U14 NSW Youth Championship Moore Shield, Round 5, Frank Gray Oval, 5 November 2023
Match reduced to 35 overs per side – MWJCA 6-185 (Horstead 67*, Jayaram 38, Keam 21) defeated Bankstown 9-56 (Rosenkowitz 4/6, Graham 4/19, Rulli 1/7, Horstead 1 catch and 2 stumpings).
The Manly boys arrived at a wet Frank Gray Oval for their 5th match of the season against Bankstown. Some wet and raining conditions meant that the boys would have to wait as a rain delay pushed back the start of this encounter. After a four-and-a-half-hour rain delay the clouds opened up as Bankstown sent the boys in to bat in what had become a 35/35 game.
Rohit and Harvey stride out to the middle eager to get this game underway. After just taking 1 ball to get his eye in Rohit would go onto get 10 runs off the first over putting manly in a damaging position early. Manly were going at a good rate as the singles and twos came with ease until Harvey after just hitting a monstrous six went again and chipped it straight to midwicket, sadly gone for 17. In came Angus, one of Manly’s biggest hitters and looking to help boost Manly total and run rate quickly. Unfortunately, with some amazing Bankstown bowling and dot ball pressure Angus played a shot straight to midwicket. He was gone for 6 which then brought to the crease Manly’s in form batsmen Darcy Horstead. Together Darcy and Rohit built a strong partnership finding singles and two’s off the good balls and smashing the bad balls to the boundary until Rohit played across the line to a ball that nipped in and stayed low getting out LBW for a well-deserved and important 38. Noah came to the crease and looked to score quickly hitting 3 boundaries in quick fashion before dancing down the wicket and chipping it to mid-on for 21. With the overs ticking over, Manly’s lower order accelerated with Darcy as he brought up an amazing half century with a 6 securing Manly a respectable total of 6-185 of our 35 overs.
With just a 20 minute break due to the rain delay and some insightful words from coach Rich, it was the bowlers turn to rip into the Bankstown batting line-up.
A new look to Manly’s opening bowling as Murray and Will took the new ball. The boys kept the runs dry until Will broke through with an absolute ripping ball breaking through the opening batsman’s defence which then brought another just two balls later, another beauty from Will. The wickets dried up until drinks as the boys kept a tight line restricting the runs before the spinners came on. Caden and Mitch ripping through their overs with Mitch keeping it tight and Caden with wicket after wicket with some help from Darcy with two stumpings. The spinners had now got Bankstown 7 down and Harvey then brought on himself and Will with some rapid pace to break the tail of Bankstown. Will picked up another two wickets as the number 8 and 11 were able to resist the bowling with Bankstown ending up 9-56 a clinical bowling display from the boys.
Report by Noah Keam