B4 Round 4 v Belrose RSL (Terrey Hills)
Result: First innings win
Players Player: ??
Toss: ??

Repeat after me... 1 plus 1 equals 2, 2 plus 2 equals four...

One of these days MBCC will play Belrose without any controversy. This was not one of those days. A problem that had been brewing all season - scorebooks failing to tally - come to the fore (four?) in this game, which MBCC won by the norrowest of margins

Again, biased happily conceeded, but I think the Breakers deserved to win. We bowling and batted the better, and but for an effective, if unorthodoux, knock from Belrose's number 6, could have won far more easily.

The game... played in overcast conditions, we were glad when captain Hill won the toss and elected to field. Pat Ryan and Jeff Monin, so often unlucky with the ball, led am effective assault. Belrose strained, and finally got some runs, but never really got away from us.

The bowling was well backed up by fine fielding, inclusing our three keepers - Jimmy, Rob and Doug (who went into the outfield for the catch he'd been looking for!). Matty Fisher took four wickets, and MBCC were looking for 244 to win...

...maybe. None of the scorebooks tallied, so the captains finally agreed to the 244 winning total.

Day two was warm, but MBCC arrived earlier and in the great team spirit we are building, headed for the nets for practice before the game. Well done lads!

Did it pay off? Darn right it did. Jeff Monin was in fine form, hitting everything well and just missing his 50 and sharing a momentum building stand with Rob Avery (27). Matt Fisher completed a fine double with 47, Pat Ryan also looked in fine touch for 17 before his bad luck with the blade struck again.

(Jeff also is in line for winning "most Nicknames" award - in honour of his team the Roosters taking out the NRL the previous weekend; and taking on the names of each player as the game progressed!)

Doug Alley had missed his 50 the previous week when he was left unbeaten and without anyone to bat with. There was no history repeating this week, as his smashed the bowling all over the field. Doug's 64 (his maiden 50) led us to victory with staunch support from the lower order.

Tony Brown lashed an invaluable 10, but poor Cole Henderson had to come out with one run needed when Moore was cleaned up with the scores level. Cole got the vital single - will there ever be one run celebrated as hard again!??!

Then come the scorebook adding... and re-addding. MBCC were declared winners. Eventually.

Doug was man of the match in a field of worthy contendors.