R1 v UNSW Match reports
Premier Grade Cricket
Round 1: 1st and 2nd Grade 2020-21 Season
After a stellar season last year, the Bankstown Sports Bulldogs could not have had a better start to this season. They won the two games played last Saturday with such ease that both sides gained bonus points. The many, many triumphs of last season included the treasured Club Championship, Tony Clark piloting his young charges to a premiership in seconds.
Gary Crowfoot being adjudicated Coach of the Year in Premier Cricket. Crowie is a legendary Bulldog and plundered 7134 runs plus secured 96 club wickets in his playing career. His excellent technique and determination were valuable attributes for his coaching success.
Nick Carruthers created history by winning the Bankstown Player’s Player accolade as well as the Bankstown Sports Club Player of the Year being the first time anyone had achieved the double. It was also a special year for Daniel Solway and his magnificent Shield debut for the NSW Blues.
The Bankstown Sports Club Bulldogs had a wonderful start to this season with Firsts and Seconds winning with ease. Last Saturday the UNSW nemesis was Sydney Thunder all-rounder Nathan McAndrew who moved the ball around disconcertingly. His great figures of 3-23 from 9 overs kept the pressure on the beleaguered Bumble Bees. Mitch Brown chimed in with 2 wickets and secured a useful run out as did ever alert Ben Le Bas. In reply Nick Carruthers took the sting out of the Bees with a power packed innings racing to 42 with 8 belligerent boundaries and a superb six. However, the day belonged to the dynamic and stylish young stroke maker Zeeshaan Ahmed who blasted his way to 97 ironically in 97 action packed minutes. He exploded into the fray with 8 boundaries and 5 superlative sixes. The excited crowd was totally disappointed when he fell just 3 runs short of a ton. McAndrew who never seems to be out of the action guided the Dogs to a bonus point win with 19 not out.
Next Saturday the Bulldogs host Sutherland in a two day match starting at 10:30am at Bankstown Memorial Oval.
Second Grade started their Albert Cup defence with a magnificent win over the Bumble Bees at David Phillips South. The Bankstown bowlers combined to restrict Uni to 210 with lively Dayne Heward taking 2 wickets. In reply the Bankstown openers had a field day with a record unbeaten opening stand of 211. Justin Felsch really took the sting out of the UNSW bowlers with a glorious 82 not out. Uni had no answer to his devastating stroke play as the Bulldogs barked vociferously. Mansukh Singh was even more in charge with a memorable 90 which guided the Dogs to victory. He was relentless in his run spree and hammered the Bees into submission with his vast array of punishing strokes. The bonus point was well deserved by Bankstown and it is ironic that if Bankstown had more runs to make both openers probably would have notched triple figures.