Day 1: Moe – 10/173
Day 2: Ex-Students Innings
A cagey start for Students saw them go at a run an over for the first 8 overs before a couple of boundaries took the total to 23 off 13.1 overs.
Then Aaron Johnstone struck. Johnstone dismissed both openers (Robertson 20 & Pryde 4) then followed it up with the big wicket of Lee Stockdale (0) without scoring. Benn Zomer bowled Richards(0) & Johnstone snicked off Harris (4) to make it a collapse of 5 wickets for just 6 runs, and a scoreline of 5/29.
Matt Dyke & Rick Battista added 26 as a steadying 6th wicket before Rob Phoenix had Battista caught behind for 16, made up entirely by four boundaries. Callum Grant had 2/0 off of his first 4 overs, getting Trease (6) & Matthews (0 off 21) lbw to reduce the Sharks to 8/62 off 39 overs.
112 runs required with just 2 wickets in hand and 46 overs (276 deliveries) to play, the Sharks moved fully into defensive mode, but it would be a long time to survive to bat out a draw.
Johnstone was denied a 5-wicket haul when Michael Warne (2* off 32 at time) was dropped by Phoenix. It was the only chance they gave as Dyke (29* off 226) & Warne (6* off 115) put on an unbeaten partnership of just 25 runs off 275 balls, surviving everything the Lions threw at them, to draw the game and advance Ex-Students to next week’s Grand Final. A historic draw that will go in their record books as basically a victory. Moe’s bowling figures were phenomenal economically due to the nature of the innings, but critically for the match and unfortunately for the Lions, the wicket column only totalled 8.
A sad end to the season, with now back to back semi final exits.
Premier A Grade Grand Final – Ex Students v Glengarry – will be played on our Ted Summerton Reserve. Helpers will be appreciated.
