The opening match of the South East Cricket Association Longmuir Shield Round 1 on Saturday, 1st October 2022 proved to be an exciting battle between Bentleigh Uniting 1 and Brighton Union 1 at Bentleigh Uniting Cricket Club. On a sunny afternoon with perfect conditions for cricket, the players took to the field for what promised to be an entertaining encounter.
Winning the toss, Bentleigh Uniting 1 chose to bat first and aimed for a solid start to their innings. However, their opener T Cody was dismissed early by RJ Blair for a duck, caught by JG Weinstock. Followed by the dismissal of batsman C Cathcart at a team score of 25, once again bowled by RJ Blair, the team was in a bit of a wobble at the beginning.
Middle-order batsman L Russell held the fort, scoring a much-needed half-century, while the rest of the middle order made significant contributions. Crucial partnerships also included a 62-run stand with C Short, who managed to score 49 runs before getting bowled by S Gara. A batting collapse took place at 173, leading to the consecutive dismissals of A Sheriff and P Dessent, both succumbing to the bowling prowess of S Gara.
The innings concluded with Bentleigh Uniting 1 reaching a respectable score of 191 with the loss of 8 wickets. Brighton Union’s bowlers showed great energy and resilience on the field, with RJ Blair claiming three wickets and both AK Malhotra and S Gara snapping up two wickets each.
Chasing a target of 191, Brighton Union 1 went under pressure from the get-go. Opener WS Dilranga was caught early in the innings by C Short off N Halliday’s bowling. Bentleigh Uniting 1’s bowlers showed determination and teamwork in restricting the runs for their opposition and continuously claiming wickets throughout the innings.
S Ali stood out among his teammates by scoring an impressive 50 runs, accompanied by DK Pulukkuttiarachchi’s valuable knock of 29 runs. Despite their individual efforts, Brighton Union 1 still found themselves at a considerable distance from their target, ending their innings with a total of 143 all out.
Bentleigh Uniting bowlers were relentless in their attack, especially M Silva, who claimed a haul of 3 wickets. A Sheriff and B De Alwis also chipped in with important contributions of 2 wickets each, consistently putting the batsmen under pressure.
In the end, Bentleigh Uniting 1 emerged victorious over Brighton Union 1 with a massive 48-run win. An undoubtedly thrilling start to the season for both teams with many lessons learned and proud moments to share.
As we look forward to the next round of matches, congratulations to Bentleigh Uniting 1 on their outstanding performance and commiserations go out to Brighton Union 1 who showcased true resilience and skill on the field. The South East Cricket Association Longmuir Shield promises an exhilarating and closely-contested season ahead, with this opening battle between Bentleigh Uniting 1 and Brighton Union 1 just a taste of the excitement to come.
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