TRICKY PITCH TROUBLES BATSMEN
AN UNSETTLED pitch has again proven a hair-raising experience for batsmen but players from both Mulgrave and United say there’s little choice but to adapt to the conditions.
The Toads did it best in another low-scoring game at Minniecon Gregory Oval on Saturday, celebrating a fivewicket win after chasing United’s meagre total of 57.
Mulgrave’s Matt Di Salvo took 3-3 as United skipper Cam Davis put up 20 – the highest score of the day.
Justin Reid led the chase with 18 and said it was “not the Gabba” but said waiting for the bad balls eventually had its rewards.
“We got a few of their big batters out then the rest were pretty inexperienced, so we bowled pretty well and didn’t give them any chance to score,” he said.
“We only made 80 last week and that was a better track than Saturday.
“The water came up and made mounds and they couldn’t roll it because it was wet. But we’ve just got to learn to play there.”
Reid said he still felt in good form despite batting on difficult wickets to start the season.
But the star batsman has plenty of match practice under his belt, having just completed a season in English league cricket in Hampshire, which started with pre-season in January.
United top-order batsman Linden March said not knowing how the ball would play each delivery was akin to facing beamers, but said his side should have done better.
“We both have to play on it. But that’s politics. I’m not going to get into that,” he said.
“It will be a nice field once it’s settled. It’s an awesome spot out there.
“It just needs a good year’s worth of play on it before it actually flattens out a bit.
“There were a few little bumps here and there, but we both had to bat on it so we should have just been a little bit more patient.
“If anyone batted 40 over you would have won the game there, but we played some stupid shots.”
Reid and March will team up for the CFN Fusion T20 team at the Bulls Masters carnival in Mackay this weekend.