Brunswick Cricket Club Craig Shield - week 2
- Brunswick CC
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Brunswick entered week 2 of the Craig Shield competition as the only undefeated team in the North Group after 4 wins against some of the other leading teams in the group. But the North Group seems to have very evenly matched teams. How would Brunswick go in the last three games of the round robin? Read on to find out…
Frustratingly, Gillon Oval had been watered via the automatic sprinklers prior to the match – very well-watered such that the start of the match was delayed due to a wet outfield and the game was reduced to 28 overs per side.
Once the game got underway, Brunswick won the toss and elected to bat. A string of 20+ run partnerships took Brunswick to 4/150. At more than 5 runs per over, it was a very defendable total.
Brunswick’s opening bowlers made it hard for Preston to score. While the first wicket didn’t fall until the eleventh over, a score of 1/10 at the fall of the first wicket put Brunswick in a winning position. From there, the run rate was always going to be a problem for Preston, and regular wickets reduced Preston to 7/57 after their 28 overs. A win of almost 100 runs put Brunswick in a strong position for the tournament with five wins from the first five games.
Result: Brunswick 4/150 defeated Preston 7/57
Leading numbers
Wickets: Jed 2/6; Finn 1/2; Gurmann 1/3; Jude 1/7; Ben 1/9. Runout: Gus/Finn
Batting: Jude 46*; Abhik 44; Flynn 24
Brunswick arrived at St Bernard’s full of confidence but aware that while St Bernard’s had lost a few matches, those losses had been close and against some strong teams. Brunswick won the toss and invited St Bernard’s to bat first, something that they took pleasure in doing it seemed. An early wicket (1/12) led to a 56 run stand for the second wicket. A further partnership progressed and at 2/99 in the 26th over, St Bernard’s were in a good position. However, a clatter of wickets soon led to 6/108 and Brunswick were back on top. However, as per the fluctuating script to that point, St Bernard’s pulled back ahead in the game, losing only one more wicket and posting 7/149 for their innings. It was a gettable total, but also one that could be defended with good bowling.
Brunswick’s reply started briskly but was interrupted by a wicket in the fourth over (1/20). Batting then started looking tougher against good bowling – 2/29 and 3/38 then led to a nice partnership of 37 between Abhik and Gurmann. From the point of Abhik’s departure, Brunswick’s next largest partnership of 24 between Jude and Hamish wasn’t able to get them back into the run chase even though the required rate never quite got out of hand. A spirited tenth wicket partnership between Ben and Jonty got Brunswick close to a win until it was ended late in the penultimate over with Brunswick 7 runs shy of St Bernard’s total.
While St Bernard’s had only won a single game before that point, it was a well-deserved win by a team that might have won a few more games in the tournament if the foibles of cricket had gone their way in previous matches.
Result: Brunswick 10/142 defeated by St Bernard's 7/149
Leading numbers
Wickets: Jonty 3/31; Abhik 2/13; Gurmann 1/3; Jude 1/28
Batting: Abhik 42; Gurmann 28; Jude 22
The covers went down on Wednesday evening after the St Bernard’s game and a decent drop of rain fell overnight. Add in a leak in the cover that created a small wet patch, it was a brave decision for Brunswick to bat first on a deck that might offer some early assistance. And assistance it did indeed provide. A lovely delivery by Ashton Watson took Abhik’s bail with the fourth ball of the match (1/0). Soon it was 2/1 then 3/16, 4/30, and 5/30. Brunswick were in strife on a challenging pitch. A 19 run partnership between Ben and Hamish offered a little respite, and then 16 more runs between Gurmann and Hamish gave the innings a slight glimmer of life. But it wasn’t until the tenth wicket that Brunswick recorded its highest partnership of 30 runs. All out for 105 appeared to be a touch short of a competitive total with the pitch appearing to become easier for batting. Ashton Watson with figures of 5/9 bowled outstandingly well for Strathmore.
Brunswick would need wickets to win, and with Strathmore at 1/3 and then 2/5, defending 105 runs looked possible. However, a combination of deft deflections and occasionally more powerful strokes took Strathmore to 3/57 when Gurmann spun one into the stumps of Watson who had earlier been Brunswick’s nemesis with the ball. However, batting conditions seemed to continue to improve, and Strathmore cruised to a very comfortable win with almost ten overs to spare.
Result: Brunswick 10/105 defeated by Strathmore 3/106
Leading numbers
Wickets: Jonty 2/14; Gurmann 1/9
Batting: Jimmy 19*; Gurmann 17
Into the finals
After a strong first week, Brunswick managed to finish second in the North Group despite losing the last two round robin games. Brunswick are set to play Yarraville in the quarter finals, who were the undefeated leaders of the West Group. That means Brunswick Cricket Club's Craig Shield team has made the finals every year for the last five years – a great effort by the club and the players who have represented it.
