Round 3
OLMC vs Dalyellup College
Dalyellup
Wednesday, 6 March 2024
The Our Lady of Mercy College (OLMC) First XI took on Dalyellup College in Round 3 of the Kim Hughes Shield. Tiger Martin was presented with his Baggy Blue to a hearty round of applause before the match. Dalyellup College won the toss and elected to bat.
Toby King struck early using the age-old strategy of just bowling at the stumps. A frustrated Dalyellup opener took a hoick to the leg side but failed to connect with the ball. Toby sent the zing bails flying.
Two quality batters went about their business from there, putting on a 100-run partnership with some power-hitting and committed running between the wickets.
Energy was low as the Dalyellup sun baked the playing arena. At the drinks break, OLMC committed to lifting intensity in the second half of the innings. They discussed the importance of absorbing pressure and putting it back on at the inevitable momentum shift. And boy, did it shift.
The team’s leadership made the decision to bowl spin from one end, and medium pace from the other. The older ball was starting to behave badly on an exhausted turf wicket in desperate need of a winter holiday. This decision paid dividends with Adam Andrews breaking through.
A few overs later, Monty Dallywater took another important wicket with a bit of help from debutant Tiger Martin. The Dalyellup batter struck the ball firmly to square leg. Out of nowhere, Tiger leapt to his left, stuck out his left paw and reeled in an absolute screamer. His graceful movements were those of a tig… Anyhow.
As the spinners toiled away from the south, Harshaan Chahal was called upon to bowl his first overs for the College. The joy on his face when he took his first wicket was priceless. A second made that smile beam a little wider. His third and fourth were two wickets in two deliveries. Harshaan was on a hat trick! OLMC surrounded the new batsman for the hat trick ball. Harshaan ran in and bowled a beauty. The Dalyellup batter hit the ball up in the air, and it went sailing past Monty, just out of reach. So close but so far.
Harshaan ended up taking five wickets in his first spell for the College. For that moment, he might just have been the happiest cricketer in the country.
Dalyellup made 181. It was a remarkable performance from Mercy to bowl them out in the 35th over, given Dalyellup’s strong position early.
Long story short, OLMC couldn’t quite make the runs. There were some strong partnerships, but not the three 30-run partnerships that form the Mercy game plan. OLMC finished 40 runs short and bowled out in the 39th over.
Well done to Kael O’Byrne with 20, Rowan Jamieson with 28, Sheldon Johnson with 19, and Jay Pfoeffer with another strong performance with 13 not out.
OLMC’s final match will be at Leschenault against BCC on Wednesday, the 13th of March.
Mr David Mazza, Manager/Coach Mercy XI and Head of Year 12