The Over 60 regional match against Central Coast on 22nd January was transferred from Robert Holland Oval to Taylor Park The Entrance due to the dampness of the pitch. The match was played on a bouncy synthetic pitch which is laid in the centre of the turf wicket square. The Cyclones were sent in to bat, with the outfield dewy and the grass in need of a cut.
The Cyclones got away to a flyer, putting on 31 for the first wicket in just over 4 overs. Then the brakes went on with Roger Black (6/0/20/0), Phil Smith (6/0/11/1) and Gary Budden (3/0/13/0) being the stranglers. there were a number of opportunities for dismissals that went begging in these overs. CC skipper Greig Buscombe (33 ret from 29) and Keith Vallis (31ret from 31) accelerated and Mark Bury (27ret from 29) continued the revival. The rate slowed again after that as the bowlers tightened up, with Phil Smith taking a smart catch. Paul Clarke finished with 2/29 off 6 and John Rice 1/22 off 6 as the Cyclones finished with 4-182 from their 40 overs.
The CC lunch was up to its usual fine standard and was soon demolished. The sea breeze which was a gentle companion in the morning freshened a bit for the afternoon and the Tavs commenced the run chase. We lost Bill Shafer in the first over but Gary Budden (36 ret from 32) and Ian Hodge (33 ret from 35) took charge and dominated the attack without giving the Cyclones a sniff. The Tavs were 1/82 at the 15 over drinks break. The remaining batsmen all made double figures with good strike rates, with Geoff Kirk (20) and Bob Douglas (24 ret) enjoying a good partnership. Bob played the shot of the day, a back-foot cover drive that raced to the boundary as quickly as Jim Price after a beer. Paul Clarke and Graham Halton consolidated further and we reached the required score with 33 balls to spare. This is the second consecutive time we have chased down 180+ to win on this ground.
Many thanks to the Cyclones for accommodating us at such short notice and playing the game in the competitive yet convivial manner we have come to expect. Gary Budden added his inspirational fielding to his efforts with bat and ball to be our MOM. Keith Vallis was the Cyclones MOM. Many thanks to Ann Rice and Margaret Smith for scoring and Live Scoring, although I think I may have been the only person in Australia following the live score.
Click here to view the match details on My Cricket.