Declaration Bowler
Active Member
I used to feel that way too, but the anticipation used to wear off a bit by the end of October.
Cmca 2012/13
- Thread starter Uncle Mick
- Start date
I used to feel that way too, but the anticipation used to wear off a bit by the end of October.
CLOCKER
Active Member
Bentleigh ANA
Many within the Royals were very satisfied with where they ended the season in 5th position. The reality however was that the Royals season ended before it really got going last season. Three losses and two draws after five rounds effectively ended their finals aspirations. In fact after their Round 3 loss to Chelsea they were probably at their lowest ebb as a club and relegation was a definite possibility. A Round 6 nail biting win against Mackie provided some hope, however all this evaporated with losses to the Panthers and a woeful performance against the Cowboys put them back in the relegation zone. A win against their traditional rivals in the Hoops relieved some of the pressure. The Royals round 9 clash resulted in probably the biggest shock in recent Longmuir history when they defeated the previously unbeaten Bentleigh Uniting at Centenary Park. In fact they did it in a canter and perhaps exposed a number of frailties in the defending champs.
Where to for the Royals? They are a paradox having defeated the might of Uniting and would have beaten the Spiders if not for the rain. The flip side are losses to Chelsea and the Cowboys where they failed to reach 100. The batting frailties of the Royals have haunted them for years. If it were not for the skipper one shudders to think where they would have ended. Their selectors lost patience with some of their vaunted youth who contributed very little. Once the Royals adopted a harder approach and promoted based on performance, things started to improve. They meet the Juggeranut and Uniting in Round 1 & 2 which is a tough assignment although they are one day matches. They then meet the Golfers and the newly promoted Sharks. Their bowling relies on Dolman bowling long spells and ofcourse the ever reliable Andy Lee when available as well as the smiling assassin when he is available.The rest of the attack is honest at best.
This is the last hurrah for the Royals.Their veterans are another year older and they have been developing this list for a number of seasons. If they fail to make the finals this season then the future looks bleak as they do not have the depth that other clubs enjoy.
LDLDLWLLWWW: Total: 30
Likely position: 4-6th
Bishop: 141 runs @ 23.5
White 186 runs @ 20.7
Gill 149 runs @ 37.3 (4 innings)
Biggs 365 runs @ 52.1
Dolman 28 wickets @ 19.3
Lee: 16 wickets @ 25.0
The smiling assassin: 90@30 & 8 wicket @ 16.6
Many within the Royals were very satisfied with where they ended the season in 5th position. The reality however was that the Royals season ended before it really got going last season. Three losses and two draws after five rounds effectively ended their finals aspirations. In fact after their Round 3 loss to Chelsea they were probably at their lowest ebb as a club and relegation was a definite possibility. A Round 6 nail biting win against Mackie provided some hope, however all this evaporated with losses to the Panthers and a woeful performance against the Cowboys put them back in the relegation zone. A win against their traditional rivals in the Hoops relieved some of the pressure. The Royals round 9 clash resulted in probably the biggest shock in recent Longmuir history when they defeated the previously unbeaten Bentleigh Uniting at Centenary Park. In fact they did it in a canter and perhaps exposed a number of frailties in the defending champs.
Where to for the Royals? They are a paradox having defeated the might of Uniting and would have beaten the Spiders if not for the rain. The flip side are losses to Chelsea and the Cowboys where they failed to reach 100. The batting frailties of the Royals have haunted them for years. If it were not for the skipper one shudders to think where they would have ended. Their selectors lost patience with some of their vaunted youth who contributed very little. Once the Royals adopted a harder approach and promoted based on performance, things started to improve. They meet the Juggeranut and Uniting in Round 1 & 2 which is a tough assignment although they are one day matches. They then meet the Golfers and the newly promoted Sharks. Their bowling relies on Dolman bowling long spells and ofcourse the ever reliable Andy Lee when available as well as the smiling assassin when he is available.The rest of the attack is honest at best.
This is the last hurrah for the Royals.Their veterans are another year older and they have been developing this list for a number of seasons. If they fail to make the finals this season then the future looks bleak as they do not have the depth that other clubs enjoy.
LDLDLWLLWWW: Total: 30
Likely position: 4-6th
Bishop: 141 runs @ 23.5
White 186 runs @ 20.7
Gill 149 runs @ 37.3 (4 innings)
Biggs 365 runs @ 52.1
Dolman 28 wickets @ 19.3
Lee: 16 wickets @ 25.0
The smiling assassin: 90@30 & 8 wicket @ 16.6
CLOCKER
Active Member
Le Page
The Panthers teased everyone pre-season that they were ready to take the next step. A new recruit; opening bowler who could bat, and another year under the belts of their younger players. The loss of Dr.Squeak to a careless high five meant they lost a valuable asset in their attack and this would hurt them. A narrow loss to the Hoops in Round 1 was disappointing considering how the much vaunted Panthers attack was slayed by the Hoops. They nearly came back to pinch it but left to much to do in the end however it was an encouraging effort against the previous seasons grand finalists. A visit to the bowling club was a day to forget as Mackie had a field day against the Panthers attack and left them with over 300 to chase to secure a win; which never happened despite the heroics of the good Doctor. The Panthers much vaunted attack had conceded over 500 runs with only 12 wickets to show for their efforts. Better men than me commented that their whilst their attack was ‘sharp’ they bowled too wide and gave far too much room to the batsmen. The Panthers stuttered and spurted through their season and could not get any momentum going for the season. Two wins and a draw after Round 6 left them with a lot of work and still to face Bentleigh Uniting and the Juggernaut, and realistically their season was over. A disappointing loss to bottom of the ladder Hampton Central in Round 10 probably summed up their season.
Their first assignment for the season is to take on a focused Bentleigh Uniting, and then come up against the Golders and the Spiders, last season finalists in the first four rounds. They must win at least two of these matches to give themselves a chance of participating in finals. If they can get their bowling right then they are half a chance. They need more depth in their batting and whilst they made a number of competitive scores, their batting seem to rely on two or three players which is always dangerous. The Panthers face the same problem as Mackie in that they rely on players in C grade to try and bridge the gap. Whilst the Panthers were grand finalists in C Grade they need to get a team into Woolnough as quick as possible.
LLWDWLWWLLD: Total: 30
Likely position 4-6th
Dr Squeak 417 @ 46.2
Czosnek: 207 @ 29.6.
De Silva: 228 @ 28.5 & 13 wickets @ 28.2
Greer 210 @ 35.0 & 11 wickets @ 24.6
De Iacovo 157 @ 19.6 & 16 wickets @ 22.4
The Panthers teased everyone pre-season that they were ready to take the next step. A new recruit; opening bowler who could bat, and another year under the belts of their younger players. The loss of Dr.Squeak to a careless high five meant they lost a valuable asset in their attack and this would hurt them. A narrow loss to the Hoops in Round 1 was disappointing considering how the much vaunted Panthers attack was slayed by the Hoops. They nearly came back to pinch it but left to much to do in the end however it was an encouraging effort against the previous seasons grand finalists. A visit to the bowling club was a day to forget as Mackie had a field day against the Panthers attack and left them with over 300 to chase to secure a win; which never happened despite the heroics of the good Doctor. The Panthers much vaunted attack had conceded over 500 runs with only 12 wickets to show for their efforts. Better men than me commented that their whilst their attack was ‘sharp’ they bowled too wide and gave far too much room to the batsmen. The Panthers stuttered and spurted through their season and could not get any momentum going for the season. Two wins and a draw after Round 6 left them with a lot of work and still to face Bentleigh Uniting and the Juggernaut, and realistically their season was over. A disappointing loss to bottom of the ladder Hampton Central in Round 10 probably summed up their season.
Their first assignment for the season is to take on a focused Bentleigh Uniting, and then come up against the Golders and the Spiders, last season finalists in the first four rounds. They must win at least two of these matches to give themselves a chance of participating in finals. If they can get their bowling right then they are half a chance. They need more depth in their batting and whilst they made a number of competitive scores, their batting seem to rely on two or three players which is always dangerous. The Panthers face the same problem as Mackie in that they rely on players in C grade to try and bridge the gap. Whilst the Panthers were grand finalists in C Grade they need to get a team into Woolnough as quick as possible.
LLWDWLWWLLD: Total: 30
Likely position 4-6th
Dr Squeak 417 @ 46.2
Czosnek: 207 @ 29.6.
De Silva: 228 @ 28.5 & 13 wickets @ 28.2
Greer 210 @ 35.0 & 11 wickets @ 24.6
De Iacovo 157 @ 19.6 & 16 wickets @ 22.4
CLOCKER
Active Member
Kingston Heath
At the conclusion of the Round 3 encounter against the Spiders, the Golfers would have been very pleased with their efforts to dismiss the Spiders for 121. At 1/14 they would have been fairly confident that they could reach the target. Something then happened which resulted in the Golfers being dismissed for 58. I am sure Leroy went home that night a opened a bottle of scotch and tried to exorcise the day’s events from his memory. After four rounds the Golfers were looking very sad and sorry with two defeats (with scores of 111 & 58), one win (where they were 8/89 chasing a modest 108) and a draw. Hardly the stuff of finalists to be sure. They then proceeded to win three of their next matches until a round 8 loss to the their traditional rivals the Panthers, where a rampaging Justin Greer made 100 n.o. With three matches to play, the Golfers were sitting on 4 wins and draw with encounters pending against fellow aspiring finalist in Mackie, and then an away journey to Juggeranut Park, with a final round encounter against the reigning Premiers. History shows they disposed of Mackie and then defeated the Juggernaut in what was the 2nd biggest shock of the season. They dodged a bullet when the rain intervened in Round 11, and therein they made the Longmuir finals for the first time. Great effort.
History suggests that they Golfers are slow starters and they struggle to make big scores despite occupying the crease for a number of overs. Perhaps it is the grounds, but a lack of scoreboard pressure will always hurt batting teams and allow the bowling team to apply a lot of pressure which will eventually take its toll. The flip side is that they keep their opposition to reasonable totals.The Golfers have a new coach in the impressive Shiroman, whilst Leroy has moved on to try and get Omega back into Longmuir. (Keep that bottle of scotch handy Leroy as there may some exorcisms required during the season)
They come up against fellow finalists in Carnegie South in Round 1 then meet their arch rivals in the Panthers, the Royals and then Uniting. Definitely 3 winnable matches in the offing, however I just question whether the Golfers are suited to the one day format. Their batting will rely heavily on Shiroman plus Schwarze and any other recruits they may pick up. Again they face the same issue that was outlined for the Panthers in that their second grade is playing in C Grade and it makes it very difficult to promote to Longmuir with any confidence.
I have this feeling that the Golfers went under the radar a little last season and opposition teams did not give them the respect they deserved. I don’t believe many teams will make that mistake again. They got a taste of finals action and they be keen to emulate last season’s performance and perhaps take another step in their remarkable climb to the top.
Shiroman: 394 @ 43.8 & 2 wickets & 40.5
Waltrich: 229 @ 22.9
Warner:198 @ 19.8
Schwarze: 229 @ 38.2 (7 matches)
Rayner: 23 wickets @ 18.3
Birt: 10 wickets @ 18.3
LWLDWWWLWWD: 42 points.
Likely position: 4-6th
At the conclusion of the Round 3 encounter against the Spiders, the Golfers would have been very pleased with their efforts to dismiss the Spiders for 121. At 1/14 they would have been fairly confident that they could reach the target. Something then happened which resulted in the Golfers being dismissed for 58. I am sure Leroy went home that night a opened a bottle of scotch and tried to exorcise the day’s events from his memory. After four rounds the Golfers were looking very sad and sorry with two defeats (with scores of 111 & 58), one win (where they were 8/89 chasing a modest 108) and a draw. Hardly the stuff of finalists to be sure. They then proceeded to win three of their next matches until a round 8 loss to the their traditional rivals the Panthers, where a rampaging Justin Greer made 100 n.o. With three matches to play, the Golfers were sitting on 4 wins and draw with encounters pending against fellow aspiring finalist in Mackie, and then an away journey to Juggeranut Park, with a final round encounter against the reigning Premiers. History shows they disposed of Mackie and then defeated the Juggernaut in what was the 2nd biggest shock of the season. They dodged a bullet when the rain intervened in Round 11, and therein they made the Longmuir finals for the first time. Great effort.
History suggests that they Golfers are slow starters and they struggle to make big scores despite occupying the crease for a number of overs. Perhaps it is the grounds, but a lack of scoreboard pressure will always hurt batting teams and allow the bowling team to apply a lot of pressure which will eventually take its toll. The flip side is that they keep their opposition to reasonable totals.The Golfers have a new coach in the impressive Shiroman, whilst Leroy has moved on to try and get Omega back into Longmuir. (Keep that bottle of scotch handy Leroy as there may some exorcisms required during the season)
They come up against fellow finalists in Carnegie South in Round 1 then meet their arch rivals in the Panthers, the Royals and then Uniting. Definitely 3 winnable matches in the offing, however I just question whether the Golfers are suited to the one day format. Their batting will rely heavily on Shiroman plus Schwarze and any other recruits they may pick up. Again they face the same issue that was outlined for the Panthers in that their second grade is playing in C Grade and it makes it very difficult to promote to Longmuir with any confidence.
I have this feeling that the Golfers went under the radar a little last season and opposition teams did not give them the respect they deserved. I don’t believe many teams will make that mistake again. They got a taste of finals action and they be keen to emulate last season’s performance and perhaps take another step in their remarkable climb to the top.
Shiroman: 394 @ 43.8 & 2 wickets & 40.5
Waltrich: 229 @ 22.9
Warner:198 @ 19.8
Schwarze: 229 @ 38.2 (7 matches)
Rayner: 23 wickets @ 18.3
Birt: 10 wickets @ 18.3
LWLDWWWLWWD: 42 points.
Likely position: 4-6th
Good reading again Clocker. The debacle against Carnegie South wasn't one of KH's finest moments, but the way they fought back after that is a testament to the players. I did not hit the bottle. After 9 years as a coach you learn to take the good with the bad.
Nuwan is a quality cricketer, and more importantly a quality human being. I wish him the best as the new coach.
They've lost a couple of players in the off season. Cal Rayner and Shea Gribben have gone to try and make it at Premier Cricket level with St. Kilda, and Greg De Zylva is unavailable due to work commitments.
Nuwan is a quality cricketer, and more importantly a quality human being. I wish him the best as the new coach.
They've lost a couple of players in the off season. Cal Rayner and Shea Gribben have gone to try and make it at Premier Cricket level with St. Kilda, and Greg De Zylva is unavailable due to work commitments.
captain who?
Member
Hi all, jc here (spiders skip).
Been watching the forums fir the last few seasons and not really posted anything due to my lack of knowledge on all things cmca. Now approaching my 4th season after retiring from mpca D grade I thought I would join in the banter a bit more.
Firstly would like to throw congrats at marto and his boys for snaring the longy prize, great win.
And also tip my hat to leeroy, did a great job and I know will continue to win praise at the ommies.
Been enjoying clocks write ups about the future season, a few points I dont totally agree with but exellent work all the same.
Looking forward to another year in a great comp with the boys. Best of luck to all involved, and very much look forward to playing against bit rich in his new swag. , JC
Been watching the forums fir the last few seasons and not really posted anything due to my lack of knowledge on all things cmca. Now approaching my 4th season after retiring from mpca D grade I thought I would join in the banter a bit more.
Firstly would like to throw congrats at marto and his boys for snaring the longy prize, great win.
And also tip my hat to leeroy, did a great job and I know will continue to win praise at the ommies.
Been enjoying clocks write ups about the future season, a few points I dont totally agree with but exellent work all the same.
Looking forward to another year in a great comp with the boys. Best of luck to all involved, and very much look forward to playing against bit rich in his new swag. , JC
On ya jc
Jimmy Olson
Member
Quality work Clocker (still want to talk to you), reasonably fair summary although I expect The Vandals & The Beach Boys to improve a lot, The Machine get written off every season only to start well and win their share of games. Panthers remain enigmatic and whilst Gurr is a pretty fair player, Big Dogg is a huge loss and the Beiber Brigade will have to improve 20% which they are capable of to replace him (any import at LPP), reckon Deiacovo will be "improvement Bieber" and Greer to be "impact Bieber" if he can be fit throughout, KH will really miss Raymer (and Golf ball head off field), Union in turmoil and have lost a bunch of quality players leaving a lot on Cove/Kuzma (may have picked one of two up), a lot will fall on Heywood as the top liner at Shark Park but if the rest of their even team has developed some steel in their 2 Wooly years they will do okay (will need Verrall to score heavily also), Heights still short on depth after Bradman, Ezard, Shelton so will need to hang tough again this year, ANA will continue to be a brides nightie (up and down), Captain Who's mob should be better for the run (know what they need to fix) but their "potential" players need to get cracking now, East will go about their business but are a year older, Uniting look unbeatable at the moment but they did this time last year too.
CLOCKER
Active Member
JC,
Yes very premature to be making predictions but it is out there just to some discussion going.
Carnegie South
It has been six years since the Spiders achieved promotion from Woolnough. In that time it is fair to say that they have treaded water happy to achieve survival and maintain their Longmuir status. They made their move last season and did so in spectacular fashion finishing 2nd at the end of the home and away season. After graciously agreeing to allow their opening home and away match to be moved from the windswept surrounds of Caulfield Park to a Sunday match at Centenary Park, where Uniting proudly unfurled their premiership flag before a large crowd.
A spirited performance followed but they fell short, but did not lose to many admirers for their performance. A second round encounter against the previous seasons grand finalists in the Hoops left the Spiders chasing an imposing 251 to ensure a win. Many believed it was probably beyond them but they achieved it easily making 5/275.A few clubs sat up and took notice.
Rain intervened in their Round 4 clash against the Royals which probably saved them from a loss, however after that they remained undefeated including a very convincing Round 9 win against the Juggernaut where once again they were chasing a formidable 7/236 and replied with 6/240.
History recorded that the Spiders failed to win a final, failing to fire a shot against Uniting and then collapsing against the Juggernaut in the Preliminary Final when it looked like they were a chance of progressing to the Grand Final.
The Spiders won 5 matches defending modest scores of 121/134/152/148/132. In fact they were masters at choking teams into a slow defeat despite their modest score. It takes a lot of discipline to do this once or twice, but to do it on 5 occasions was quite a testament to the disciplined coaching regimen of Bruce Haley and the mindset of the team where they believe they can defend small scores.
Handley had an exceptional season bowling a tight line, getting vital wickets was ably supported by Adams, Gallagher, Hulston, Schleiger. Their batting has its moments and at times can look frail, but again their self belief is their strength. I expect them to be thereabouts when it comes to finals time.
Pereira: 180 @ 16.4
Hardaker:262@ 20.2
Collison:328 @ 32.8
Perera: 298 @ 27.1 4 wickets @ 186 runs
Gallagher 167 @ 18.6 10 wickets @ 24.5
Handley: 26 wickets @ 12.8
Adams: 15 wickets @ 19.4
Hulston:14 wickets @ 17.6
Schleiger: 13 wickets @ 21.5
LWWDWWWWWWD: 54 points
Likely position: 1st – 3rd
Yes very premature to be making predictions but it is out there just to some discussion going.
Carnegie South
It has been six years since the Spiders achieved promotion from Woolnough. In that time it is fair to say that they have treaded water happy to achieve survival and maintain their Longmuir status. They made their move last season and did so in spectacular fashion finishing 2nd at the end of the home and away season. After graciously agreeing to allow their opening home and away match to be moved from the windswept surrounds of Caulfield Park to a Sunday match at Centenary Park, where Uniting proudly unfurled their premiership flag before a large crowd.
A spirited performance followed but they fell short, but did not lose to many admirers for their performance. A second round encounter against the previous seasons grand finalists in the Hoops left the Spiders chasing an imposing 251 to ensure a win. Many believed it was probably beyond them but they achieved it easily making 5/275.A few clubs sat up and took notice.
Rain intervened in their Round 4 clash against the Royals which probably saved them from a loss, however after that they remained undefeated including a very convincing Round 9 win against the Juggernaut where once again they were chasing a formidable 7/236 and replied with 6/240.
History recorded that the Spiders failed to win a final, failing to fire a shot against Uniting and then collapsing against the Juggernaut in the Preliminary Final when it looked like they were a chance of progressing to the Grand Final.
The Spiders won 5 matches defending modest scores of 121/134/152/148/132. In fact they were masters at choking teams into a slow defeat despite their modest score. It takes a lot of discipline to do this once or twice, but to do it on 5 occasions was quite a testament to the disciplined coaching regimen of Bruce Haley and the mindset of the team where they believe they can defend small scores.
Handley had an exceptional season bowling a tight line, getting vital wickets was ably supported by Adams, Gallagher, Hulston, Schleiger. Their batting has its moments and at times can look frail, but again their self belief is their strength. I expect them to be thereabouts when it comes to finals time.
Pereira: 180 @ 16.4
Hardaker:262@ 20.2
Collison:328 @ 32.8
Perera: 298 @ 27.1 4 wickets @ 186 runs
Gallagher 167 @ 18.6 10 wickets @ 24.5
Handley: 26 wickets @ 12.8
Adams: 15 wickets @ 19.4
Hulston:14 wickets @ 17.6
Schleiger: 13 wickets @ 21.5
LWWDWWWWWWD: 54 points
Likely position: 1st – 3rd
Pretty fair assessment of us Clock.
Unfortunately i won't be playing until Jan-Feb at this stage but i have no doubt our young "Bieber Brigade" will improve this year. They're all talented cricketers but as we all know, talent only gets you so far!
We are definitely aiming to play finals, who wouldn't be really... I'm guessing it will be a pretty even comp this year again but Uniting are the obvious standouts especially with their handy new recruit.
We all learnt never to write off a champion team in East Sandy & they'll def be in the mix in March.
Good luck to all.....
Bunter, if the CMCA wants some "live" updates.... maybe around the grounds with Dr Squeak?? Could boost ratings.. haha
And don't forget to follow the 'Big Dogg Australia' page on facebook....
captain who?
Member
Nice plug squeak, is that 5 big dogg mentions in 3 pages? Love it.
if your off the turf till the new year an around the grounds would be a top idea, on bookface or twatter would work a treat.
Just a quick one clock, we set union 275 and pothitos nearly got them there, not the other way around. Still it was a damn good assesment of our year. And ill agree with squeak that teams will be alot more even this year. Although we always think the billionaires are on the next level cricket is a funny game, sometimes is outright hillarious.
Im thinking ANA might be up the ladder a bit more, and we all know elwood can play better than last year. Lets just hope they use a proper lawn mower rather than borrow the ride on used to chop the rough at royal melbourne.
if your off the turf till the new year an around the grounds would be a top idea, on bookface or twatter would work a treat.
Just a quick one clock, we set union 275 and pothitos nearly got them there, not the other way around. Still it was a damn good assesment of our year. And ill agree with squeak that teams will be alot more even this year. Although we always think the billionaires are on the next level cricket is a funny game, sometimes is outright hillarious.
Im thinking ANA might be up the ladder a bit more, and we all know elwood can play better than last year. Lets just hope they use a proper lawn mower rather than borrow the ride on used to chop the rough at royal melbourne.
Brian Wilson
Member
In talks with the council regarding this. Is a major bugbear of ours and one we are working hard to rectify.
very interesting reading CLOCKER. cant see ANA being anywhere near it this year, but agree with most of the other predictions. by my calculations there are 2 teams that you havent done your analysis on yet - Uniting and ESBC. do you think that Uniting will bring home the bacon this year if their salary cap doesnt explode and cause excessive casualties? do you think that this is the year that age catches up with ESBC and they fall off the pace? All interesting questions, ill be checking daily for your thoughts!
CLOCKER
Active Member
Bentleigh Uniting
Fresh from their Premiership 2010-2011, Bentleigh Uniting set themselves some ambitious targets for the 11/12 season. Once again they were crowned the 20/20 champions of the CMCA and then set themselves the difficult task of trying to capture the Victorian 20/20 title. Meanwhile they were also juggling the Longmuir home and away season. Irrespective they still looked a formidable team with an immense amount of depth to call upon. There was the odd scare along the way, as was the case in Round 2 with Chelsea Heights having the reigning Premiers reeling at 5/25. They managed to recover and post 9/250 and further solidified the belief that this team was nearly unbeatable because of their immense depth. The much anticipated Round 4 clash against the Juggernaut fizzled out as rain intervened in week 2. In Round 6 Uniting were set a formidable challenge by the Hoops in chasing 249 runs to win. Ash Russell ensured that it would be an early day as he went about slaughtering the bewildered Hoops attack making 141 n.o with 20 over still remaining. In Round 8 they savaged the Mackie attack compiling 8/324 and it was all falling into place. In Round 10 they hosted the Royals in what was expected to be a regulation win. The Royals had other ideas and dispatched Uniting quite easily. For the first time since the inaugural 20/20 final, Uniting looked vulnerable. They were flat and could not make an impact against the rejuvenated Royals. There were also concerns at the fitness of some of their players as the difficult itinerary was beginning to take its toll, both physically and mentally.
In round 11 Uniting spent a lack lustre day in the field against the Golfers, but many of the players must have been contemplating the next day when they were to grace the MCG. History shows they fell short in the final but won over many admirers to reach the final in what was a remarkable run. Now they could focus on Longmuir but rain intervened the following Saturday when they were scheduled to have bat against the Golfers. Circumstances began to conspire against them. They dispatched the Spiders easily in the second semi-final and had the week off whilst they waited to see who they met in the final. Suddenly they were playing games Saturday and Sunday and now they had time off, whilst the Juggernaut got another valuable finals game under their belt.
Comparing the Uniting Grand final team of 10/11 it was noticeable that there had been four changes including one opener and their number three. More so there were ongoing issues with their opening pair as they could not seem to get a combination that they were comfortable with but more importantly there was no Ernst hovering around 5 or 6 to steady the ship if required as he did in the inaugural 20/20 Grand Final, or move it along and score quickly to consolidate a strong position. The Juggernaut prevailed in the Grand Final and the Uniting middle order crumbled once the skipper was dismissed and they recorded their lowest score for two seasons. Ouch!
The Uniting committee did not dawdle and quickly moved to acquire former Juggernaut and Aspendale captain/coach Luke Manders. His addition is a coup and has added quality to what is already a very strong team. It will be interesting to see how he fits in and how he performs under the tutelage of Lalor assuming he continues. Both have strong personalities and do not suffer fools lightly. The return of Ernst will solidify their middle order and the skipper coming off 743 runs (including the 20/20).Their younger players have another year under their belts and would expect to see a few of them develop in leaps and bounds. The ageless Surridge with a remarkable 36 wickets will continue to terrorize batsmen, but his workload will have to be monitored as he started to suffer from injury late in the season. Uniting has another heavy schedule and fantastic opportunities for many of the youth to show their wares whilst being part of an experienced team. They really do not have any more excuses and need to put in the hard work show their supporters the next generation of Uniting are ready to take over if and when required. The Golden Age for Uniting is here and they need to take advantage of it for however long it lasts.
Lalor: 500 @ 47.1
Russell: 357 @ 51.0 & 12 wickets @ 21.8
S Richards: 376 @ 47.0
McConville: 246 @ 27.3
Brit: 19 wickets @ 16.2
Surridge: 36 wickets @ 9.3
Likely position: Premiers & 20/20 hat trick
Fresh from their Premiership 2010-2011, Bentleigh Uniting set themselves some ambitious targets for the 11/12 season. Once again they were crowned the 20/20 champions of the CMCA and then set themselves the difficult task of trying to capture the Victorian 20/20 title. Meanwhile they were also juggling the Longmuir home and away season. Irrespective they still looked a formidable team with an immense amount of depth to call upon. There was the odd scare along the way, as was the case in Round 2 with Chelsea Heights having the reigning Premiers reeling at 5/25. They managed to recover and post 9/250 and further solidified the belief that this team was nearly unbeatable because of their immense depth. The much anticipated Round 4 clash against the Juggernaut fizzled out as rain intervened in week 2. In Round 6 Uniting were set a formidable challenge by the Hoops in chasing 249 runs to win. Ash Russell ensured that it would be an early day as he went about slaughtering the bewildered Hoops attack making 141 n.o with 20 over still remaining. In Round 8 they savaged the Mackie attack compiling 8/324 and it was all falling into place. In Round 10 they hosted the Royals in what was expected to be a regulation win. The Royals had other ideas and dispatched Uniting quite easily. For the first time since the inaugural 20/20 final, Uniting looked vulnerable. They were flat and could not make an impact against the rejuvenated Royals. There were also concerns at the fitness of some of their players as the difficult itinerary was beginning to take its toll, both physically and mentally.
In round 11 Uniting spent a lack lustre day in the field against the Golfers, but many of the players must have been contemplating the next day when they were to grace the MCG. History shows they fell short in the final but won over many admirers to reach the final in what was a remarkable run. Now they could focus on Longmuir but rain intervened the following Saturday when they were scheduled to have bat against the Golfers. Circumstances began to conspire against them. They dispatched the Spiders easily in the second semi-final and had the week off whilst they waited to see who they met in the final. Suddenly they were playing games Saturday and Sunday and now they had time off, whilst the Juggernaut got another valuable finals game under their belt.
Comparing the Uniting Grand final team of 10/11 it was noticeable that there had been four changes including one opener and their number three. More so there were ongoing issues with their opening pair as they could not seem to get a combination that they were comfortable with but more importantly there was no Ernst hovering around 5 or 6 to steady the ship if required as he did in the inaugural 20/20 Grand Final, or move it along and score quickly to consolidate a strong position. The Juggernaut prevailed in the Grand Final and the Uniting middle order crumbled once the skipper was dismissed and they recorded their lowest score for two seasons. Ouch!
The Uniting committee did not dawdle and quickly moved to acquire former Juggernaut and Aspendale captain/coach Luke Manders. His addition is a coup and has added quality to what is already a very strong team. It will be interesting to see how he fits in and how he performs under the tutelage of Lalor assuming he continues. Both have strong personalities and do not suffer fools lightly. The return of Ernst will solidify their middle order and the skipper coming off 743 runs (including the 20/20).Their younger players have another year under their belts and would expect to see a few of them develop in leaps and bounds. The ageless Surridge with a remarkable 36 wickets will continue to terrorize batsmen, but his workload will have to be monitored as he started to suffer from injury late in the season. Uniting has another heavy schedule and fantastic opportunities for many of the youth to show their wares whilst being part of an experienced team. They really do not have any more excuses and need to put in the hard work show their supporters the next generation of Uniting are ready to take over if and when required. The Golden Age for Uniting is here and they need to take advantage of it for however long it lasts.
Lalor: 500 @ 47.1
Russell: 357 @ 51.0 & 12 wickets @ 21.8
S Richards: 376 @ 47.0
McConville: 246 @ 27.3
Brit: 19 wickets @ 16.2
Surridge: 36 wickets @ 9.3
Likely position: Premiers & 20/20 hat trick
Uncle Mick
Active Member
What makes you think age catches up with ESBC? Besides Phelan, Wilson & Gibb (I think) they're all on the right side of 35. Hardly getting on. Although Barney's body is battle weary. Duddy is virtually a new recruit this year and I haven't seen him this hungry to play sport since juniors. Along with Marto, Dallas, Singh, Devereaux (who had a year to forget until the big dance) & Corp there's 10 of their mainstays and I can't see them heading south anytime soon.
i guess that is true, however a few of those names have been around for a long time. Perhaps age has already caught up with them to a degree - they were hardly the dominant force that they were of 4-5 years ago, which made it a great effort to win the premiership. the likes of kim pitt and jenkin gone, and those 4 players that you names being a year older might just see them lose an extra 10%. i guess that people have been saying the same thing pre-season for the past few years though. it will be interesting to hear CLOCKER's final team prediction shortly. Uncle mick, they struggled to score runs last year it must be said, you would think that with the addition of manders they will need to score more than the sub200 score that beat uniting this year. how do you see them doing that?
SpongeBob
Member
Ah, Spongey has been a little quiet over the winter - couple of games of baseball down @ the tomato patch at Frankston to keep the eye in a little ... just the way I like it.
Was awoken though to this startling email... from CMCA HQ
"Apologies for the speculative nature of this email, but for some time
we have received comments from various sources suggesting that the
Association change is name from the, now defunct, City of Moorabbin
Cricket Association to something which is a more modern and,
possibly, more accurate reflection of our municipal/ geographic
location. Whilst not at this stage proposing an alternate name, would
clubs be in favour of us changing our name if a suitable alternative
can be found?"
Thought I'd throw it out there for comment - let the floodgates open!!
As for the Sharks this year - I think you all know that the Swiv has taken over the reigns as CC this year - so he's looking forward to the extra challenge of Longy this year, and personally, I think he plays better against the better attacks. Not to mention that he can bowl a bit also.
The ground is looking good already - managed to hit a cover drive to the fence on Sunday - in September!! that's never happened - so come Jan-Feb it should be lightning, and looking schmick, that is if the council don't top dress it again at Xmas!
As for players coming and going - not a lot of changes.. picked up a quick from Croydon. Fair to say I did not see the half dozen balls he bowled to me indoors! Cleaned up our opener 3 balls in a row I'm told - Fastest I've faced in a net session for a loooong time, but yet to see how he goes outdoors (have I just put a target on my head!!
) - So hopefully a good pickup this year. With Mattho, Oata, DeSilva, and Swiv all capable bowlers (with potential Indian under age rep joining in October) - it should hold us in good stead on that front. Batting will need to step up this year as Clocker has so eloquently put in his team appraisals - (nice work by the way, can't fault too much there), with Swiv the key - Andy Verrall, and Mackay, Jewell to chip in some handy runs also. De Silva looks to be able to hold a bat also...
So looking forward to the start of season... practise match against Mitcham this weekend - then travel to Mt Eliza next week (against A. Mikkelsen??), and then back home against Moorabbin 2nd X1 - so lots planned to get us ready for the step up this year.
Was awoken though to this startling email... from CMCA HQ
"Apologies for the speculative nature of this email, but for some time
we have received comments from various sources suggesting that the
Association change is name from the, now defunct, City of Moorabbin
Cricket Association to something which is a more modern and,
possibly, more accurate reflection of our municipal/ geographic
location. Whilst not at this stage proposing an alternate name, would
clubs be in favour of us changing our name if a suitable alternative
can be found?"
Thought I'd throw it out there for comment - let the floodgates open!!
As for the Sharks this year - I think you all know that the Swiv has taken over the reigns as CC this year - so he's looking forward to the extra challenge of Longy this year, and personally, I think he plays better against the better attacks. Not to mention that he can bowl a bit also.
The ground is looking good already - managed to hit a cover drive to the fence on Sunday - in September!! that's never happened - so come Jan-Feb it should be lightning, and looking schmick, that is if the council don't top dress it again at Xmas!
As for players coming and going - not a lot of changes.. picked up a quick from Croydon. Fair to say I did not see the half dozen balls he bowled to me indoors! Cleaned up our opener 3 balls in a row I'm told - Fastest I've faced in a net session for a loooong time, but yet to see how he goes outdoors (have I just put a target on my head!!
) - So hopefully a good pickup this year. With Mattho, Oata, DeSilva, and Swiv all capable bowlers (with potential Indian under age rep joining in October) - it should hold us in good stead on that front. Batting will need to step up this year as Clocker has so eloquently put in his team appraisals - (nice work by the way, can't fault too much there), with Swiv the key - Andy Verrall, and Mackay, Jewell to chip in some handy runs also. De Silva looks to be able to hold a bat also...So looking forward to the start of season... practise match against Mitcham this weekend - then travel to Mt Eliza next week (against A. Mikkelsen??), and then back home against Moorabbin 2nd X1 - so lots planned to get us ready for the step up this year.
CLOCKER
Active Member
I am a little concerned for you SB. Going out a bit hard and to early. Mitcham? Mt Eliza? what the hell is going on. At your age you have to be careful. So Wash Ups have the quickest bowler in the competition. Very keen to see how he peforms. Does he have a turf or synthetic pedigree? Please tell me he is a carrot top. Nothing better than a psychotic fast bowler who is a red head! Guaranteed to have some emotional issues that need to be vented on a Saturday afternoon.
SpongeBob
Member
Clock,
Never said he was the fastest in the comp.... only seen him once - first hit indoors so that may not have helped - but things change outdoors and I can't wait to see how he goes this weekend against Mitcham! He ambles in then just lets rip - hard to pick up, well indoors anyway so sunny nets session me would like!!
At the risk of sounding non-PC, Do you think there would be too many 'de Silvas' running around with red hair? Sorry to disappoint..... As for pedigree, not too sure. Guess we'll find out soon enough!
Yeah - busy pre-season, but good prep for the step up. The sponge is taking it a little easier this weekend, have Tball to coach Sat morns - yes, I'm breeding and teaching non-cricketers
Will head down to Mt Eliza though and take on the old adversaries - had many a battle with them over the early years. But looking after the bod as it's not the best. Wooly looks the go this year clock how is your summary for the last remaining side ESBC going? it seems that you think uniting will take the cake this year, do you think that it will be an ESBC/uniting GF again or will the old fellas run out of steam to the likes of the up and coming kingston heaths and carnegie souths?