Skipper Matthew Grose put in a superb all round performance to help spearhead a marvellous 98 run win over Melbourne University at Princess Park to keep the Scotchies on a winning roll.
Upon winning the toss, the Scotchies elected to bat first and with the imposing figure of last season's cricketer of the year Tim Hosking and the young tyro Cam Melville striding out, you could hardly blame skipper Matthew Grose electing to do so. However, cricket is a funny game where nothing can be taken for granted, and so it proved. In the second over the innings, Uni bowler Thomas removed Hosking for a duck and it was none for two. Then in the fourth over, further disaster struck when Cam Melville was also dismissed for a duck and the score was an unflattering 2/6.
Special guest stars Grant Waldron and Jimmy Billington got the innings back on track in their contrasting styles. Billington with an array of attacking strokes and Waldron accumulating with a more circumspect approach. Billington was dismissed for a sparkling 32, and the score was now 3 for 56. The young tyro Sam Murray joined Waldron and the two in harness proceeded to build. With the score on 133, Murray was dismissed for a well made 43.
Waldron was next man out for a patient 50 and the score 5 for 136. Reeves and Short came and went in the search for quick runs
. and it was down to skipper Grose and Will Hayes to blaze some fast runs, which they did admirably, with Grose being dismissed off the last ball of the innings for 28. Hayes finished 8 not out and the Scotchies had compiled a respectable 178 on the sluggish outfields of Princess Park.
But would it be enough?
It didn't look like it, as the Uni openers looked comfortable against the Old Scotch opening bowlers as they raced to 32 without loss. It was the Scotchies Captain Grose who got the much needed break through dismissing Qasim, then following that up with the wickets of Ahson and Stanley to leave the Varsity boys reeling at 3 for 37. Like a shark that scents blood in the water, the Old Scotch bowling unit circled in for the kill. Bennett and Summerfield removed the middle order before string bean speedster Harry Short returned for a second spell and a shot at redemption and cleaned up the tail to finish with 3 for 23. Matthew Grose finished with the miserly figures of 3 for 8 off five overs to go with his earlier 28 with the bat.
Melbourne Uni was dismissed for 80 to go down by 98 runs to the Scotchies. The Scotchies remain undefeated so far this summer and go into the Grand Final rematch against Old Mentone at Mentone's home ground this Sunday in what is sure to be a cracking contest, while the Celebrities are back in action against Old Caulfield at home on the Meares Oval on Sunday.
Come out and support the boys. In the mean time...