“What we are still deciding is how we want to go about the day.”
Boys’ High will be without skipper Drew Scott although he will turn out for the Bollywood Stars tonight in the Walker Shield T15 Blast.
GBHS opener Travis Mitchell was 10 not out last weekend on Harry Barker Reserve’s No.1 wicket against Pirates when play was abandoned, having made 61 against Old Boys’ Rugby in round 2.
No.1 is firm and traditionally plays well though there has been enough there to keep even good batsmen watchful in the last three Saturdays the Josiah Turner-coached first 11 have played on it.
GBHS have reliable seamers in Turner, Paul Stewart, Jack Faulkner and at least one spinner on the improve in left-armer Adam Whibley.
But they have to hold every catch presented, no matter how difficult.
An in-form Salmon, big left-hander Shaw, who hits the ball like a hammer, and the solidity of Udall will take some moving. Line, length and smart field settings are essential.
With the bat, Faulkner (29 off 37 balls batting at five) and Ben McNeil (36 from 52 at seven) proved in the season-opener that they are ready to step up.
Pirates are great to watch.
Captain Dane Thompson leads a strong bowling attack — one which restricted OBR to 112 in 37.2 overs on October 14. Sam Patterson took 3-20 off seven overs bowling second change, Tom Needham 3-24, tigerish left-arm spinner Matt Crampton 2-11 and Thompson 2-10.
Needham — who kept wicket v Boys’ High last Saturday — was the only wicket-taker in the Pirates-OBR clash not to bowl a maiden.
Pirates bat well too. Crampton worked hard for 22 not out off 40 balls in the first round. He is a busy player with sharp footwork.
OBR’s Graham Hudson also looks to be a very correct player and he and fellow South Africans Crampton and Bruce Kerr have already proven their worth in the senior competition.
The OBR attack bowls well to conditions —
Craig Christophers took 2-12 off six overs in the previous encounter on ground 2 — and they bat deep.
They are a team in which everyone chips in with runs. Against GBHS, Ian Loffler (64), Carl Carmody (61), Kieran Venema (41) and Christophers (25) all worked hard.
But while they ended up posting 244-6 a fortnight ago, there were periods where they were tested by good line and length, seam movement and a change of pace.
Pirates ‘keeper Scott Hollinshead is a frustrating player to bowl to at the top of the order. He hits the ball hard whenever possible and that makes him dangerous.
Pirates have young blood in the side these days and Thompson is the key, whether with bat or ball. He can bowl a peach to get rid of the opposition’s best player or smash their bowling out of sight.
Pirates beat OBR by seven wickets first-up. For both teams, matters are unresolved.
