Game 4
With Hutt River sitting in 3rd place with just one win for
the campaign, Game 4 would be make or break for the boys in red against the McLaren Crushers. Hankinson let
the team down early, spilling a simple catch off Murdoch and sparing a batsman who
went on to score a quick half century. Otherwise, the Dedication lads were very
solid in the field, and after a big hitting start the McLaren batsmen became
bogged down as a result of some tight bowling. Star performers included Murdoch
(3/31) Pay (2/32) and Ian Sluiter (2/23 from 7 overs) who provided a splendid
spell of tight sharp darts that locked the McLaren batsman in their creases. After a fast start McLaren were all out for
214 in the 49th over.
Chasing the formidable target of 215 for victory, the Hutt River innings started off shakily, with Marshall Richardson detaching his groin from the bone before falling on his sword with a suicide run out. Enter Buckets McCarthy. Promoted to number four in the batting line up, Buckets worked the ball to all areas of the ground in a masterful display of defensive stroke making. Of particular note was the quick-thinking decision to shoulder arms to a no ball on the stumps before running two in the pursuing chaos. Buckets toyed with the fielders both physically and emotionally; in particular through the placement of a number of shots tantalisingly close to members of the tight field around the bat. With partners Garner (13) and Burke (26) McCarthy pushed the score to 71. After Burke and McCarthy were dismissed in quick succession, the task fell to Murdoch and Mills to chip away at the remaining 120 runs, and chip away they did. Mills ground out a gutsy and technical 44, showing complete and utter disdain for the McLaren bowlers. With Murdoch (27) the partnership provided 67 runs and put Dedication within reach of an unlikely victory before Mills, ever the traditionalist dismissed himself in the forties. Unfortunately despite the best attempts of the Sluiters and newcomer Tayler Pay, the tail end was not able to make the reaming runs and Dedication fell an agonising 5 runs shy of victory.
Chasing the formidable target of 215 for victory, the Hutt River innings started off shakily, with Marshall Richardson detaching his groin from the bone before falling on his sword with a suicide run out. Enter Buckets McCarthy. Promoted to number four in the batting line up, Buckets worked the ball to all areas of the ground in a masterful display of defensive stroke making. Of particular note was the quick-thinking decision to shoulder arms to a no ball on the stumps before running two in the pursuing chaos. Buckets toyed with the fielders both physically and emotionally; in particular through the placement of a number of shots tantalisingly close to members of the tight field around the bat. With partners Garner (13) and Burke (26) McCarthy pushed the score to 71. After Burke and McCarthy were dismissed in quick succession, the task fell to Murdoch and Mills to chip away at the remaining 120 runs, and chip away they did. Mills ground out a gutsy and technical 44, showing complete and utter disdain for the McLaren bowlers. With Murdoch (27) the partnership provided 67 runs and put Dedication within reach of an unlikely victory before Mills, ever the traditionalist dismissed himself in the forties. Unfortunately despite the best attempts of the Sluiters and newcomer Tayler Pay, the tail end was not able to make the reaming runs and Dedication fell an agonising 5 runs shy of victory.