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Classic Clash for Breadies
Breadalbane vs Strathearn - 21 June
Strathmore & Perthshire Division 1
Every year the cricket season throws up a classic match, This clash with old rivals Strathearn must be firmly in the frame for 2008.
Strathearn won the toss and batted, but found it hard going against a formidable line up of Breadalbane bowling. It was Joe Grace who made the breakthrough for the Breadies taking his first 1st XI wicket for the club. When Andy Jacobs, Breadalbane’s returned prodigal son, clean bowled another batter, Strathearn where quite literally on the back foot.
The ever-adventurous Mark Bowler, Breadalbane’s skipper, sought to press home the advantage and brought himself onto bowl. More Strathearn wickets fell, Bowler taking 4 of them for just 34 runs. Only the obdurate Ozzie Paul Tramanantas showed any resistance. His prize wicket went to none other than the young Grace thus completing a memorable debut for the young man. Tramantas was gloved by in-form Breadie keeper Mark Bridgeman who rounded off a satisfactory day by accepting an additional two stumpings.
At the interval, even though they had bowled Strathearn out for 193, the Breadies were disappointed that many fielding errors contributed to this flattering total.
The Breadies found the going tough against a tight bowling attack. Runs where hard to come by but they pressed on. Cameo innings by the ever-consistent James Bax (45) & Kiwi Mike Geddis (37) kept the Breadies in touch but the bench was getting nervous. The rain, also, was putting in an appearance.
Cue Julian Brunt the jolly Ozzie. The man from the outback smashed his first ball for 4, his second was hit half way to Dundee for 6, and his third ....Oops dropped on the boundary and the Strathearn men where pleading that the rain was too heavy to continue playing!
Breadalbane refused to yield, though their wisdom was soon to be sorely tested. Brunt curtailed his aggressive instincts and watched as 3 wickets fell in quick succession at the other end. All of a sudden the rain didn’t seem so bad after all to the home side.
Breadalbane was tantalisingly close to a famous victory requiring only 8 more runs, as last man standing, Andy Jacobs, strode to the wicket. Not leaving anything else to chance, the Ozzie battler Brunt clobbered two fours in a row and sealed a hard won victory for the Highland Perthshire men.
This win leaves Breadalbane top of the 1st Division with blue water between them and their closest rivals.
by Tailender
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