Date at the ’G unearths unlikely batting hero
A BATTING order change out of unusual necessity helped set up an opening-round win for Newcomb in Saturday’s one-day clash against Ocean Grove.
Tailender Stuart Keys was thrown in at No.3 spot in pursuit of Ocean Grove’s 117, due to a commitment at the MCG that night for the WWE Super Show-Down.
Keys, who usually bats at 10 or 11, made a handy 21 in partnership with opener Jason Robertson (37), setting up a win over last year’s premier in the grand final rematch with seven overs and four wickets to spare.
Newcomb coach Brett Anderton was well aware of Keys’s batting capabilities and marvelled at the humorous situation it took to view it up the top of the order.
“He went out there, played some shots and ‘ Robbo’ down the other end was just encouraging and speaking to him,” Anderton said.
“I think he had to go at 4.15pm or something, so he only had about 12 or 13 overs, so he did the job but he sort of threw his wicket away at the end.
“It’s a handy 20 when I think he only made about 20 runs last year and we won’t stop hearing about that either.”
It was the tight bowling work of Keys and Robertson that set up the gettable run chase after the two first-change bowlers used their eight overs consecutively to tie down Ocean Grove’s middle order.
Opening bowler Brendan Sheedy took the key scalp of Jordan Dawson, lbw for eight, before Keys and Robertson went for a combined 31 runs off their 16 overs.
“They bowled straight through and slowed them right down, basically put them in a position of not getting to that 150-160 they probably needed to get to,” Anderton said.