Nathan Williams' Moderately Successful Debut, and Skid's Unbeaten run continues

by Rog Moore

That’s more like it. The Manly Breakers recorded their first win for the winter season. New boy Nathan Williams starred in all areas, and backed by a strong all round team effort the Breakers thrashed the Cabra Vale Diggers by 93 runs.

AFL, of all things, meant changes were needed. The Melbourne absences of Dave Elliott and David Lang, plus the family gathering of Richo Smith, being filled by Mark Mullineaux (much to Chris Sweet’s dismay, a wicket-keeper), Roger Christie and Nathan.

By batting through a full and testing 36 overs, and then bowling with pin-point efficiency, the Breakers returned to the winner’s column, and premiership player/ new Winter boy Mark Mullineaux kept his unbeaten record stretching from the start of 2006/07.

The Breakers total of 184 was only 20 more than their round 1 effort. However, it was a more smooth effort, and with no player passing 30, made of more solid foundations that the previous game’s Tony Ball – boosted effort. Artarmon was also a different ground, with little value for safe shots along the stoggy turf, and the eventual score was hence misleadingly small.

New boy Nathan Williams, another of the Qantas recruitment zone, opened with co-worker Guna (18), and responded by top-scoring with 28. Their opening stand laid the foundations, and having weathered some brisk tests from the opening attack, both players responded to the lack of shot value with efficient, improvised hits over the field and smartly taken bonus runs. Tony Ball (27) calmly assessed the situation by smoothly hitting his first ball over and beyond square leg for four, and then majestically driving straight for six. The impressive Diggers' keeper responded by standing up to the sumps.

Players fell to some excellent catches, still the runs kept flowing, Chris Sweet, once a prolific gather of over-the-rope scoring shots, rolled back the clock against the oldest player in the park, with sixes via a third man hoik and magnificent hit over long off. Captain Lavery, in a similar mood, nurlded the middle ball of the three he could see, with a crucial nurdle of 21, including one hit straight at his team mates.

(Rob's effort also appears to have refined "nurdling", if you go for the "follow my example, lads" school of leadership. "Nurdling" now apparently means "Plan A: Hit to ball to the fence. Plan B: Hit the ball over the fence. Plan C: Hit the ball into the next suburb").

The Diggers boys, despite some interesting leadership (although a clash between opposition captain and Mr Bond is almost expected these days), were efficient enough, and leg-spinner (Phiroze?) claimed Matt Fisher with an excellent, fizzing delivery from the Warne school. Their wicket keeper also deserves credit. Contering this, Roger Christie (20) picked up the runs in his usual calm, efficient manner, anchoring the rest of the innings and crucially seeing of the threat of the leggie so last man standing, the other Rog (Moore), could produce a somewhat less calm hit and run – sometimes short run – knock, before managing to get himself stumped off the 7th ball of the last over – both firsts for the aging Kiwi.

The way the Cabra Vale team set out to chase the 190 runs they needed suggested much viewing of the Kris Srikanth career highlights video. Christie, who apparently retired after 2 overs last week (sure), looked the most impressive, his partener Nasa (27) effective at using the edge of his bat with shots (just) to all the gaps. Vitamin, for one, grew sick of the “ball falling just wide of me” syndrome. Matt Fisher, steaming in struck the first blow when Christie misjusdged and hit high to Nath’ – the new boy’s first scoreboard statistical act of a good personal day in the field.

Seemingly deseperate to get home early, the batsmen were tied down by uniformly excellent Breakers attack. Occasionaly, there were scoring spurts (usually from wristy flicks), and then always the Brookkvale Oval sponsored men got the nose back on. Gunasehar and Willams, on a generally confusing day for Qantas in the wake of attempted takeovers, took over with the ball. Showing a ruthlessness and success the corporate raiders did not, Qantas’ Gunna and Nathan tore apart the batting. Nathan, tall, efficient and bespectacled, grabbed 5-12 off 6 controlled overs. Sign this man up.

Backed with excellent ground and aerial fielding (including a trademark hanger from Tony Ball, and a “hit so easily to me” take by Fish), the batting simply did not stand up (including the Cabra Vale Captain (Coach?), who claimed he should have batted higher, and was promptly dismissed when he did). Chris Sweet and Matt Fisher returned to complete the job, a task the Breakers managed so well that Capt’n Lavery only needed to employ four bowlers by the time Fish had the final say, winning a plumb LBW.

Tight Like Fire Breakers – well done!

Man of the match: Nathan Williams. Top score, five-for with the ball, excellent in the field – all on debut – kind of says it all. Top bloke too.