Carmody looked to hit the spin of Gaurav Chetan for six over mid-off, but didn't get enough of it. Whiskey was tracking with the ball as it hung in the air, but it looked as if it would drift just out of reach. Whiskey then dived full-length to get his fingers to the ball to take the catch.
Smart shot selection by OBR made it seem as if they might take control in the last 10 overs.
They were 153-3, but wickets in overs 31, 34, and 39 slowed their momentum and the run rate.
A run chase of 250 or more seemed possible, but HSOB restricted OBR batsmen at the death and yielded no high-scoring overs late in the innings.
Although OBR had a sluggish end to their innings, they had batted well and had posted a highly contestable total.
OBR captain Ian Loffler said his side had given close to a complete performance on Saturday.
“At the start, we said someone needed to go big, and we'd bat around that . . . Dane (Thompson) was magnificent.
“We know that with our bowlers, if we get anything over 200 we are hard to beat.”
He said it had been satisfying getting one back on HSOB, who had narrowly beaten them in the first round.
“We thought we owed them one after that first game.
“It's good to make a bit of a statement. We're dead serious about this competition, and we've got the players to do it.”
HSOB came out strong in their innings. Openers Baxter Mackay and Tyler Phelps both looked as if they were about to take off. But as they started to open up and play more expansive shots, OBR capitalised on their mistakes. Mackay was out for 19 and Phelps, shortly after, for 15.
The opening pair had laid a good foundation for HSOB, but most of the rest of the side were unable to make significant headway.
The shining light was Glen Udall. Batting at No.6, he top-scored for HSOB with 44 off 40 balls.
All but one of the first eight batsmen had at least 20 minutes in the middle to establish themselves, and they all looked confident and solid early on.
Lapses in concentration and a stagnant run rate were the downfall of HSOB. Only Udall was able to bat on and score a significant total.
Going into drinks halfway through the innings, they were 66-4. As wickets steadily fell, new batsmen had to establish themselves, which slowed the run rate and put pressure on the batsmen.
As the required run rate grew, HSOB tried to keep up and slog their way out of trouble, but they were punished.
Ultimately OBR were able to handily dismiss their opponents and take home their third win from four games this season.
Six bowlers took wickets in a standout performance by the whole OBR bowling attack. Four of them took two wickets each.
OBR were nearly flawless as they made the most of their opportunities and punished HSOB mistakes.
See also
