Nelson innings may rain on PBC parade
A STEADY-HANDED 89 from Mudgeeraba batting ace Josh Nelson in the rain has threatened to wash Palm Beach Currumbin’s undefeated season down the drain.
The keenly anticipated clash between the first and second-ranked teams on the ladder was almost reduced to a one-day match after the week’s downpour washed out four of the other six Kookaburra Cup clashes at the weekend.
At 2-13, with stars Howard Biddle and Kevin Chapman back in the pavilion, Mudgeeraba may have wished it had been.
Nelson strode to the crease and over the next three hours guided Mudgeeraba to 6-179, where a late collapse saw it post 189 all-out.
The Lions failed to roar in the wet, losing four early wickets including team leading run-scorer Canning Mason to a run-out on the final delivery of the day.
Sitting 4-47, PBC must pray for sunshine and strong batting performances from all-rounder Ryan Kettle, Jeff Rosolin and Andrew Craig to save its innings.
Nelson’s 89 brought him within 36 runs of Kookaburra Cup top dog Nathan Reardon’s season tally of 572 with three days of play left in the regular season.
Reardon was dismissed for 31 in Surfers Paradise’s clash with Broadbeach Robina, the only other match to go ahead in the wet.
Running down Reardon for the batting title would mean nothing unless it was followed by raising the trophy at season’s end, Nelson said.
“I’d rather just win the actual team title, the grand final,” Nelson said.
“I’d pick that over an individual win for sure but it would be really good, especially with the class around in Reardo’ (572 at 63.56) and Trent Keep (Broadbeach, 492 at 82.0) this year.”
Nelson is 48 runs away from his best batting season in 12 years at the crease at Kookaburra Cup level and even two golden ducks in his next innings would see him improve on his best batting average of 51.64 (2019-20).
His gutsy 89 on Saturday was among the toughest in that span with a week of rainfall bogging down the outfield early in the day.
“It was hard going with all the rain this week,” he said.
“Palmy had done well to get a decent pitch but it was definitely one you had to toil and dig in for the runs to come later.
“I was struggling early on – I don’t think I even saw the first five or six balls – but once I got into the game I switched on and was able to play nice and straight.”
A critical error cost him the chance to notch his fourth career century, charging up the pitch to Zak Lopez aiming for six runs but finding only an inside edge to the wicketkeeper.
A disappointing end to a satisfying knock made even better by the quality of opposition.
“PBC have been the best team in the comp all year and for good reason but there’s no better way before the finals to play a team that’s coming first and haven’t lost,” he said.
“It’s going to be a really good finals series with all four teams starting to play good cricket.
“Anyone can win which is going to make it a really good finals series.”