Footballers triumph over cricketers in 20/20 fundraiser

Barwon Heads Football Club registered their first victory for 2020 when they defeated the Barwon Heads Cricket Club in an entertaining 20/20 game with monies raised for the Bushfire Appeal. A great effort by the Barwon Heads Cricket Club and their volunteers with proceeds of bar and canteen sales going to the fundraiser. An excellent crowd was in attendance to see this entertaining game played in tremendous spirit by both sides.

 

The Cricket Club were sent in to bat first and 2019 premiership ruckman Brock Close was at his destructive best and took a liking to opening bowlers Michael Philp, Darryl Hewitt and Mitch Herbison. Lewis Hyland was also batting well and he and Big Brock both retired after smashing the Football bowlers. Spin was introduced to the attack in an aim to take pace off the ball through Dylan “Dizzy” Holland bowling leggies and our mystery left arm chinamon bowler Cameron “Wolf” O’Leary. The Cricket Club responded by introducing a couple of batsman who had “inside knowledge” of our mystery spinner in his two brothers – Sean “Menace” O’Leary and Dylan “The Rock” O’Leary. Max Melzer, Brad Harvey, Billy Pelham, Greg Phelps and Strawbs all had a bowl whilst the Cricket Club continued to build an ominous total and looked capable of making 250. The footballers dug deep and it was the controversial selection of Ned “Damage” Aulsebrook who had been slammed on social media about his cricketing credentials who turned the game with a masterful over of swinging medium pace to take 3 wickets in 4 deliveries. The following over the footballers turned to veteran strike bowler in James Garvey to bring some serious heat to the battle and his express pace produced a nick behind and Kyle “Kizza” Polley gleefully took the catch. Next man in was the Cricket Club’s Number one superstar in Sammy Schaller and this game was on a knifes edge. Garvey greeted a Schaller with a searing bouncer which was timed at 155km by the speed gun at the ground. The next delivery was recorded even faster at 158km which Schaller defended off his nose only to knock it to the safe hands of Kizza. The footballers were ecstatic and proceeded to give the champ a boisterous send off. The Cricket Club was rattled but the returning Brock Close and Lewis Hyland returned to the crease as the cricketers posted a score of 196.

 

The footballers begun their run chase by sending out two of their class players in BJ Michell and Otto Opperman and BJ evoked memories of Brian Lara as his stroke play was exquisite. BJ retired but Number 3 Darby Hewitt skied his first delivery to have a short stay at the crease. Max Melzer came to the crease and was busy whilst Otto lost his wicket. Herbi joined Maxy and the two of them consolidated with impressive strokeplay to build a partnership. The footballers begun to take control through their very strong middle order with Mitch Phelps, Wolf O’Leary, Billy Pelham and James Garvey playing like the West Indies in their prime with fours and sixes being smashed to and over the boundary. Strawbs and Andrew Philp played little cameos and eventually the footballers cruised to victory with a couple of overs up their sleeve. In fact the big crowd didn’t get the opportunity to witness gun batsmen Brad Harvey, Dizzy Holland and Man of the Match Ned Aulsebrook enter the fray.

 

Congratulations to all players, both clubs and everyone who attended the game.