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Australia House - Sunday, 15th September 2002

The tactical acumen of skipper Richard Burgess took London New Zealand to within four balls of an unlikely victory against Australia House at Sunbury on Sunday.

A craptastic batting display by the Kiwis left Burgess with a paltry 168 runs to defend but, undaunted, he rotated his bowlers superbly to force a ledge-dangling final over conclusion.

Spurning traditional wisdom, Burgess ensured strike bowlers Aaron Gale (0-23) and Sean Martin (2-31) completed their nine over allotments with a single over remaining at each end. This weasel-like cunning allowed standout Philip Bartle (2-16) and chairman Mike Stead (0-5) back into the game with a chance to write a new chapter of LNZ history.

They did, with Aussie House comfortably recording its first victory against LNZ in the Kiwi club’s jubilee year.

Bartle followed on from his opening spell - a brace of maidens and then two wickets in two balls - allowing only a solitary three from the penultimate over.

With two required for the tie and three for victory, all eyes turned to the LNZ chairman who, having warmed up vigorously just inside the peripheral vision of the skipper for the previous 44 overs, looked loose and limber as he loped in for the first delivery of his two ball spell.

A lucky single followed by an even luckier hoist of a low leg-side full toss to the boundary cut short the fairy-tale finish, instead, leaving the Kiwis to reflect on their batting nightmare.

Opener Mike Deane made only three before becoming the first of six LNZ batsmen to have his stumps scattered, an injudicious attempted lofted drive proving his undoing. Dave MacMillan (14) and Shaun Perkinson (26) then combined in a 27 run stand before an enthusiastic umpiring display by Martin sent MacMillan packing, LBW.

Coming in at four, Burgess – the best of the Kiwi batsmen – struck seven fours and two sixes in a breezy 49 before being caught on a towering infield pop-up.

At 126/4, with Keyes well set, there was no hint of the capitulation to come.

Steve Deane missed a straight one to be bowled for nought, followed quickly by Gale in matching fashion. Stead struck two magnificent boundaries before getting carried away and lofting tamely to mid-off.

Hopes of a reasonable score then rested with the hard-hitting Martin and the plucky Keyes, but Martin’s unselfish sacrifice in running himself out to deflect attention from a vigorous leg before appeal backfired, condemning the Kiwis to a miniscule total.

Keyes was eventually undone, bowled for 25, followed next ball by Richard Holden, ending the innings 8.2 overs short of the allotted 45.

A lesser side might have chucked its chips in, opened up with Stead, and hoped for an early afternoon in the bar. But this LNZ side is made of sterner stuff.

Gale and Martin opened up in a blistering spell, with Gale in particular impressing - his first six overs conceding only three runs.

Gale’s accuracy provided the Aussies with a chance to show their true colours. A succession of unsuccessful LBW shouts caused the usually mild-mannered former Otago paceman to actually swear in public.

On a pitch tailor-made for pie throwing, Bartle, the Deane brothers and Holden bowled tightly through the middle stages, troubling the all the Aussie batsmen with their inconsistent bounce, pace, flight and direction.

With LNZ clinging to an anorexic hope, Martin returned with a venomous final spell to claim two wickets.

Although the Kiwis toiled hard in the field – none harder than wicket keeper Perkinson, who put in a typically outstanding display on a difficult surface – their efforts always looked doomed to be unrewarded.

And so it was.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie.

Bastards.

Scoreboard  LNZCC 168   Australia House 169-5

Batting

Mike Stead            0.2 - 0 -  5 - 0