DAVE: Good morning boys, welcome back to another edition of LTS. It’s always great when I get to wear my Collingwood polo on a Monday morning after a big win (boy roll their eyes). Hopefully the Tiges can roll the Blues and you boys can be up and about next week in your yellow and black. Let’s kick off with Best Action; Juzzy, you’ve got the new ball.
BEST ACTION
JUSTIN: Thank Dave. My best action was at Clyde on Saturday when Trevor Bauer clipped one for four to become the leading runscorer in CCCA Premier Division this season. And I do have a second piece of best action this week and that goes to Rob Maskiell who took an absolute blinder off his own bowling to dismiss Clyde power-hitter Ryan Adams. Ryan came to the crease with intent, hitting three very assertive boundaries in his first 13 balls, and then he tried to power another one down the ground. Maskiell got his hand to it and it popped up, then he completed a juggling catch to remove one of Clyde’s best players. It was really good way for Kooweerup to finish the season over another finals contender, and they head to Cardinia this week with their confidence high.
DAVE: That is going to be a beauty…Cardy and Koowee really don’t like each other. That’s a genuine rivalry built over a lot of finals games over a lot of years. Just quickly Juzzy, Ryan Adams is your favourite, did you take down a bunch of flowers or a six-pack of beers for him on the weekend?
JUSTIN: Not yet; but maybe next week after we see what he does in finals.
DAVE: Blair, who tickled your fancy on the Saturday?
BLAIR: DDCA finals kicked off on the weekend, very exciting, with a big qualifying final between the Bucks and the Bloods. And while Springy South got the job done, and moved through to a grand final spot, best action comes from Harry Snowden, the big fast bowler from Buckley Ridges. He’s basically everything you want in a fast bowler; he’s big, intimidating, charges in hard and lets it fly. Even though Springy had a perfect start, 1/185 off 44 overs just after tea, Snowden bowled Ryan Quirk for 91 and gets up and about, the boys love it. He’s the best celebrator in the league, he charges off and his teammates can’t catch him, he loves it and it doesn’t matter what stage of the game. Then, next ball, Jordy Wyatt comes to the crease, we know how damaging he can be; straight through him first ball and big Harry’s off again. Running around the oval, beating his chest…and he took six for the day and bowled exceptionally well. Springy move through…but best action goes to big Harry Snowden.
DAVE: Boys, I headed down to Catani on Saturday to watch the Navy Blues take on Drouin. The WDCA has a rule where the top two teams get to select the semi-final venue that they want to play at. Western Park chose to play at Drouin, and Catani at Hallora, but the roller at Hallora was broken so they played at Catani on the synthetic instead. Anyway, Catani was up and about in the early overs trying to apply pressure, but every time they did Drouin opener Damon Healy would play a big shot to the leg side and release the valve. There was one shot in particular off Riley McDonald that really showed he was in for a good day. It was a swat to square leg for four and it really dropped Catani’s decibel levels in a heartbeat. Healy dominated a 42-run opening partnership with Trevor Gardiner and put the Hawks on the road to victory. That hit to square leg was my best action for the weekend.
WINNERS AND LOSERS
DAVE: I’m after winners and losers from the weekend boys, and I’m kicking us off with Melbourne supporters being the biggest losers; even though they don’t play until next week. I can’t imagine what it would have felt like to watch Christian Petracca go nuts for Gold Coast in one of the best games of his career, and then watch Clayton Oliver play a big role for GWS against the Hawks. It just goes to show that those blokes haven’t lost their class; it was clearly the environment they were in that was holding them back. Garry Lyon reckons he’s never seen Petracca play a better game. While on Lyon, he’s in the loser bucket for me as well. His commentary was unbearable on the weekend. When a Victorian State of Origin player went near the ball it was like he is now their best mates and knows everything about them. Put it this way; Lyon is no Ted Whitten…that’s for sure. And the big winner in cricket was clearly Drouin; when a team defies the rankings in finals cricket it is always a pretty special feeling.
BLAIR: Starting at the top level; Gold Coast, how good did they look? Geelong was undermanned, but there won’t be too many people who watched that game that won’t think the Suns are looking pretty scary this year. Matty Rowell was out, Jed Walter is still to come in and Jamarra (Ugle-Hagan) is kicking six in a practice game. ‘Dimma’ Hardwick has got the toys that he wanted I guess. More locally, the big winner was obviously Springy South, but don’t forget about Berwick who cruised through against Hallam Kalora Park and won by seven wickets. The Bears now head to a prelim against Buckley Ridges with everyone looking fresh, with key players performing, and it should be a ripper clash. Coomoora was also a big winner; defeating Narre Warren by 197 runs to book a place in the Turf 2 decider. Krishan Alang, the Gartside Medallist, did it again, making his third century for the season to lead the Roos to victory. There were some pretty impressive winners from the weekend.
JUSTIN: My first big winner from the weekend is Pakenham Cricket Club president Phil Anning, who finally gets a rest this week after a massive month where he was Team Manager for Country Week, then had Pink Ladies Day and then hosted the club’s sponsors and past players day on Saturday. Pakenham won’t be hosting a final this week, so Phil finally gets a week off from organising. He’s a ripper bloke Phil; we love him here at the Gazette, so hopefully he can relax a little. My second winner is Jake Stringer and GWS, who were injury ravaged but still dominated the Hawks on Saturday afternoon. Stringer certainly knows when it’s a contract year, having 14 disposals and kicking five goals four…the ‘Package’ looks like he will earn a contract extension with the ‘Orange Tsunami’. My loser is the Hawthorn midfield, it looks really skinny and especially with the long-term absence of Will Day. They were smashed in the clearance, especially in the centre of the ground. Jai Newcombe did well but it all looks a little bit shakier than what we originally anticipated. And my last loser is Pakenham Upper/Toomuc in A Grade, who finished sixth after starting the season with a 5-2 record after playing in the grand final last year. They are one of only two first XI teams to miss finals in A Grade…that’s a huge disappointment.
GETTING THE JOB DONE
DAVE: Boys, there were a few examples on the weekend of experienced cricketers getting their teams across the line. Gavin Roulston and Greg Munro did it for Western Park in the WDCA, but the one that really stood out for me was Chris Cleef, Lucas Carroll and Ben Marsh lifting Devon Meadows from 5/43 to chase down 160 and save the club from relegation. Those blokes are 39, 39 and 35 respectively and their performance really got me thinking. Is it purely experience; is it talent; is it inner-belief, is it preparation; is it the ability to stay calm; the ability to handle pressure…what is it that separates these blokes apart? Why did we all sort of expect Chris Cleef to save his team even before he had even done it? What do you think Juzzy?
JUSTIN: I think its experience for sure, in any sport; just knowing that you’ve been in those high-pressure situations before. Take Adelaide in the AFL last year, they won the minor premiership but people were questioning how would they handle the pressure with little experience. Bang, bang…straight sets, they’re out. Pakenham in Outer East Division 1 last year looked very, very good but probably didn’t have the finals campaign they were expecting. Experience is so important, critical for the people who have it because it builds belief that you can do it in a high-pressure situation.
DAVE: Blair, you’re actually in a unique situation to answer this, being a current captain of a cricket team. There will be some blokes you put your faith in that you sort of know won’t get the job done, but you’ll see others walking to the middle, or taking the ball, and think “He will get the job done.” What are your thoughts?
BLAIR: I thought about this question a fair bit and I’ve ranked the traits in order. Number one for me is composure and calmness, and that comes from experience as well, but the best big moment players in any sport, the ones that own the moment, are the ones that stay composed. The moment doesn’t overawe them, the eyes on them don’t bother them and they stay present in the moment. Composure is number one and belief is clearly number two. If you don’t fully believe you can do something, you’re probably not going to do it. On the weekend, we only had 160 on the board and they always looked like getting them, we needed wickets the whole time, but until they hit the winning runs I genuinely believed that one more wicket could turn the match. The third thing is talent, which can get you to finals, but you need to add the heart, composure and experience to win big games of any sport.
DAVE: Blair, one of the things that you mentioned is clearly number one for me, and that is staying present in the moment. You need a broad picture of what the landscape is at the time, but it all means nothing, particularly in cricket, if you can’t zone in and execute that next piece of play. I could talk about Collingwood all day, but even last night against St Kilda it was the experience of Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Maynard, Quaynor and other seasoned players that got them across the line. Every little moment matters under pressure and I’m sure Chris Cleef, Lucas Carroll and Ben Marsh have learnt that over the years. They would have simplified it to occupying the crease…knowing that the runs would come. And some of the best cricketers that I have ever played with almost have an extreme arrogance; they know they’re good.
BLAIR: You need that to be the best.
DAVE: I don’t know Chris Cleef from a bar of soap; but it’s almost like everyone expected him to do it.
JUSTIN: It’s funny you say that Dave. I was talking with Phil Anning on Saturday and explained the situation of the Devon Meadows game. When I told him Chris Cleef was in, he said, “They’ll get those runs.” It’s a great reputation to have.
ALYSSA HEALY
DAVE: We can’t have LTS this week without a quick word each on the career of Alyssa Healy.
JUSTIN: Statistically she’s great and her trophy cabinet would be enormous, but what sticks out to me is that she is a genuine pioneer of Australian women’s cricket. She and Ellyse Perry are the two names that have really come to the forefront of embedding women’s cricket into the Australian culture.
BLAIR: I agree, the same names, and also your Meg Lanning’s, give girls of the future some great role models growing up. It was great that the two girls that opened in the final innings; Georgia Voll and Phoebe Litchfield, were inspired by Alyssa Healy and she got to watch the next generation take over from the changerooms in her retirement game.
DAVE: I don’t think I’d ever watched a game of women’s cricket until I heard that Alyssa Healy was playing the game. I knew of her uncle Ian, and just wanted to see what she played like, and at about the same time Ellyse Perry was a dual code Australian sportsperson in soccer and cricket. Those two really pricked my attention to women’s cricket and I’m glad they did. Alyssa Healy is a genuine legend of Australian cricket with an already lasting legacy, and it’s a legacy that will only get bigger after a long career in the commentary box. I just feel so proud that Alyssa Healy played for my country…I can’t give anyone any greater praise than that! Talk next week boys.
