Crusader/Outright Vs Cricket Victoria Academy Test Match Report

Match Report (written by Rod Croes) – Crusaders Outright v Victorian Cricket Academy – 2-5 January 2017

For this 4 day Test Match there was a 3-hour delay due to the rain. The Crusaders lost the toss and VCA elected to bat. A great start by the Crusaders boys, bowling out the Victoria Cricket Academy for 89.after 46.5 overs.

Bowler results:
• Tom Polkinghorne – 6 overs – 5/6
• Zac Richardson – 6 overs 0/6
• Tom Hall – 5 overs 0/7
• Ryan Masters – 5 overs 0/10
• Connor Rutland – 8 overs 0/25
• Shubham Bhargave – 7 overs 2/18
• Bailen Clarke – 5 overs 0/8
• Cam Watts – 5 overs 2/2

The Crusaders batted for 12 overs and at the end of day one
2/25 after 12 with Ryan Stingel and Noah Croes both on 5 each
Kevin Spaull made 4 (lbw) and Elliott Brandon Jones made 6 (caught behind)
Day 2 should be a great day with weather expected to improve!
For Day 2 of the Crusaders Test v VCA, the boys started day 2 – 2/25. VCA had an injury to one of their young bowlers who became VCA’s permanent scorer.
• Stingel and Croes batted for 4 overs facing spin and pace for Stingel to be bowled for 9 from 53 balls – 3/35
• Rutland came in in over 17 and Croes and Rutland batted extremely well for 57 overs. The boys were able to bat with great poise and maturity and Croes made his 100. A great innings. Rutland was on his way for his century when he was caught in mid wicket for 98 (182) balls. A great Crusader partnership of 210 runs. – 4/245
• Bhargave came in and was lbw for 6 (16), 5/253
• Bangs faced 15 balls before he was judged lbw for 1 by the fast bowler , 6/267
• Walker was judged lbw for 3 of 8 – 7/274
• Captain Watts made a start with 7 of 43 when he was bowled by the left arm spinner Boyce 8/309
• Bailen Clarke was batting well for 10 (29) but also was bowled by Boyce caught mid wicket 9/323
• At end of 100 overs on the day , Croes is 163 not out (299 balls), a top knock. Richardson 0 (11) not out. 9/323 after 112 overs.
Pick off the bowlers for VCA
Boyce 36 overs 6/82
Watt 15 overs 2/21
Tomorrow Day 3 of the Test with the boys coming back against VCA and the boys are 237 runs in front with two days to play.
Hopefully see you all tomorrow for a great 30C+ day

Day 3

Day 3 started a little interrupted for young Noah with a pharmacy visit and tonsillitis and luckily Jakob ‘Moose’ Devine was willing to come in and be the wicket keeper for the Outright boys on Day 3. Great commitment!
For Day 3, the Crusader Outright boys continued the last wicket stand with Croes 163 and Richardson on 0. The boys started in over 113 where the new VCA boy Zak Evans came in to try to bust the last partnership. He bowled some fast 130 kms balls, bouncers and an unintended beanball but the two boys played well against the speed king.
The boys put on a strong stubborn 45 run partnership for 17 overs only for Richardson (8) to go out lbw to James Boyce who finished with 7/86 in 37 overs. A great effort by the young lad!
Noah Croes was superb with a great knock of 193 not out . A very classy innings on such a great occasion in the Test match. Well done Noah, Swan will be proud!

• 29 4’s
• 2 3’s
• 18 2’s
• 35 1’s
Overall the Crusaders set a first innings score of 10/369.
VCA came into bat and needed 280 runs to be even with the Crusader boys.

• First wicket Poppa – ball kept low – lbw Richo for 2 (over 2)
• Second wicket new boy Murphy – bowled Rutland, caught Bangs 15 (over 13)
• Third wicket Ryan – bowled Clarke 22 (over 27)
• Fourth wicket Elliott – bowled Clarke, caught Watts 0 (over 29)
• Fifth wicket McCaskill – bowled Watts, caught Bhargave 37 (over 54)
• At stumps – VCA are 5/210 and are 70 runs behind. VCA is batting well but extremely slow with the strike rate at 2.5 rpo.

Hartill 71 (225 balls)
Handawitherana 44 (98 balls)
In the 80th over, the new ball was taken but no breakthrough as yet. It will be an interesting final day with a break up wicket, a new shiny moving ball and some great bowlers.
5 wickets and not many VCA runs and the match is certainly in the Crusaders grasp!

Day 4

The final day of the Test for our Crusaders Outright boys was being played at sunny Donvale CC. The wicket had certainly held up well but Glen the curator stated that at 2 pm, he believed that it may rain and this will stop the play. In hindsight, that certainly did not happen.
It was important to break the overnight VCA partnership of Hartill and Hendiwitharana.
The Crusader boys started with the new ball and Richardson was able to strike gold with his second ball with a lbw to Hendiwitharana 44 (103) – over 84 – 6/210
Boyce came in and was able to steady the ship and lasted 8 overs until there was a mix up where he was run out with an assist to Clarke and then Stingel credited with the run out for 13 (25) – over 92. – 7/244
The new batsman De Silva came to the crease and certainly made it quick where he faced a ball by Richo and in the next delivery was caught by Devine for a duck – 8/244.
The Crusader boys had their tails up and Rutland and Richardson bowled well for 4 overs until Captain Watts there the ball to Bhargave who bowled tight in over 97. Then the big Polkinghorne came in to show what he could do. He went for a few in his opening spell but he came back with a vengeance. Ball 5, Polkinghorne came in and bowled to Evans out, lbw – 4 (18) – 9/262. Watt, the lanky tail ender came in, faced Polkers and then was clean bowled! – golden duck – 10/262! Crusaders victorious!

Final bowling figures

• Polkinghorne 5 overs , 1 maiden 2/12
• Richardson 15 overs 4 maiden 3/36
• Rutland 13 overs 2 maiden 1/38
• Bhargave 22 overs 7 maiden 0/37
• Clarke 15 overs 5 maiden 2/41
• Hall 10 overs 1 maiden 0/27
• Watts 7 overs 2 maiden 1/23
• Masters 7 overs 3 maiden 0/17
• Stingel 3 overs 1 maiden 0/4
• Spaull 1 over 1 maiden 0/0

Special note to Hartill of VCA who batted responsibly from the start and was unfortunately stranded on 99 (265) as he ran out of partners.
After 5 Tests, the Crusaders finally beat VCA by an innings and 18 runs! A great effort by our boys. Well done to all involved, players, officials, parents. What a great experience! Swan you can be immensely proud of the Crusaders Outright program!