Home of Slab Road Cricket Club

The Slab Road Cricket Club’s teams were successful in three of their four games participated in over the past weekend.

The undoubted highlight was sixteen-year-old Max Carter’s hat trick. Carter, who plays in the C1 Grade side for the Club, returned the impressive figures of 5/16 off nine overs. After taking 2/3 the previous week, Max is knocking on the door for higher selection. Julian Direen also claimed five wickets against Longley on Saturday.

Round 2 of the HCCA’s 2009-10 roster saw Slab Road’s A Grade team reduce the Huonville Bulls side to steers in a very good team performance. Playing at Huonville, the Roadies won the toss and elected to bat.

Openers Clark (46) and Watson (48) got the side off to a brilliant start of 98 from fifteen overs before Clark’s dismissal. Coad, Ken and Cherry went cheaply as the Roadies slipped to 5/135. Jarrett hit a brisk 35 before being dismissed at 162. Jason Clark (55) and Matthew Cane (52) then belted the bowling and, with mini contributions from Griffiths and Nathan Clark, got the score to 8/300 in a splendid batting display.

In reply, the Huonville opening batsmen came out blazing, reaching 47 in the seventh over before losing their first wicket. From then, wickets fell regularly. Jason Clark grabbed 3/20 to complete a good double and his brother Nathan Clark claimed 3/2. Justin Direen chipped in with 2/8 off three overs as the Bulls were dismissed for 143.

Round 2 in B Grade saw the Roadies score a convincing win when they defeated Longley at home. The Roadies won the toss and batted. However, after losing their first wicket at 13, some good bowling by Rogers soon saw the Roadies capitulate to 6/67. However, some fine batting from Bradley Watson 77, Daniel Walter 53 and Steve Direen took the score to 236.

Longley’s opening batsmen were doing it easy belting 52 off the first ten overs before losing the first wicket to Darris Fahey. Leg spinner Julian Direen, and medium pacer David Bone, were introduced into the attack with immediate success. Direen claimed 5/36 off ten overs while Bone grabbed 3/28 as Longley were bundled out for 125 in the thirty-fourth over.

Round 2 saw Slab Road’s C1 team defeat Margate at home on Sunday. Max Carter was the undoubted highlight with the ball in claiming 5/16, which included the hat trick. Tyler Cowen took 2/32 as Margate were knocked over for 120. Thirty-seven extras were a major contributor to this total.

In reply, the Roadies were in all sorts of trouble against Ben Swards, struggling at 6/88. Captain Jeremy Cracknell, with a defiant knock of 44 not out, saw the Roadies limp to victory at 7/122.

Round 2 saw Slab Road’s C2 side go down to the Kingston Crows at Lightwood Park. Batting first, the Crows reached 157 in the forty-first over before being bowled out. Damien Duggan bowled a fine ten over spell to claim 3/29. Nick Duggan and B. Page both claimed two wickets each. However, in reply, the young Roadies batsmen fell short of the target when dismissed for 109 in the twenty-ninth over.

B. Page top scored with 49 and Ben Smith made 20.

Our fourth side is a very young team, but it enables these players to participate in a game of cricket over the weekend. Most players are still learning the game and there is plenty of support and help around the Club for this side.