NSW YC Moore Shield
27 October 2024, Joe McAleer Park
Round 3 Blacktown hosted Manly to a picturesque Joe McAleer Park on Sunday the 27th of October, the conditions were low 20’s early on in the day but rising throughout to a top of 27 degrees, with not much wind about, the pitch was a green top wicket with a hard and dry surface underneath.
With the toss being won by Blacktown they choose to bat, so Manly were out to field Owen Cotte and Ollie Pavely took a couple of early wickets, but then Blacktown took hold of the game and put together just under a 100-run partnership for the third wicket Manly managed to slow Blacktown’s momentum down with some quality bowling and fielding with Ben Peak picking up two run outs and two wickets (figures of 2/16 off 8 overs) and Beau Moran working well behind the stumps with two stumpings. Owen Cotte also 2 wickets, and Stu Turner and Ollie Pavely picking up 1 each. Manly kept Blacktown to a score of 196 which was a pretty evenly balanced target.
Our openers Nate Cole and Archie Wragge saw off the new ball including some express Blacktown bowling which allowed Toby Smith and Beau Moran to come in and put together a 95 run partnership (Toby Smith 66 off 76 and Beau Moran 40 off 59) which really set Manly up for a great chase. Jacob Watts and Harry Drummond then put together a good partnership in the last set of overs getting manly to need 10 off 3 overs. Following some consist bowling and pressure from Blacktown it came to got it to 3 runs off the 9 balls. The pressure boiled over causing a collapse from Manly with 4 wickets in 4 balls.
This left it to an equation of 3 runs from the last 5 balls with only one wicket to spare as Ollie Pavely strode to the crease.
Making it look easy, Ollie hit the winning runs with two cover drives in two balls as Manly took home the victory.
Manly winning the game by 1 wicket.
Great win by the boys and good to get our third win in a row to start off the season.
Report by Harry Drummond.
Toby Smith (66 off 76)