Our mens 1st grade side have taken a significant step to be back to back Kookaburra One Day Cup premiers securing a quarter finals spot after a 26 runs victory over a star studded Norths outfit at GMP on Saturday.
Wests batted first and were in some early trouble with top 3 batters Snell, Smith and Truloff falling cheaply to leave wests 3/55. Star allrounder Steve McGiffin and ‘Benjamin Button’ Steve Paulsen went about the rebuild with a commanding 104 run stand, with the feature of both players finding the middle of the bat with ease. McGiffin and Paulsen both found the boundary regularly until the partnership was broken by fast bowler Connor Sully when McGiffin top edged a short ball behind to keeper Healy for a well made 68 from 74 balls. Paulsen continued to flourish but struggled to find any support from the midde to lower order with the best contribution coming from skipper Paddy Dooley who retired hurt for 11 with a groin injury. Paulsen remained not out on a game changing 108 from 108 deliveries to helps wests to 8 for 253 at the close of the 50 overs. Norths quick Sully finished with 5 for 42.
The dogs needed a good start and quick Aiden Watterson did exactly that removing Australian test opener Joe Burns for a golden duck, edging to Truloff at 2nd slip. Wickets after that were hard to come by but some tight bowling kept norths under the required run rate with opener Healy and number 3 McSweeney sharing an 81 run stand until alrounder McGiffin slide of hand deflected a straight drive back onto the stumps to find Healy short of his ground. From then on, the bowlers continued to contain and wickets started to come regulary through spinners Paulsen 1/43 off 10 and Zac Beveridge 2/43 from 10 who claimed 2 wickets in quick succession including the key wicket of McSweeney for 97. Qld Bulls quick Blake Edwards (4/58) then bowled well at the death alongside McGiffin (1-24 off 9 overs) to leave Norths all out for 227 to complete a fantastic win!
Second grade didnt fair as well, going down to Norths by 115 runs. Norths made 5 for 258 from their 50 overs with Sean Seward picking up 3 – 42 off 10 overs to be the only shining light in the wests bowling innings. Sam Dennien was the only real contributor in wests total of 143 in reply, scoring 59 with all other batters barely getting to double figures with wests being knocked over in the 39th over.
Wests take on Toombul in round 3 of the One Day competition with 1st grade at home and 2nd grade away!
