Year 7 Boys' Cricket Team State Runners Up

Year 7 Boys' Cricket

The Year 7 boys’ cricket team played the State Finals at Oak Park Reserve on Thursday 3 December. Our morning semi-final was against Maribyrnong Sports Academy who sent us in to bat. After losing 2 quick wickets the match convenor decided to re-start the game as Maribyrnong were wearing red tops which made it difficult for our batsmen to see the (red) ball!

After the 20 overs we scored 6 for 75 with co-captain Luke Long (29 runs), Jai Block (10 runs) and Aidan Fulcher (10 runs) our best batters. We would need to bowl and field well to win through to the State Final in the afternoon!

Great fielding by Sam Webster saw a run out with just 3 runs on the board but they steadied over the next 6 overs before Sam snared a great catch off Jobe Gardner to have them 2 for 33. Another great catch by Aidan Fulcher off Jai Block – 3 for 36! A steady partnership had Maribyrnong just 16 runs to get from the last 5 overs and it was time for our bowlers and fielders to dig deep if we were going to pull this one out of the fire!

Two double wicket overs by Flynn Sinclair and another double wicket over by Josh Rice had our opponents reeling at 9 for 64. They had lost wickets on 57, 60, 61, 61, 64 and 64! The final over began with Maribyrnong needing 9 runs, Frankston needing one wicket and Josh Rice on a hat-trick. BOWLED – HAT TRICK - VICTORY!!! A heart stopping result to take us into the State Final against Brentwood Secondary College.

Brentwood won the toss and sent us in and the early loss of Luke Long was followed by a 24 run partnership between Jai Block (9 runs) and Jonah Avery. Luke Kranzbuhler (22 runs) and Jonah (51 not out) took our score to a respectable 5 for 88 off the allocated 20 overs.

Great line and length bowling and two wicket maidens from Jai Block had our opponents 2 for 17 after 7 overs. With 10 overs left Brentwood required a challenging 53 runs but the next 5 overs saw them accelerate the scoring to the point where they needed just 5 runs from 30 balls. Their victory was achieved during the 16th over with the loss of 3 wickets.

I am immensely proud this great group of boys are State Runners Up! Although disappointed, they should feel enormously satisfied of what they have achieved and look forward to going one better next year! I would also like to acknowledge the fantastic support of the parents who have attended our games during this term and earlier this year – even travelling as far as Traralgon for the State quarter final against Sale!

Mr Simon Hast, Coach