Breakers Winning Streak has Successful, Stressful Christmas Finale

by Rog Moore

The probably inevitable wobble in the Manly Breakers B3s winning run came in the Christmas break one day match. After two draws, the Breakers secured a vital win. However, it was by one wicket only in a low scoring game, where Dave Elliott’s match-best score and a deep batting line-up made the difference.

The Ashes Ambassadors returned to the side this week, and high scorers Lloyd Walker and Angivin Gunasehar took their turn to rest, although they turned up to watch and critique – sometimes harshly. Giddie up, lads!

The seasons’ first real One Day match took place at Dee Why Oval, a notoriously high scoring ground with severely short boundaries, especially since 2 meters is now lost to concrete, and a deceptively quick field. This particular boundary was to be controversial later in the day. Before then, Rob Lavery fared no better with the coin call than Northy had the previous week. Dee Why made the usual decision in limited overs games to bat, much as they had in their first encounter with the Breakers: a rained out two day match that took place only on Day 2.

In an efficient bowling and fielding display, the Dee Why team fell for 134, a total back-boned by Mitchell’s 34. A generally efficient bowling attack was backed up by fielding more in line with this season’s high standard, although Ian North had to leave the field with a damaged thumb, starting with Boof Smith’s trademark slip take.

Chris Sweet (2-25), a rapidly paced Rob Lavery (1-6 off 5 overs of aggression), Hugh Walker’s near hat-trick and Matt Fisher, bowling fast spin and demolishing the lower order with his season’s best 3-10, DC’s aggression, Northy’s hung-over control, were the leather flingers. Last batsman Leago, an LBW victim of The Fish (Shark?) provided probably the saddest dismissal of the year, raising his bat and putting his leg delicately between ball and stumps. Needless to record, Doug Alley shone among the fielders, with a trademark “How’d he..?” catch and a ditto run-out.

On the first day of the season where play actually happened, these two sides engaged in a tense run chase that boiled down to a battle between century makers Walker (123) and Gunaeshar (106 on debut). Any thoughts of an easier chase of a smaller target departed along with Pickles Walkers’ golden duck. Batting at three was Dave Elliott, whose effort was to eventually be the match winner.

Dave Elliott: His 49 runs was the game's highest, and ultimately decisive, knock

Erriott, hitting eight 4s and a 6, fell just short of his half century. The innings included a dropped catch on the boundary that should have been called a six, and wasn’t, plus a late signalled leg bye: either would have given Dave a well deserved 50, the latter made the eventual Breakers’ win much less hair greyingly tense. At 87/6 (that unlucky number again), Dee Why were genuinely scenting a win against the grade leaders. However, the Breakers were batting all the way down to 11, and that eventually made the difference.

A vital stand between Rob Lavery and Chris Sweet, the former blasting two 4s and a 6, the latter continuing his Zen batting style and acquiring yet another nickname to raise his per game average to a respectable 1.94, lifted the score to 125. Tense recounts of scores ensued, as the last Breakers’ batsmen ground out the vital win, Northy batting injured thumb and all.

A few hard palpations here and there, however the cheers from the Breakers’ spectators and players showed how much they enjoyed this tensest of wins to go into the Christmas break still unbeaten and still on top in the B3 Grade. Dave Elliott, dominating his team-mates votes as he did the scoreboard, was a well deserved Players Player.