It was an eventful start to the 2024/2025 Twenty/20 cricket season with Howies Hombres lining up against the Back Door Bandits on a chilly Friday night at Ward Oval.
The Bandits had formed a formidable team on paper and were confident coming up against the Hombres. With a refreshed eagerness, they won the toss and elected to bat first.
They posted a good total of 120 for the Hombres to chase.
Tristan Everett was the standout batsman for the Bandits, scoring 43.
He was aptly supported by the tail end of Beigh Hillier and Reynold Mugugia who bumped their total up in the last five overs.
True to form, Hombres were unable to take the final wicket and the Bandits managed to bat out their 20 overs.
Wickets were shared between eight of the 10 Hombres bowlers and, in another cricket miracle, eight of the nine wickets taken were all caught.
Hombres’ openers Matt McBride and Tom McKenna made a steady start to the chase before McBride was dismissed.
McKenna kept the score ticking over with support from Jay Egan (20) before he was dismissed for 65.
Everett was the standout bowler taking 3/6 off three overs.
Some superb fielding from James Anderson saw the downfall of Egan at an integral time in the chase.
With the pitch playing true and the outfield in immaculate condition, the game was poised for a spectacular finish.
Hombres required 11 runs off the final two overs and Jake Harbison and Adam Doherty were at the crease.
In a dramatic finish, the new lights system at Ward Oval then shut off!
Luckily for all involved, the ball had just been bowled and there were no injuries, albeit a scary prospect.
Following Council staff instructions, the lights were attempted to be turned back on for the game to be completed, only to be told it was “too late”.
So in the spirit of cricket, a draw was confirmed between the two teams and players will await Round 2 when the teams meet again for a result.
Will it be the star-studded Bandits or the experience of the Hombres that come out on top?
The other two teams nominated for this season, the Bushies and Concrete Cowboys, had a bye.
The competition runs through until the end of February with a four week break over Christmas/New Year.—contributed
