Bears,
I have had the privilege of writing a number of match reports for the Bears over the last few years, but I have never written one with this much joy!!!! The Bears have broken their finals hoodoo and are into the Northside Grand Final!!!!!
The day started with a successful coin toss and the Bears batting first. Azz and Love Muscle wandered out to the middle to kick-start the innings. It was a steady start from them as they saw off the opening bowlers and did their best to keep the score ticking along. The opening partnership coming to an end at 36 in the 15th over when Love Muscle fell for 12.
Radico joined Azz and having commented on the sidelines that he felt 60 at drinks was a good score, Radico went about achieving that. We got some help from the Tigers with a 15-run, 12-ball over coming including a forehand-smash for 4 from the white wizard. Radico's target was reached as we went to drinks at 1/68.
After drinks, Azz & Radico picked up the tempo nicely and started to find the boundary with regular occurrence. Azz brought up his second 50 of the season with a glorious 6 off the Tigers captain (who was having a shocker) and when he was dismissed for 73, the scored had progressed along nicely to 2/132 in the 32nd over.
Radico continued along and passed 500 runs for the season and like Azz, brought up his 50 with a maximum. Magneto came and went for a quick 7 and when Radico fell for 67, the Bears were 4/179 with a couple of overs to go. Boom came in and made a rapid fire 17 from 9 balls including a 6 off the toe off the Tigers captain (his shocker continued). GT ended up with red ink on 9 and DB faced 2 balls and found the boundary with one of them. Bears finishing at 5/204 and the Tigers captain 0/57 off 7....
With a plan in place to combat the Tigers captain, Drady started the innings off perfectly trapping the other opener in front for 2. Moments after the plan almost came to fruition, but Spooner put a down a difficult chance off the captain. But then, in a collapse that India would have been proud of, the Tigers lost 4/0 including the captain who offered a second chance to Spooner. We had the Tigers at 5/31 after 8 overs.
Azz replaced Boom (2/18 off 5) and was at his wizardry best. After some tight bowling, he was finally rewarded with a wicket when DB held onto a catch that had to be seen to be believed. The best description of the catch came from Boom, who said 'you know what I thought of when I saw that catch... Gribbs!' Chook bowled a couple of tidy overs (0/5 off 2) before drinks after Drady's magnificent spell of 3/21 came to an end. Tigers 6/51 at drinks.
DB came on after drinks at struck first ball. The white wizard's spell (the longest 8 overs of his life to quote him) came to an end with 1/18. DB (a third bowler to concede 18 in his spell) and Sha'neo (2/4 off 2.3) kept it tight from one end while Spooner gifted the opposition some token runs in an inconsistent spell of 1/23 off 4.
For those who don't think the curse is a thing, Azz dropped a catch off Spooner's last delivery. It would have given Spooner figures of 2/22 and it would have been Azz's 22nd catch. Wouldn't be a Bears match without some strike from the curse!
In the end, we wrapped up their innings for 115 and booked ourselves a spot in the big one - we have now had confirmation that we are facing Gentlemen's CC. A massive thank you to Ohms who scored for the majority of the match and to Pat for coming along and supporting the club.
Hope to see as many of you as possible out at the game at Watson on Sunday!!!!