Throw Back Thursday Rd 15 vs Sydney

In out 15 Seasons we have never missed out on having a team in the finals. Our big hopes are 3rd Grade (7th) and 5th Grade (6th) while 1st Grade have a mathematical chance of making it although a very slight one.  This is a Limited Overs round of 50 overs a side and the last game of the season. Let’s hope we can rescue a bit in this final round.

IN OUR 15 SEASONS WE HAVE NEVER MISSED OUT ON HAVING A TEAM IN THE FINALS. Our big hopes are 3rd Grade (7th) and 5th Grade (6th) while 1st Grade have a mathematical chance of making it although a very slight one.  This is a Limited Overs round of 50 overs a side and the last game of the season. Let’s hope we can rescue a bit in this final round.

Club Championship: We are 11th and 9th place Sydney University, who we would need to overtake to finish in the Top Ten are 66 points ahead. Tenth placed Gordon are just 2 points ahead and they seem a more likely target.  We are 337 points behind the leader Penrith—the greatest distance from the lead all season. Let’s hope we can make 10th spot.

1st GRADE is at Coogee: This is a game with Sydney firmly entrenched in a finals berth while we have only the slimmest chance of grabbing 6th spot. Only 6th place is available with 1st to 5th locked in. There are 8 teams within 6 points of 6th place. We are 7th on that list of 8 but have by far the best quotient. Interestingly, none of those 8 teams play each other this Saturday. We would need all those above us to lose for us to take 6th place.  The last man holding on for 8 overs and a draw last Saturday against UNSW cruelled our hopes. Taking that wicket would have meant 6th place for us instead of 12th with the draw. A real tragedy. Congratulations to Nathan Price who becomes just the third player in our 15 years to break 1,000 runs for the season. He has 1,011 with this game to go. Richard CheeQuee scored 1,003 in 2001-02 and Usman Khawaja hit 1,134 in 2007-08. We have a good win ratio over Sydney winning 10 to their 5 with 3 drawn.

2nd GRADE is at Drummoyne: We are 13th and out of business this season and play the leaders. A tough ask but we are capable of giving it to them this weekend and finish the season on a high note. It is 5 all over the years.

3rd GRADE plays at Petersham: This is the team’s most important match this season. In 7th place on the ladder they play the leading team and HAVE to win with either of two other results to go our way for a shot at a finals berth. Should we win and St George (12th) beat Manly (5th) and/or Campbelltown (17th) defeat NDs (6th) we will probably finish 6th. Cross all fingers!! We have only beaten Sydney in this grade 3 times out of 10 clashes and our last win was in 2008-09. The bigger they are the harder they fall! Go you good things!!

4th GRADE is at Birchgrove: One thing’s for sure—we can’t go as bad as last week this round. Last week was a record low score of 38 and our biggest ever loss in any grade—an innings and 125 runs. Our position of 17th doesn’t reflect the talent in the side and even though Sydney is in 7th place and angling for a finals spot they will have a game on their hands this weekend. An opportunity for a flying finish to the season.

5th GRADE plays at Kensington: We’re in the top 6!  Great effort last week and we have nabbed 6th place with the top 6 to contest the final series next week. A win here would just about cement a place. Our opponent Sydney is currently 19th with just two wins. Over the years we have won 5 times to their 3. In our first 14 years we have contested the 5th Grade final series 11 times which is a brilliant record. Keep it rolling boys!

Metropolitan Cup from Jeremy Jastrzab: Coming into the last round of the season, there isn’t much that can be changed but there is still plenty to play for. Gold got out of jail last round as – aside from breaking their unbeaten streak that stretched from October 2015 – the loss against premiers Penrith was offset by Gordon (3rd) and UNSW Black (4th) playing out a high scoring draw. Ahead by 4 points on the ladder, the equation could not be simpler; win to stay in 2nd. We’re guaranteed to stay in finals contention, but a loss could see Gold drop as low as 4th… But with Dale McDonough – currently the leading run scorer in Metro – playing his last game, and Papa Boyns vigorously cheering on from Coxheath, the boys will be looking to take their regular season out on a high against a Sydney team that was comprehensively beaten back in round 10. Green were unable to make the runs on the board count last week, but have one last chance to climb off the bottom of the ladder against UNSW Black. Incidentally, it will be the first time either RP Metro side has played the Black team this season, as each of the previously scheduled encounters were washed out. Green have a wonderful opportunity to completely ruin the party of UNSW, as a loss for them would leave them banking on results to finish in the top four. It all promises to be an exciting finish to what has been a watershed and exciting season for the Metropolitan Cup sides.

Lyall Gardner