Taronga Match Report Week 12 v West Epping @ Naremburn Lower

The first game of 2025 saw us pitch up against West Epping, a team who we beat in November but who’d been on a bit of a roll recently, winning 5 of their last 7 games.

Remarkably the pitch and outfield were dry after all the rain last week and surprisingly West Epping asked us to bat first.   Cagey and Sharpy got us off to a great start, Sharpy passing 50 for the fifth time this season (7 x 4, 3 x 6) and when Cagey was out on the stroke of drinks for 22 (3 x 4, 1 x 6) we were 77-1 – our highest opening stand of the season and a decent platform from which to post a big score.   Sharpy was out soon after drinks for 59 – hit wicket ! – and when Big Show followed soon after for 11, we were 116 for 3, with a bit of work to do.  Nirav joined Riordo and the pair, taking advantage of the short boundaries, put on 120 in 10 overs. Riordo was run out for an excellent 40 (3 x 4, 2 x6) but Nirav (8 fours, 8 sixes) kept going, with a performance reminiscent of last year’s GF, eventually being caught off the last ball of the innings 5 short of another ton at Naremburn.  We closed on 252-5, with 180 runs having come off the last 18 overs.

Confidence was high, and Sharpy was heard to utter, ‘if we lose it from here, I’m retiring’……. We started well with Romo (1-22) and AB (2-13) taking early wickets (though Sharpy is claiming an assist with both of AB’s wickets). Shero (1-20) and Gav bowled well, although Shero had a couple of bizarre moments of sleepiness – one in in particular when, in his follow through with the ball within reach, he simply watched the batters amble through for a single (Ray was quick to give him some grief for that) ….. Gav was unlucky to achieve something that not even Stu has managed, a hat-trick of dropped chances off his bowling - a proper hat-trick that is, three drops in three balls ….!  Despite this we were well in control, although Charlie – son of Tim Paxton, a friend to many of the Iggies players past and present, caused us a few problems before he was run-out by Big Show – our second run-out after an earlier brilliant piece of fielding from Ray who ran out the only other batsman of note with a direct hit from the boundary.  Towards the end, Nirav (2-7) picked up a couple of wickets (as if he hadn’t done enough already in the game) and we were almost home and dry.  ‘Special K’ Karl picked up a wicket with his first ball (smart catch from Romo) and, inevitably, it was left to Gelo the Closer to take the final wicket and bring us home.  West Epping all out for 143, Taronga win by 109 runs.

After the game it was great to see everyone (including some of the opposition) go to the Flat Rock for beers. Thanks for shouting the first round Karl.