BENDING HIS BACK: CYMS’ spearhead Chris Novak sends one down against Cavaliers at the Country Club on Saturday. Novak’s three wickets, as well as team-mate Nadeem Ashraf’s five, handed Cavs their first defeat of the 2012-13 ODCA first grade season. Photos: STEVE GOSCH
A CAREER performance from CYMS bowler Nadeem Ashraf has led the green and golds to a memorable 40-run win over the previously unbeaten Cavaliers.
Ashraf bowled 13.3 overs and took 5-32 including the big scalp of Richie Venner (29) and the final wicket of the match, dismissing Cavaliers’ top scorer Brad Wright (53) caught and bowled to seal victory for his club.
Nabbing Wright was also the big right-armer’s third catch as CYMS dismissed the Orange District Cricket Association’s first grade competition leaders for 248 at Country Club Oval on Saturday, 40 runs short of the green and golds’ first innings total of 288.
CYMS skipper Dave Neil was rapt with the win, his side’s sixth of the season, and praised the work of Ashraf.
“Nads (Ashraf) bowled well against effectively one of the best batting line-ups in the competition,” Neil said.
“He bowled a good line and length and was rewarded for it. He took a screamer of a catch, too.
“It shows the club has the depth to cover anyone and it should push everyone in first grade to perform on a regular basis.”
Facing the biggest total of the 2012-13 ODCA season so far, Cavs made a good fist of it, with Wright leading the way with a well compiled half century.
But, as the side’s skipper Richie Venner put it, the conditions one day one compared to those on Saturday were “chalk and cheese”.
“Saturday was completely different,” Venner said.
“The week before there was a lightning outfield, hard wicket and hot day. We had a slow outfield, it drizzled all day and it was a sticky wicket. To get that close was a great effort from our boys.
“It’s probably a moral victory for us. Come semi finals, if we’re faced with those conditions again we know we’re capable of a good score.”
He added Wright’s knock was as good as he’ll see this season.
“In those conditions a 50 would have been 100 the week before,” Venner said.
The loss sees Cavs slip to third on the ODCA ladder while, as the first side to knock off Cavaliers in the Saturday competition in 2012-13, the eight points CYMS earn lifts the green and golds to equal first alongside Orange City.