Game just outright crazy for Dolphins

OLD-TIMERS were hard pressed to remember a day’s cricket quite like the incidentpacked bonanza at Bill Pippen Oval as the Gold Coast Dolphins stepped up their lateseason surge.

Chasing an unlikely outright victory on Saturday after claiming first-innings points against Redlands, the Dolphins finished three wickets short after 488 runs were scored and 23 wickets fell in three sessions.

Front and centre in the action was Dolphins debutant Kaleb Auld, who followed his first-day 51 with half a dozen wickets and admitted “it was a crazy day’s cricket”.

Redlands, chasing 295, faltered when Nathan Lyons removed the dangerous Sam Heazlett (58) before lunch and Simon Milenko after the break.

Then trainee physiotherapist Auld, who switched courses after a year at Griffith and is now studying at the University of Queensland, mopped up the last four Redlands batsmen for 26 to secure the lead.

With both clubs an outside chance of making the Queensland Premier Cricket finals, the Dolphins embarked on a quick thrash in which Max Bryant slugged 51 off 26 balls, with four fours and four sixes.

A considered Hugo Burdon declaration at 6-99 left the visitors a target of 199 off 18 overs.

Auld again chipped in with vital contributions, having Heazlett caught by wicketkeeper Lachlan Aitken in the first over, and bowling Dylan Kritzinger at the end with all results still possible.

Redlands pulled up short at 7-193. That it managed to come so close was thanks to 196cm Brisbane Heat rookie James Bazley’s 107 off 52 balls.

“They certainly came after us and both teams really had a go to get an outright. It’s a debut I won’t forget in a hurry,” said Auld, a product of Lismore and a former NSW Country junior representative.

He began the season with a century in third grade, earned promotion and made steady progress in seconds before the absence of state rep Xavier Bartlett opened up an opportunity in the penultimate round.

“I just hope I can hopefully back up from this game and have a full crack at first grade next year,” he said.