Queensland Isotopes versus Newcastle Crusade

Queensland Isotopes
A.Gilchrist c T.Baisya b S.Harmison 96 (112)
J.Kallis lbw b T.Baisya 4 (2)
H.Marshall run out 44 (75)
D.Martyn c K.Otieno b S.Harmison 46 (40)
S.Malik not out 30 (40)
Y.Youhana not out 35 (31)
Extras ( w3 nb2 lb6 ) 11
Total (from 50 overs) 266 - 4
Fall of wickets: 1-16 2-129 3-183 4-204
Bowling Figures for Newcastle Crusade
O M R W
S.Harmison 10 1 64 2
T.Baisya 10 2 46 1
L.Klusener 10 2 49 0
M.Samuels 10 1 54 0
N.Boje 10 1 47 0

Newcastle Crusade
A.Strauss c A.Gilchrist b S.Pollock 4 (7)
D.Lehmann not out 120 (134)
R.Arnold c A.Gilchrist b S.Pollock 0 (3)
S.Fleming lbw b H.Singh 47 (41)
V.Laxman c & b S.Pollock 20 (30)
L.Klusener c A.Gilchrist b P.Wiseman 18 (29)
N.Boje run out 17 (21)
M.Samuels not out 36 (17)
Extras ( w2 nb1 b2 ) 5
Total (from 47 overs) 267 - 6
Fall of wickets: 1-5 2-5 3-88 4-125 5-164 6-201
Bowling Figures for Queensland Isotopes
O M R W
G.McGrath 7 1 50 0
S.Pollock 9 1 47 3
A.Agarkar 9 3 65 0
H.Singh 9 2 36 1
P.Wiseman 5 1 23 1
S.Malik 6 0 29 0
J.Kallis 2 0 15 0
Newcastle Crusade won by 4 wickets
POM points
3 D.Lehmann
2 A.Gilchrist
1 S.Pollock

In a close 3rd semi final the Crusade have won a must win game to draw level with the 2 other team in the finals, each team now having won 1 game each.
Even without their spearhead in attack during the normal season, Kasper, the Crusade did a reasonable job of holding the Isotopes to 266 from their allocated
50 overs. Things started out well for the Crusade, having Kallis trapped early on at the score at 16. Gilchrist and Marshall went on with it, Marshall being
run out after struggling to 44 from 75. Marshall was run out by a Samuels special, making a save on the inner circle and then throwing from the knees to have
Marshall short after a 3rd umpire decision. Martyn was in superb touch whicl at the crease and he and Gilchrist looked as if they were going to post well over
300 for the Isotopes, but Martyn was caught behind the stumps flashing at a wide Harmison ball. Gilchrist should have had another 100 to his name, but again
with superb fielding from the Crusade he was caught on the rope after smashing a Harmison delivery hard and flat, only problem he picked out the fielder who
held onto a ball that would have gone for 6 if he had not held onto it cleanly. Malik and Youhana did well in the final stages of the innings to take the
Isotopes to 266 with both players making over 30 runs not out. Harmison took 2 wickets, that of Gilchrist and Martyn, perhaps the most dangerous batsmen in
the Isotopes lineup today. Samuals also did well, bowling 10 in a row and the last over of the match, returning figures of 0-54, but his last over, and the
last over of the game went for 12 which did his figures injustice for when he was bowling and who he was bowling to.

Lehmann in the form of his life was elevated in the Crusade batting lineup, and it payed, he went on to score his second unbeaten century in as many
games. Pollock had the Crusade in tatters early on with the ball seaming all over the place, and had Strauss for 4 and Arnold for 0 to have the Crusade in
serious trouble at 2-5. Lehmann went about his game as he has all season, playing with skill and power, and was assisted by Fleming in the run chase.
Fleming was gone for 47 in a Martyn like innings, but was dismissed in another fashion, LBW to a Singh top spinner. Lehmann went through several other small
partnerships, all under 50, bar his last partnership with Samuals who looked in a hurry to get the game over with, smashing 36 off 17 with Lehmann at the
other end applauding his masterful strokes. Each innings by the Crusade batsmen was crucial in the chase, but none more than Lehmann's. He walked away with
the man of the match award in this game, after taking out 2 points in the previous Crusade game. Gilchrist couldn't have batted better in the circumstances
that faced him, losing his opening partner early on, batting with a struggling player at the other end for most of his innings, and he took 2 points for his
batting display, but his keepeing must not be forgotten also, he took 3 catches also. Pollock took the 1 point for his figures of 3-47, the best of the match
by a longshot considering he was bowling to Lehmann in top form, who even he couldn't remove from the crease.

Jesus, Lehmann is a class act all the way. The old fella might be thinking about hanging up the bat, but he's been a fine buy for us in the first season of the ASCL.

Thanks to the Isotopes for a good game, but in the end we needed it more, and it showed.

(OOC: Top write up Schmo)