A tremendous bowling effort from the Campbelltown Camden Ghosts first grade attack secured more than the Arthur Watson Rivalry Round Trophy for another season, reports Jason Ellsmore.
The Ghosts skittled Liverpool for 134 yesterday at Rosedale Oval and in doing so have given their team a mighty push towards semi final cricket this season.
The win puts the Ghosts in fifth place on the ladder, only two points behind third placed Penrith and a point behind Manly, who are in fourth spot.
Heading into day two of the Belvidere Cup Round 12 clash with the Lions, the Ghosts lost strike bowler Tom Rogers who had injured himself in the mid-week Futures League fixture in Canberra.
With the knowledge that the Rosedale Oval surface was batting-friendly and weather conditions all week had been perfect, one would assume that the Ghosts would have been quietly questioning whether their previous week’s total of 207 was going to be enough.
However, the Ghosts bowlers applied good pressure from the start with debutante Luke Courtney impressing with his speed and control.
Together with Luke Webb, they created early chances, taking wickets and setting the platform for the other bowlers to follow.
Courtney took the first two wickets to fall, in a great first grade debut, while Webb was rewarded for his persistence with a personal best – 5-36 from 15 overs -his best figures in first grade,.
The statistics of the other Ghosts bowlers reflected their tremendous team effort.
Bowling 11 overs each, Scott Coyte took 2 for 19 and Josh Dunning 1 for 12.
Spinner Jordan Browne, although he went wicketless, bowled tight with only 8 runs coming from his five overs.
While the day belonged to Webb, there was a quiet excitement about teenager Luke Courtney.
Veteran Scott Coyte described his future as “not containing too much more second grade bowling”. Likewise, he also impressed captain Josh Clarke and head coach Graeme Smith.
With three rounds remaining in this season before the final series, skipper Josh Clarke is far from getting carried away.
“We will need to take another step up,” was Clarke’s assessment of having to face Blacktown, Gordon and Northern Districts in the last three rounds.
The three sides are positioned seventh to ninth on the ladder although they have the same points and are all four points behind the Ghosts.
• In the second grade match, The Ghosts’ total of 318 was always going to be a tough ask for the Lions, who were dismissed for 199 under perfect skies at Raby.
Jarred Lysaught was the Man of the Match on the back of his 84 runs last week and three wickets yesterday.
Another highlight of the match was the superb fielding of youngster Ethan Gillion throwing the stumps down twice from square to the stumps.
The Lions showed only one period of resistance with a 50 run partnership.
• Third grade completed the Ghosts’ clean sweep of the top grades.
Defending 183 runs from the previous week, Fairfield were dismissed for 123 on Fairfield Oval.
Wallace Marshall completely destroyed the Lions, taking 6-43, the young quick’s best figures in Premier Cricket.
• In fourth grade, the Ghosts had a tough day at Raby despite taking five wickets before Fairfield passed their total of 126.
Sam Okely bowled well taking 3 for 26.
The Lions batted on to finish at 6/175 at stumps.
• Batting on after a rain interrupted Day One on Don Dawson Oval, Cabramatta, the Ghosts premiership leading fifth grade team were rolled for 188.
In the afternoon session in which Nathan Baker took 2/32, the Lions fell three runs short when the day’s allocated overs were completed, the match declared a draw.
♦ As the Premier Cricket season hots up the Ghosts return home next weekend to play a Saturday/Sunday Game against Blacktown DCC. It promises to be a weekend of intense cricket at the Raby Sports Complex for both players and local fans of the Campbelltown Camden Ghosts.
