team that would bat all the way down to 11?
MARCUS: I’d go 10. Paul Hill has only batted once or twice this season and nearly won them the Narre South game. He looked like he had all the shots in the book that day.
JONTY: I’ve talked Dave in the last couple of weeks about Parkfield’s depth. They bat very deep and have a lot of bowlers. Riyanzi Fernando, new to the side, has impressed a lot of people coming into the First XI. He offers quite a bit down the order and it’s interesting he bats so low – he was also at the bottom when he was playing Turf 2 Reserves earlier in the season. In the firsts, he has 33 not out, 22 and 28 all batting in the bottom three. On debut, he hit a six to win his team the game so absolutely nerveless. He’s able to play his shots. Dandy West has the luxury of batting Matt Collett down at about nine and he opened for Cranny a lot last season. Jakeb Thomas has spent most of the season at seven or eight, promoted late in the season, but averaged 20 when he was batting down there and built some important partnerships to get them to competitive scores.
DOMINANCE
JONTY: Quickly boys, the greatest source of national pride in the last week has come from the Matildas after an 8-0 first half. The most dominant periods of sport you’ve seen?
DAVE: Marc Holt, 22 in a game – that’s pretty outstanding. Narre Warren kicked 48 in a game against Hampton Park and Mason Cox’s first half v Richmond in the 2018 preliminary final. Earlier this year, Kooweerup took 9/31 v Pakenham and then 8/9 to finish them off.
MARCUS: Try these Jackson Sketcher numbers from round one last year on for size: 49 possessions, 42 kicks, four goals, 17 contested possessions, 16 clearances, in a grand final rematch against Rowville. But it’s been a few weeks since I’ve talked about my pride and joy, the NBA champion Denver Nuggets, so allow me to educate you guys. (DAVE ROLLS HIS EYES).
In 2018, Nikola Jokic recorded the fastest triple double in NBA history. He did it in 14 minutes and 33 seconds against Milwaukee. Then there’s Game One of the 2023 Western Conference finals last year. In the first half against the ‘Jokic Stopper’ Anthony Davis, he had 19 points on seven of 10 shooting, 16 rebounds, and seven assists when they were 72-54 at halftime. He finished with 34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists in the win. An absolute masterclass.
JONTY: Marcus could talk about Denver for hours.
DAVE: His enthusiasm rises as we sit back in our chairs and have no idea what he’s talking about.
MARCUS: One more, Jamal Murray against Cleveland in 2021 scored 50 points in a game, shooting 21-25 from the field, including 8-10 from the three-point line. But what made that performance so special was that he did it without shooting a single free-throw, which flies in the face of how so many players, particularly guards in the NBA, rack up such big scoring numbers.
JONTY: Quickly to finish, Cranny v Dingley was even at halftime, two competitive sides and Cranny scored 12 goals in a row from midway in the third through to early in the fourth. It was spearheaded by Zak Roscoe’s clearance and contested-ball-winning. And I have to mention Glenn Maxwell’s double century against Afghanistan too. Is Maxy becoming my Marc Holt? He seems to be coming up in Let’s Talk Sport a lot lately.
DAVE: You definitely adore him.
JONTY: Just quickly as well, I’ve got Berwick Springs in an upset to win the Turf 3 premiership and Dandenong West’s match-winners to get them over the line. Both are flips of the coin and promise to be thrilling conclusions to the season.
DAVE: On a 36-degree Saturday.
JONTY: That could certainly be a factor. Marcus, care for a prediction?
MARCUS: Narre South has been on an incredible run, but I think Buckley at home is going to be too strong and will book a place against Springvale South in the big one.
