From The Pavilion – Green Shield Round 1 vs Norths

Match Report – Randwick Petersham SOS Hydration Australia AW Green Shield  v North Sydney @ Petersham Oval

Team – L Lopes, V Mahajan, B Larance, M Jenkins (c), B Kenzie, N Hay, A Deller, E Grogan (+), R Sachs, O Sachs, L Barnes, R Gandhi

Result – North Sydney 9/205 – 50 Overs (A Deller 2-22, B Kenzie 2-28) defeated by Randwick Petersham 7/206 – 48.2 Overs (M Jenkins 85*, B Larance 42, B Kenzie 29)

The Randwick Petersham Green Shield campaign started essentially afresh, with an entirely new coaching and support staff, and only 3 players carrying over from last season – including skipper Mac Jenkins. Players filtered through the morning week day traffic to the pristine Petersham Oval to word that a number of games out west had started at 8:30am to beat the heat. And with the mercury topping 30 degrees by 10am, there was no doubt we’d be in for a stinker of a day.  Losing the toss, the young Randy Petes were sent into the field. Bailey Kenzie opened up the bowling and got off to a rough start as the first ball was a tad short and cut for 4 through point. From there, the Bears steadily accumulated boundaries on offer as the young Petes took their time to calibrate into the match. Oscar Sachs finally provided the breakthrough with a caught behind to the youngest player on the field – Emmanuel Grogan.

That was as good as it got for a while, as the bowlers toiled in the heat and the Bears waltzed to 1-90 after 20 overs. Legendary umpire Arthur Watson and his mate Ray Marshall took the very prudent decision to have drinks every 10 overs and even take a break from the heat; kudos to their match management with the young guys. At this second drinks, Mac took his charges aside and reiterated why they were there and what they were representing. The chat worked wonders, as they team came back out and almost immediately struck with two wickets – including the Bear’s hard-hitting skipper. At 3/93, the spinners came on and tightened the screws, as dot balls eventually led to frustrated shots and wickets. In the space of 15 overs, the Bears had plummeted to 7/132 with wickets shared around to almost all the bowlers. Batsmen 8 and 9 almost made it seems as if the order had been reversed with sensible play and controlled aggression, but Alex Deller returned at the death with two wickets and restricting the boys from the other side of the bridge to 205 at the innings close, one wicket away from a full 10 in their first match.

After an afternoon spread that will go down as ‘all time’ (or something to that effect, whatever it is the kids say), the Randwick Petersham batsmen set out after a total that could be considered below par for one of the best outfields around. Vivek Mahajan and Luca Lopes certainly looked the part, until nerves accounted for some slightly less than exemplary cricket and both openers found themselves back in the sheds with only 12 on the board. Enter Brock Larance, joined by good mate Mac Jenkins, and he gave the innings the impetus that it so badly needed. Taking a few balls to find his range, Brock launched into the Bear’s first change bowler by sending him for two sixes towards the Great Western Highway, only for a parked car then a tree getting in the way. While the fir tree on the north side of the ground refused to give the ball back, the replacement made no difference as Brock drilled a couple of boundaries towards the baseball mound. Just as heads dropped in the field and further fireworks were anticipated, the 2^nd change bowler conjured a yorker to send Brock on his way for 42 off 27 balls, and the score at 55.

But Mac was still at the crease and with the ever assured Bailey Kenzie joining him, the two set about making use of the cooling conditions. Mac worked the ball around and punished the bad balls, while Bailey asserted himself on proceedings with two huge sixes towards the south end of the ground. The two put on 79 for the 4^th wicket, to put the Randys in the box seat. After Bailey hauled out, Nicholas Hay helped consolidate the favourable position, before falling in the final stretch. With 10 overs to go, we were 5/165 needing 41 runs in 60 balls. The run out of Alex Deller did little to halt proceedings, as Emmanuel Grogan helped Mac get the target down to 2 runs with 2 overs to left. Sensing the chance to finish off the match, Emmanuel fell going for the winning hit. 2 balls into the 49^th over, Reuben Sachs clipped a ball through midwicket for 2 and victory in our first match of the 2017/18 campaign. Through cramps, heat and 50 overs in the field before, Mac he finished 85 not out to lead the boys from the front.

Mac Jenkins and Brock Larance

The next AW Green Shield match is on December 19 at Pratten Park against Western Suburbs.

*Many thanks to Sharon Deller and Sandeep Mahajan for scoring, Judy Kenzie for the photos, all parents for a fantastic tea and Jeremy Jastrzab for managing the side.