Throw Back Thursday Round 12 vs Bankstown – Brought to you by Sydney City Toyota

This weekend we have a round of two-day matches in all grades over the next two Saturdays against a tough opponent in Bankstown.

Club Championship: Last week our four lower grade wins enabled us to pick up 86 points and in turn we moved up one spot to 11th. However, we are still 427 from the lead so our target should now be to finish as high as we can which may be around 6th. Bankstown are in that position and we are only 109 points behind them. A good round against them over the next two week-ends may help reverse those positions.

1st Grade is at Petersham: While last week’s loss to Blacktown was disappointing, there were a few results which went our way meaning that the damage was not as great as it could have been. Easts and Mosman both won however, and have gone past us on the competition points ladder relegating us to 5th place. Historically they hold a slight upper hand with 7 wins to 5. There is only 6 points (one win) between us and 12th placed Campbelltown and with just four rounds left including this one, the race for a spot in the final six is on in earnest. And a little bit of trivia coming out of last week’s match: in Blacktown’s innings we had eight fielders take nine catches; in our innings Blacktown took just one catch! And after Anthony Sams’ brilliant 114 last week, his second ton of the season, he is the club’s leading 1st Grade scorer with 452 runs-just 48 for a 500 runs summer!

2nd Grade is at Bankstown: Bankstown Oval is pretty flat judging by the fact last round saw a draw with 699 runs scored for the loss of just seven wickets—an average of almost 100 runs a wicket! We will need to be on our best batting form. There is just 6 points (one win) between 3rd and 13th place on the competition ladder. Keep winning and we will almost certainly make the finals. We are 10th on 30 points and Bankstown is 11th also on 30. We have a good record against the Bulldogs in 2s having won 7 times to their 4. The last two matches have been close-fought wins—both by 7 runs! John McLoughlin is the team’s leading run-getter with 418.

3rd Grade is at Coogee: Bankstown is 10th on 25 points and we are 13th on 21. Nothing in this match. We lead the ‘Dogs in the historic stakes winning 6 to their 5. Great win by our boys against Blacktown last week to keep an impressive record intact—9 wins and a draw from 10 matches.

4th Grade is at Jensen: What a great performance last week to win which was the 10th successive defeat of Blacktown. History making stuff and a new record for 4th Grade! And we are catching up to than winning number against Bankstown having won 7 to their 4. They are 13th on 24 points and we are 18th on 18. Chance to move up the ladder here. And can skipper David Bourke set some sought of record this Saturday by winning the toss for his 10th in a row?????

5th Grade is at Kensington: We are on the verge of a top 6 spot being 7th on 37 points but only 7 from 2nd placed ND’s on 44. Another very close comp! We won our first 9 matches against the Bulldogs and have won another two in the past four games being beaten just twice for an 11-2 win ratio—an  amazing record. They are 13th on 30 points. Keep winning and we will be assured of a finals berth. Grant Rimmer is second in the competition bowling stats with 27 wickets just 3 behind the leader.

Metropolitan Cup: Metro Green locked in a dog eat dog battle for a place in the finals are up against Wests who are in a similar position but it’s on Wests home turf at the unpredictable Punchbowl. Omair Ali led the bowling last round and has trained hard to repeat the dose and this week he will have Adam Lee firing them down at the other end. The batting needs to put value on their wickets as Wests have a good array of nagging quicks. The young Gold team played very well to nearly chase down 200 against the strong North’s team last round with new skip Ed House leading from the front with a 70.They take on the very young Fairfield side at Snape and are strong candidates to bring home 6 points.

See you all at Coogee Friday for the big international clash when Randwick Petersham take on the might of Ireland!  A 10 am start.  Be there!!

Lyall Gardner

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