1st Grade Round 17: UTS North Sydney v Randwick-Petersham at Coogee Oval
UTS North Sydney 188 (46.4 overs) (J Avendano 57, R Aitken 33, TA Jagot 29) def by Randwick-Petersham 8/232 (cc) (R Aitken 4/54, M Alexander 2/33)
After two weeks off due to the apocalyptic rain, there was a last day of school feeling for Round 17 against finals-bound Randy Petes. But the Bears were at full strength but for the prolonged absence of Tim Reynolds (who made a return for Third Grade the following day), and were buoyed by Tom Jagot winning the toss and electing to bowl with an outfield still heavy from all the rain.
The decision appeared well justified by the opening exchanges, with both opening bowlers giving little away, and Matt Alexander trapping Will Affleck caught down the leg side by Aiden Bariol in the fourth over with the score on 7. Alexander and James Campbell sent down five overs each in the Powerplay with just 22 runs conceded including a single four.
The openers were replaced by Olly Knight and Mac Jenkins and then James Aitken joined the attack before the first drinks break. While the Bears couldn’t quite get the breakthrough, Petes struggled to get the ball away, and even when the infield was pierced, the slow outfield saw it stop before the fence. The score at drinks was 1/49 off 18 and honours even – a platform set, but the bowlers well in control of the run rate.
Unfortunately, after drinks the runs began to flow a little more freely, with both batsmen finding the fence a few times and rotating the strike well, getting the score up to 125 in the 34th over before Rob Aitken had Riley Ayre caught behind for 55. Alexander followed up by removing the dangerous Anthony Sams the following over and drinks were taken at 3/126 with the Bears well in the hunt.
The game turned after drinks, with Petes managing a further 106 in the remaining 14.1 overs. Camden Hawkins was the mainstay, making 96 before being bowled by Campbell (1/42) after a few nervous shots in the 90s. All other middle order players chipped in, most notably Basit Ali who made 25 off 16 after being dropped on 1, before being run out by a sharp throw from Brent Atherton. Former Bear, Adam Docos, played out a maiden in the 47th over from Matt Alexander, who was probably the pick of the Bears’ bowlers, before being stumped off Rob Aitken on the final ball of the innings. Aitken, who bowled 10 overs straight from 32 to 50, finished with 4/54, and Randy Petes closed 8/232.
It was a very respectable score given the conditions, but batting had started to look a little easier as the innings progressed, and some of the moisture had evaporated from the outfield, so it looked to be chaseable.
The Bears’ innings started similarly to Randwick’s, with an early wicket (Atherton bowled in the sixth over) followed by a watchful partnership setting a foundation. But Tom Jagot (29) falling to a return catch with the score on 77 set in motion a collapse that saw us struggling at 6/107 in the 28th over. Justin Avendano was marooned at the other end in the 30s as wickets fell around him but eventually found an accomplice in Rob Aitken and reached 50 off 67 balls with a six over long on. By the final drinks break, the Bears were second favourites but not out of it, at 6/130 off 34, needing another 103 off 16.
Unfortunately, our fate was all but sealed when Avendano was dismissed for 57, and we were bowled out for 188 in the 47th over. Rob Aitken made 33 and the lower order all contributed (with Matt Alexander and James Campbell playing only their third and second innings of the season respectively!), but it was too tall an order, and Petes took home the chocolates to secure third place on the ladder.
We ended a very mixed season in 12th place, though only six points behind 8th. Despite a short run of great wins after Christmas, losses since then coupled with coming out on the wrong side of a couple of thrillers in the early season means that we end up thinking about what might have been. But a proper return to two-day cricket next year will be welcome, and there was a lot to be cheerful about this season.
Justin Avendano stamped his authority on the competition, as second top run-scorer with 836 runs at 76, Olly Knight had a breakthrough year as a genuine all-rounder at the top grade, our young batting line-up showed its class and new faces stepped up when called upon, and our fast bowling duo took 47 wickets between them with the white ball. And the Round 17 winner of the $100 Bradman Medal round prize, Rob Aitken, shows no sign of slowing down after 508 career First Grade games…
Winter well, Bears!