Monday 7 December

Muddies 3rd Grade nearly complete Mission 

Put into bat after losing the toss, The Port Douglas Court House Hotel C Grade Mudcrabs were determined to put into practice this weeks intense training  to build batting partnerhsips. 

What they hadn't reckoned with was some very difficult, some would say awful,  umpiring decisions to spoil the party.  Darren Wall was given out LBW on 3 whilst stretching to a legside ball and Daniel O'Brien came in from his innings sporting a huge bruise from being caught behind off his thigh !

Throughout all this mayhem, opener Steve Doble anchored the innings with a superb solid performance before being a victim of the pitch getting a top edge that dollied back to short mid off.  Ryan Thwaite worked hard for his fluent 28 which on any other pitch would have been a comfortable half century.

Newcomer Daniel Pokai got immediately into his groove with a powerful 20 helping the Muddies to accummulate  a total of 93 all out off 42 overs. The opening partnership from Mission Beach started very positively against the Muddies opening bowling attack of Daniel Flanagan and Daniel Pokai. They hit hard and high riding their luck with top edges and high snicks through the slips whch made getting control of the game very hard for Muddies Captain Ryan Thwaite.

But finally first change, Nick Leu broke through in the 12th over bowling the Mission Beach top batter on 41.  Suddenly it was game on and Daniel Pokai bowling his allotted ten overs straight through despite the fierce afternoon sun, claimed two more vital wickets and Daniel Francis also making his debut for the Muddies bowled, Man of the Match, McKenzie with his very first ball and followed that up the next over by bowling another troublesome Mission Beach batter with an amazing 'hand grenade' of a high flighted ball.

However the breakthroughs had come too late and Mission Beach claimed victory in their 19th over by 3 wickets.  However the work rate and concentration shown by the Muddies was a pleasure to watch.  This effort and determination is already making them a more cohesive unit.  They just need to consolidate the available players so they can get a settled team. This team is becoming a lot harder to beat nowadays.

Score card

Next week the Port Douglas Cricket Club 3rd Grade side plays at Griiffiths Park No.1 against North Cairns......Go the Muddies !