CommBank MyCricket Legends: Finals fever

Anyone doubting the relevance of club cricket need only watch the rapturous celebrations that followed Australia speedster Pat Cummins’ match-winning final ball for Penrith in their NSW Premier Cricket one-day final.

In a tense rain-affected clash at Howell Oval in Sydney’s west on Sunday, Hawkesbury’s final-wicket pair were run out on the final ball, attempting a desperate second run that would have tied the match, to spark a frantic pitch-invasion from Penrith supporters.

Penrith had earlier posted a competitive 3-181 from their allotted 35 overs but Hawkesbury looked to have the game in the bag at 1-139.

But Michael Castle (5-20), the fifth-change bowler who snagged five wickets in eight balls, and Cummins (3-35) engineered a stunning collapse to leave Hawkesbury’s last pair needing 14 to win.

After edging their side closer to victory, No.10 Pat Lawrence and No.11 Abdul Kherkhah found themselves needing three to win (or two to tie) off the last ball of the game.

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The one-Test tearaway’s deciding delivery was struck well by Lawrence, but picked out the off-side sweeper. With an expectant Penrith crowd right behind him, the deep fielder Luke Hodges made no mistake in his return to ‘keeper Tim Cummins as Lawrence fell short of a second tying run.

Raucous scenes of celebration – including one Penrith player wildly sprinting past his teammates’ joyous huddle with white floppy hat in hand – ensued, as the enthusiastic home fans mobbed the title-winners.

In Victoria, John Cuthbertson had his own cause for celebration as he blasted the second-highest score in club cricket this summer for Merinda Park’s F grade, making a reasonable case to be promoted at least one XI higher.

Cuthbertson crunched 50 fours and 10 sixes on the way to his triple-century, eventually falling for 360 with a quadruple-ton in his sights against Emerald.

The opener earlier this season struck 263 against Pakenham and now has 1193 runs at 91.77 in 13 matches for what is effectively the club’s sixth XI.

Dean Taylor’s 381 for Werribee Centrals in October remains the highest individual score this season.

In Melbourne’s North West Metropolitan Cricket Association, Buckley Park racked up a colossal 5-622 in 80 overs to shatter the competition-record for the highest-ever team total.

The team’s top-three of Wes Telford (117), Raja Sandhu (126) and Mark McPherson (151) all made blistering centuries against Aberfeldie St Johns before the middle-order helped take 117 runs from the last seven overs of their innings.

Buckley Park eclipsed Gladstone’s Park previous mark of 527 for the highest team score.

More CommBank MyCricket Legends: Bail dilemma

Finally, in Brisbane’s Metropolitan South West Under-11 compeition, Aleksandar Bogicevic brought up an excellent century off just 44 balls, to the delight of his Kenmore CC teammates.

The 10-year-old initially retired on 27 off 19 balls but returned, needing just 25 more balls to bring up triple-figures and reaching the milestone with a sweetly-timed blow over mid-wicket. 

MEN'S PREMIER CRICKET TOP TOP FIVE

Sydney-born former England Test opener Sam Robson leads this week's Premier Cricket top five after an unbeaten 155 in NSW Premier Cricket.

1. Sam Robson 155 not out Eastern Suburbs NSW 

2. Adam Semple 7-64 Randwick Petersham NSW 

3. Mitchell Green 151 Rockingham Mandurah WA

4. Gus Atkinson 7-66 East Torrens SA  

5. Lachlan Holmes 140 St Kilda VIC 

WOMEN'S PREMIER CRICKET TOP TOP FIVE

1. Brooke Harris 100 not out West Torrens SA

2. Sarah Elliott 84 Dandenong VIC 

3. Molly Strano 81 not out Essendon Maribyrnong Park VIC 

4. Nat Schilov 80 not out Essendon Maribyrnong Park VIC 

5. Laura Niejalke 4-7 West Torrens SA 

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