Our AW Green Shield (U/16) side has started it's season off with a couple of loses and a draw, but they are too talented a side not to re-group and make a run for the semis in the coming matches. See below summary from coach Simon Lyon.
At Sydney University Oval on Sunday, Manly’s AW Green Shield (for Under 16’s) campaign opened with a disappointing loss. Electing to bat on what looked like a belter, James Boyer’s side could only manage to score 133 runs in 46 overs with the captain top scoring with 49. As often happens low totals to chase can at times derail the opposition and 4 quick wickets to the opening attack of Josh Wigney and Matt Levene ensured that this was going to be a battle. Three more wickets fell before the home side passed our total but a 50 run partnership in the middle order which should have been broken but for two crucial dropped catches, sunk any chances of the Manly side coming out on top.
On Wednesday the Green Shield lads had a chance to redeem themselves at Coogee Oval, home of Randwick Petersham. Overcast and damp conditions ensured that whoever won the toss would elect to bowl first and unfortunately the coin came down on the wrong side. No dramas happened for a while on a green deck which was firm, but scoring runs was not easy and wickets started to fall. Luckily James (Jimmy) Crombie (47) and Ben Falconer (32) played excellently and posted a big partnership to enable the visiting side to post a score of 168 in the allotted 60 overs, but we all knew that this was at least 20 to 30 runs short of a competitive total and the bowlers had to deliver the same sting as they had at Sydney Uni. The wicket had by this time flattened out and even with the new ball, wickets were hard to come by and it was not until the introduction of spin and Sam Hole that Randwick started to falter losing both openers in the space of two overs. Intervals in cricket can often lead to batting collapses; in this instance the timing could not have been worse for tea and the home side dug in with a big partnership and benefitted from a couple of dropped chances and saw Randwick pass our total 5 wickets down despite a spirited effort from Josh Wigney at the end.
The following day at Manly Oval only two balls were bowled by Josh Wigney (one of which was legal) before the heavens opened and frantic work on the square with covers and supersoppas was needed to get the ground fit for play; by 130pm the umpires consulted with the curator and agreed that no play could be possible by 239pm, the cut off time for a 30 over a side match, and the match was abandoned as a draw and Bankstown and their army of supporters were obliged to head back home.
Let us hope for more fortune in 2012 with this young squad
