City United v Old Boys (1st-3rd Grades) & Souths (4th Grade)

1st Grade at Dick Edwards Oval
Old Boys 116 (Nathan Whale 4-17) defeated City United 58 (Anthony Dutton 13)
City were well beaten in a low scoring match on a difficult wicket, no doubt affected by the thunderstorms of the previous afternoon. City held nine catches - a sign of the slow pitch - and bowled really well to have the much vaunted Old Boys batting line up down and dusted. Unfortunately, City's response only last 26 overs, with Dutto the only man to reach double figures. Despite the ability in the side, nothing beats experience and drying tracks aren't something we often see in the bush.

2nd Grade at Riverside 2
Old Boys 116 (Leo Steyn 3-25, Hamish Batley 2-13, Chris Langston 2-20) lost to City United 6-117 (Michael Bellamy 29, Leo Steyn 21, Chris Langston 15x)
The 2nds, well captained by new skipper Luke O'Connor, won with reasonable comfort after an early scare on a difficult track with uneven bounce and inconsistent pace. Leo Steyn made the early breakthroughs with the first wickets in a spell of 3-16 off five overs. Thereafter, everyone bowled and fielded well with nine catches being held. City were in trouble at 4-41 but a 57 run 5th wicket partnership between Steyn and Bellamy got them close and then an eleven ball cameo from Langston closed the game for City, the runs coming in just 26 overs.

3rd Grade at Riverside 6 (aka The Postage Stamp)
City United 9-229 (Claude Orenstein 77x, Pat Dwyer 57, Simon Bellamy 33) lost to Old Boys 4-230 (Ryan Sippel 1-30, Wayne Brown 1-31, Ben Cleghorn 1-42, Glen Ryan 1-51)
After batting first and setting a pretty strong target, 3rds were mown down in just 33 overs with an avalanche of twelve sixes on the small Riv 6 ground. Claude Orenstein made a welcome return to the highlights reel, with 12 fours and 3 sixes in his dig which provided a mid innings acceleration that was needed when wickets fell quickly after Dwyer and Bellamy had added 66 for the second wicket. The bowlers couldn't find the right lines to defend the total.

4th Grade at New Minor League 2 (two day game v Souths)
City United 5-177 (Mark Chew 57x,Terry Skewes 53, Phil Cook 28) lead Souths 58 (John Kennedy 3-8, Tim Hunt 3-12)
Grant and his men are in a very strong position after both sides completed their first turns at bat. They say you can't teach old dogs new tricks, so Chew and Skewes (sounds like a Chinese restaurant) must have been showing old ones in a 92 run 4th wicket partnership. Chewy kept it going with Phil "The Run Machine" Cook who was positively sedate in his 35 ball innings as the pair added 58. Old Boys had no answer once City had the ball in hand and Hunt and then Kennedy - who coincidentally both took wickets with their first deliveries - tore them to sheds. Terry Skewes with 1-10 off eight and Kaine Philpott 1-15 off six complimented the attack nicely. City well placed for outright points.