A former Test bat's whirldwind knock, a nine-for in Bendigo and a NSW Premier cricket first all feature in this week's MyCricket Club Champions edition
MyCricket Legends: Hodge cracks club ton
He’s a self-described “freelance” batsman but club bowlers in Melbourne’s south-east will be rueing Brad Hodge’s decision to again provide his cricketing services to East Sandringham Cricket Club’s first XI.
In his first hit for the year in the South East Cricket Association’s Longmuir Shield, Hodge had a day out against Kingston Heath CC.
The six-Test player, whose son Jesse plays in the club’s under-12s, cracked a quick-fire 141 on the weekend at Peterson Street Reserve as East Sandy racked 300 in just 61.5 overs.
MyCricket Club Champions: Stumped by long pitch
Hodge dealt almost exclusively in boundaries in his whirlwind knock, with 114 of his runs (81 per cent) coming in boundaries, smashing 11 sixes and 12 fours.
The 41-year-old, who will turn out for the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL|06, turned out alongside Shane Warne last year for the club, where the legendary spin-bowler had played junior cricket before moving to Premier side St Kilda.
Hodge wasn’t the only former first-class player tearing up the local cricket scene on the weekend, with ex-Bushrangers tweaker Craig Howard spinning his way to a nine-wicket haul in the Bendigo District Cricket Association.
With Howard’s Sandhurst defending just 131, Strathdale Maristans looked on track for victory at 1-53 and then 3-72.
That was before Sandhurst skipper Howard ripped through Strathdale’s top, middle and lower-order, almost single-handedly reducing them to 9-103.
MyCricket Club Champions: Tait fires - with the bat
A defiant last-wicket stand between Sam Johnston and Dylan Bailie edged their side to within two runs of victory, but Howard took his ninth scalp with the first ball of his 31st over to see Sandhurst record a memorable one run victory.
Howard finished with 9-60 in his marathon effort, with Sam Sperling (1-47) the man who denied him from taking all 10.
In Sydney, former Blues allrounder Anthony Clark passed his second major NSW Premier Cricket milestone in just a matter of weeks.
Image Id: 612C4C3199594268B26CDEB8C0C9A590 Image Caption: Clark in action for the Blues in a 2001 Sheffield Shield match // GettyIn his 22nd season at the club, the Fairfield-Liverpool man’s first runs of the year saw him tick past 10,000 career runs, a feat overshadowed somewhat by NSW batsman Ben Rohrer’s double-century in the same game.
But just over a month later, Clark took his 700th career wicket against Bankstown a T20 clash, becoming the first person to notch the 700-wicket, 10,000-run double in the competition’s history.
Finally, every club cricketer in Australia has heard of the ring field but this particular field set by the Midland Guildford Cricket Club in Western Australia comes very close to actually completing the full circle.
Image Id: 9064021D8F454B4AA096E45DD57A6807 Image Caption: An aggressive field set at Midland-Guildford Cricket Club in Perth // Midland-Guildford CCMen's Premier Cricket Top Five
Prahran Cricket Club's Shaun Miller combined with first-gamer Evan Gulbis (136 off 106 balls) for a 207-run partnership as their team compiled an imposing 6/489 declared. Miller’s double ton was the first by a Prahran batter since Sri Lanka great Aravinda De Silva hit 211 back in the 1988-89 season.
1. Shaun Miller 202* Prahran CC VIC http://bit.ly/2eSxlK1
2. Tom Smyth 178 Carlton Cricket Club VIC http://bit.ly/2f2Oh15
3. Ian Moran 173* Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club NSW http://bit.ly/2dTXqeA
4. Joel Hamilton 6/21 Northcote Cricket Club VIC http://bit.ly/2epD6xZ
5. Matthew Clark 165 South Hobart Sandy Bay Sharks Cricket Club TAS http://bit.ly/2f7wWTf
Women's Premier Cricket Top Five
1. Hayley Jensen 6-37 & 41 Melbourne Cricket Club VIC http://bit.ly/2ecWfFG
2. Tess Cooper 118* Sandgate - Redcliffe District Cricket Club, Inc QLD http://bit.ly/2eSDcyT
3. Rhiannon Dick 112* Bankstown Sports Women's Cricket Club NSW http://bit.ly/2etxdjv
4. Leteysha Randall 105 Valley District Cricket Club QLD http://bit.ly/2eSDcyT
5. Chloe Rafferty 5-16 EMP Bombers VIC http://bit.ly/2fv1FxL
6. Zoe Griffiths 96* Box Hill Cricket Club VIC http://bit.ly/2epDU5X
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