First Innings Loss
Coromandel 148On a day that threatened to be an ugly one for the B Grade, the "penguin-heads" fought back to restrict Western Youth Centre to 201 on a small ground.
Ben Eames bowled the first over of the innings and was smashed for 18 runs, but returned to the attack later in the innings and picked up three important wickets. Chris Garth equalled his best bowling for the season with another four wicket haul.
Chasing 202 to win, Coromandel resumed at 1/44 and were in trouble early at 3/55.
Grant Wannan joined veteran Mark Wicks at the crease and together they transformed the match with a fourth wicket stand of 127. Wicks led the way with 83 - his highest score for the season and sixth highest in an illustrious 148 match career at Coromandel. He was awarded the "Quik Stix" Player of the Match for this efforts and is only 67 short of 3500 career runs.
"Grunter" scored his first half-century since 1997, and was involved in his first century partnership for the club.
In a desperate bid to eliminate the possibility of a late order collapse, Simon "junior" Zacpal scored a blistering 27 runs from 13 balls. In a flurry of boundaries, he dominated an unbeaten stand with Wannan of 32 from four overs as his team powered towards victory.
Determined to put the disappointment of the first half of 2002/03 behind them, the Richard Hunter-led "Spatchcocks" produced their best bowling and fielding performance for the season. The bowlers were on top from the very first ball of the day, after a Chris Lay thunderbolt was edged by the batsman into the safe left hand of 50th game player Greg Kearsley at second slip.
John Phillips led the way with 3/18 - his best bowling figures for the club since 8th October 1977 (when he took 7 for 21).
Warradale's score of 114 would typically be a competitive score on the wide expanses of Blackwood Hill Oval, however with the ball travelling across the outfield at a greater speed than usual, the home side would be well satisfied with their effort.
With 18 overs to bat, opener Mike Maclean contined his recent return to form, dominating an opening stand of 38 and surviving till stumps to be unbeaten on 32. When Mike elegantly drove the ball to the cover boundary to move from 18 to 22, he brought up his 2000th run for the club. Presently in his 74th innings, he has equalled the second fastest to reach this milestone (taken over all players who debuted for Coromandel since 1947).
David Magarey, playing in only his third C Grade match, was given the honours of seeing out the last overs out for the day. Batting at number three, it is the first time he has been higher than fifth in the batting order at Coromandel.
At 1/42, the team appears set to open the new year with a win, and end their five match losing streak.
First Innings Win
Warradale 114Outright Win
Warradale 93First Innings ...
St George 309 (Van Schaik 2/8, Chambers 2/60)