AFTER rain washed out all games for the Port City Leagues Magpies in Hastings District Cricket the previous weekend, last Saturday also proved frustrating for players with more games affected by wet weather.
The first day of the two-day game between first-grade sides Port City and Port Pirates was abandoned at Oxley Oval because rain had made the wicket unplayable, and the third-grade clash between the Swoopers and Pirates Billhooks at Tuffins was also called off.
However, the second-grade Port City side managed to take the field at Wood Street against Macquarie, where they recorded a comprehensive five-wicket win.
B.J. Schneider was unstoppable, cracking 42 runs with the bat after taking 5/33 with the ball.
The third-grade Strikers were in trouble at 2/14 chasing Wauchope Red’s 8/190 when the afternoon storm came through, forcing the players off the field and the result drawn when time ran out to resume the match.
The fourth-grade Leagues Magpies were too strong for Beechwood with a 132-run victory. Defending 9/198 from their 40 overs courtesy of 53 from John Stace and Ian Dickson’s 35 runs Port City then tore through the opposition with Dickson claiming the incredible figures of 4/5 and Jeff Kelsey with 3/26.
Port City players are now looking forward to this Saturday’s intra-club third-grade clash between the first-placed Swoopers and the seventh-placed Strikers at Wood Street – with bragging rights on the line in this season’s first “Battle of the Nest”.
