St Andrews University Staff Cricket Club

Match Reports 2006

The staff team got the 2006 season off to a winning start at Strathearn on Sunday. New skipper Stan Frankland won his first toss of the season and put the hosts in on a good, but still slow wicket with an excellent outfield. The conditions were really excellent for April. The opening pair of McKay and particularly McKinnie got off to a good start, taking advantage of some ill-disciplined bowling to get early runs on the board. However, McKinnie fell for 22 when he played the hook shot to Phil Jess (6 overs, 1 for 10) and debutant Vit Matuska held a great catch at square leg. The bowling of change bowlers Angus Stewart and John Gilmore kept the run rate down and at drinks the hosts were closing in the 100 mark with only 1 wicket down. Matt Clarke then bowled a tidy spell for St Andrews and it was he who snapped up the wicket of McKay, bowling him with an excellent delivery for a well crafted 54. Mearns soon followed, good glovework by wicketkeeper Chris Jackman seeing the number 3 stumped off the bowling of skipper Frankland. This brought the dangerous Shabbir Hussein to the crease but he departed for 4, Clarke hitting him plum in front of his stumps. Strathearn were in free fall now and Vit Matuska got in the wickets on his debut, A Hussein holing out to Stu Robertson at mid wicket. Vit then took his second wicket in a dream debut, a good length delivery tempting McKenzie Snr to drive uppishly to Robertson again at mid on, to give him excellent figures of 2/12. Stan (2 for 9) then took his second wicket, tempting home captain MacDonald down the crease and Jackman again did the necessary behind the stumps. McKenzie Jnr was run out and then F. Mearns, who offered a bit of resistance, was bowled by opener Ben Agate for 16. The innings closed on 155 when J. Mearns attempted a suicidal run and was comfortably run out. The other bowling of note was that of debutant Anil Jayasundera, who bowled a tidy line and length and will surely take wickets for the team.

The St Andrews reply got off to the worst possible start, club president Roy Dilley gifting his wicket to S. Hussein with the first ball of the reply, dollying a catch to square leg. Stan and Matt Clarke steadied the ship until Stan got fed up of batting with a quicker runner, calling Matt through for a non-existant single which saw him run out for 7. This brought Chris Jackman to the crease and this pair proceeded to share an excellent partnership of more than 120 runs, displaying a mix of fine shot selection and lethargic running between the wickets. Indeed, this partnership showed the first amazing sight of the season, a batting pair where Stan is the quicker of the two batsmen between the wickets, a sight which will surely never be seen again unless Stephen Hawking moves to St Andrews and takes up cricket! Stan eventually departed stumped for 81, but Chris (37no) and John Gilmore (4no) saw St Andrews home for a comfortable 7 wicket win with 12 overs still remaining.