Rockhampton Home Sunday 23rd July
Rockhampton 206-6. M.Lawler 52no. M.Beale 40. R.Baxter 344. C.Johnson 3-21. M.Pearce 3-38.
Oldbury 207-9. I.Knapp 44no. N.Hopkins 42. D.Garrett 21. M.Beale 2-13. M.Clothier 3-21.
Oldbury won by 1 wicket.
Another exciting finish to draw the crowds into Vic's Oval, and a very satisfying victory for the home side over their illustrious neighbours.
Rockhampton started slow and steady, but the pace of the scoring soon took off. 230 plus looked on the cards at 69-1. Then Matt Pearce started the breakthrough with three balls defying gravity moving up the hill. But the key was surely that ultimate lesser-spotted pie-thrower, Colin Johnson. The pies were replaced by arrow like grenades causing a few to eat humble pie as wickets fell without bothering those with sore fingers on the boundary - probably just as well as the fingers weren't stopping much today. Nor were any of Vic's spuds damaged as Colin finished with 3-21 (or was it 3-22?). At one time it looked like Rockhampton would struggle to 150 but some fine hitting by Mike Lawler saw the run rate accelerate and lifted them beyond the 200 mark.
Always a challenge for Oldbury, Nigel Hopkins tried to hold the innings together as his partners tried to play themselves in before offering their wickets up in sacrifice. But with some steady bowling by Matt Clothier, the omens were not good. However, there was a sting in the Oldbury tail, with Ian Knapp first steadying the middle and then opening out at the end, with good support from all the tail enders. Rockhampton fielders were looking after Ian as he stormed to victory with a six (nudged on by a hand of god) followed by an enormous grin we hadn't seen much of this season.
The celebrations continued in the Ship afterwards where Tom Sullivan, well supported by Stumpy, sought to down the first yard of ale of the season. A good effort was followed quickly by decorating that Glynn Poole would have been proud of in the car park. And of course, the pie-thrower was there too, lapping up the cream.