ON a very hot afternoon at the Norm Fox Oval, North captain Joel Sheppard won the toss and elected to bowl.
While the new ball pairing of Dylan Millsteed and Josh Botten toiled hard, West openers Liam Pascoe and Rodney Dance got West off to a relatively brisk start on a fast outfield.
Wickets were difficult to come by but Millsteed eventually broke through, trapping Dance LBW for 16. West stood at 1/47.
Pascoe was joined by Sage Hocking and the pair guided West to 1/49 off 10 overs at the first drinks break.
Millsteed was rewarded for his efforts after the break picking up Pascoe for 19 caught by Tom Nicolle at slip. West 2/54 with North wrestling back some momentum.
After a short spell from Hayden Gurrie, Sheppard elected to go with the familiar spin duo of Anthony Tidball and himself.
After being smoked for a monstrous six by Daniel Milne into the drain, Sheppard had his revenge a couple of balls later dismissing Milne for nine, caught by Gurrie at long on. West 3/73.
The spin combination were keeping a lid on proceedings despite the odd boundary.
Tidball picked up back to back wickets bowling both Ben McInerney for six and Jonty Campbell for a duck to leave West at 5/88. Tidball would have to wait until the next over to attempt his hat trick.
The scene was set as Liam Squire patiently waited at the crease as Sheppard brought in the field. The crowd in Bay 13 were buzzing in the Eastern Drain grandstand with chants of “Tidders” echoing around the ground. Pascoe was struck on the pads, North proceeded with a loud appeal as the umpire raised his finger sparking wild celebrations. It was a great occasion for Tidball as it was his first hat trick. West went into the second drinks break at 6/94 off 20 overs.
The carnage continued after the break.
Sheppard had Phil Summers caught at mid-off by Nicolle for one and the very next ball bowled Matthew Summers for a duck, to be on a hat trick leaving West 8/94.
The crowd in Bay 13 were again buzzing with the chance of a second hat trick in the innings. The delivery from Sheppard was a little too wide of the off stump as Daniel McInerney elected not to play.
After all the pressure North had built, Hocking and McInerney got into their groove as they threatened to take the game away from North, consistently rotating the strike and finding the odd boundary. Hocking would pass 50 for the first time in his career, a very impressive innings.
It would be Hayden Gurrie to pick up his first wicket in his debut for North as he bowled Hocking for 57.
West put on 40 runs for last wicket before being bowled out for 134 in the 27th over, McInerney remaining 16 not out.
It would be Scott Rogers and Nicolle to open the innings for North. Rogers looked aggressive early as he sweated on anything loose wide of off stump as he kept the scoreboard ticking over.
After a positive start, Nicolle would be first to depart, caught by Squire at mid wicket off the bowling of Summers for four. North 1/21.
In an almost identical dismissal, Jacob Muscat was also caught by Squire off the bowling of Summers for a duck. With his tail well and truly up, Summers knocked over Tidball for a first ball duck to leave North reeling at 3/22.
Rogers was joined by Millsteed.
Millsteed smoked back to back boundaries off Hocking through the leg side. The pair were looking good together until Rogers was adjudged LBW for 21 off Pascoe. North back in trouble at 4/39.
The trouble deepened when Jonty Campbell bowled Botten for a duck, leaving North in all sorts at 5/40 as an early drinks was taken in the ninth over.
Millsteed on 10 was found short of his ground after a direct hit, run out at the keepers end from McInerney. North now really struggling at 6/41.
Gurrie and Campbell Day were able to steady the ship to an extent after all the carnage. The pair put their heads down and looked to rebuild the innings to give North an outside chance.
After doing all the hard work, Day on four, popped a catch to Rodney Dance to become Pascoe’s second victim. North now 7/58.
Sheppard was next at the crease. He and Gurrie looked to rotate the strike and found the odd boundary.
With the next drinks break approaching and after having found the boundary the over before, Sheppard on six saw something in his arc from Hocking but could only hold out to Campbell on the circle at mid wicket to leave North 8/75 in the 19th over as early drinks were called.
After drinks Gurrie was joined by Harry Roach. Gurrie continued to bat positively as he found another boundary. Gurrie eventually would be bowled for 17 by Squire. North on the brink at 9/89.
Keira Boxsell in her first game of Men’s B Grade was able to stick around for a while with Roach and got off the mark. Unfortunately Roach was deemed to be LBW for seven off the bowling of Milne. North all out for 101 and Boxsell remained one not out.
After back-to-back losses, North have a chance to regroup with a bye tomorrow before taking on Central at Zinc Oval in what proves to be a crucial game in the context of the season to date.
