RPC Green Shield Round 4-5 Recap vs Wests & Easts

Randwick Petersham’s AW Green Shield team opened their week with a narrow loss away to Western Suburbs before a gutsy win at home to Easts confirmed the side in 4th place on the ladder with 2 matches to go before the finals.

Round 4: RPC 7/176 (Parthenis 38*, Goyal 27) def by Wests 8/177 (Narayan 3/5)

Round 5: RPC 7/245 (Graham 86, Myers 57) def. Easts 243 (Aitchison 5/45 Ramakanth 2/46)

What a game of cricket!  Today’s local derby clash between Randwick Petersham and Eastern Suburbs under 16 years A W Green Shield teams will sit in the memory for some time. And deservedly so. It was a match which had everything and was decided in the 100th over of the day with Randwick Petersham getting to 7-245 with 4 balls to go to chase down the Dolphins 243.  For the home side, paceman Gregor Aitchison began well, sending two back to the pavilion for a 2-6 scoreline. But there was plenty of resistance and at 4-150, the visitors were well on top. They looked even better at 6-223 until leg-spinner Atharv Ramakanth (2-46 off 10 overs) broke through. That gave the early wicket-taker Aitchison a bit of incentive and he returned to the bowling crease to wrap up the innings for 243, taking 5-45 off 9.5 in the process. Young Gregor was just the second player in the past 10 years to take a “5-for” in Green Shield for the club.

Zak Graham

The most amazing thing about the Easts innings however, was that, despite a couple of solid 40s by the batters, top-scorer was the Randy Petes’ 50 extras! And while it included 41 wides, only one no-ball was bowled and one bye allowed. Easts conceded 28 when they bowled which seems minute against it. The team of 2014-15 conceding 46 to Sutherland is the only record close to it.  Head-shaking stats.

In the run chase, the Randy Petes openers began slowly and watchfully. Rishabh Goyal (who took a hat-trick in Metropolitan Cup cricket early in the season) was first to go for 27 with the score on 45. At 2-54, left-hander Zakary Graham was joined by right-hander Jake Myers who had struggled to get past 17 while opening the batting the previous 4 games. He and Zakary batted through to the 43rd over when Graham was out for a brilliant 86 off 99 balls with 11 fours and a scoreline of 3-201. They had put on 147 for the 3rd wicket—just 9 short of the club record set 19 years ago. A total of 43 runs were needed off 42 balls. Chaik Hathurusinghe hit 21 off 18 including the only 6 of the season. But at 228, Myers was run out for a well-made 57 off 77. Nerves then kicked in and wickets fell at 234, 235 and 236. It was 7-236 with 8 to get off 11. Into the last over—4 needed off 6. Hunter Palmer struck a 4 off the second ball of the last over and it was game, set and match at 7-245. Sweaty palms all round!

Next round is against UTS North Sydney (one win behind us in 7th place) NEXT TUESDAY at Coogee Oval from 10 am.

Gregor Aitchison 5 wickets

Reports compiled by Hon. Club Historian Lyall Gardner OAM

The 2022-23 AW Green Shield team is proudly sponsored by