CRICKET
FIFTY-FIVE years on from the first tied test match, and 29 years since the last, Orange City and CYMS joined that very exclusive club after playing out a thrilling tie in their Orange District Cricket Association second grade clash on Saturday.
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And, much like the first of those Test matches, the game was all but decided by a run out.
This time though, instead of Joe Soloman running out Ian Meckiff at the Gabba, it was Orange City’s Shaun Kirby catching CYMS’ gun Dave Neil well short of his ground, in the final over of the game at Country Club Oval.
Needing 176 for victory, CYMS required five from Ryan Milham’s final over, with seven wickets in hand.
Needless to say, the green and golds could only muster four, with two wickets also falling in the set.
James Swanson kept out Milham’s first ball, before being clean bowled on the second.
With Neil set at 51 not out, Tom West looked for a single to get his senior partner on strike, but Neil was caught short by Kirby’s pinpoint throw from shortish midwicket.
Mark Giumelli then did his best to get CYMS over the line, but his pair of doubles from the final two balls was only enough to tie the game.
After Neil ran out Warriors skipper Jamie Stedman, who was sluggish at best between the wickets, early in the piece, Shaun Churchill (40) and Kirby (55) led the Warriors to a defendable 175, with Ben Giumelli (3-21) the best of CYMS’ bowlers.
In reply, Hugh Le Lievre (52) got the green and golds off to a great start before being dismissed in the 25th over.
With 10 overs remaining, CYMS still required 72 to win, and Neil and Shane Hume (33) pushed the score to 165, with three overs remaining, before Hume was dismissed.
Neil and Swanson (4) took six from the next two overs, before the fateful final set.
In second grade’s other results, Josh Coyte led Centrals to a six wicket win over Cavaliers, taking 4-9 from six overs, and finishing 26 not out in the chase, while Jason Tarleton (44 not out) saw his Gladstone side home against Kinross, helping chase down the students’ 150 for the loss of eight wickets.
In third grade, Orange City lost out to Waratahs CSU Vikings, Wanderers took care of Kinross and Waratahs Rebels accounted for CYMS Green Bears, while in Centenary Cup CYMS Fahys thumped Kinross Tens, Waratahs snuck home over CYMS Kellys and Cavaliers won out over Orange City.
