Story Dream To Wear The Baggy Green ? A C2007 Career Story

[Short Leg]

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Pura Cup ? Game 4
Victorian Bushrangers Vs New South Wales Blues
The MCG, Melbourne
29th November 2006

Thousands of head?s turned to the gate to see me walk out onto the MCG with the match in the balance. Everything has to go right for me and Dave Hussey in these last 40 odd minutes if we are going to take maximum points away from our 4th Pura Cup match of the season and silence the critics that say the Bushrangers aren?t good enough to hold top spot on the standings for a long period of time.

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Simon Katich is the man with the leather pill at the moment, which is a bid to take the pace off the ball and stop us from scoring quickly. My plan at the moment is to have a go at anything full as and work any good length balls for singles to keep the strike turning over. It?s important not to get tied down for 3 or 4 balls in an over at this time as the run rate will suffer.

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It?s always in the back of your mind that a good start is crucial in a situation like this so as I said before the plan was to attack the full stuff because the filed was up and anything that cleared it was an easy 4 runs. Some tense moments came early as I attempted launch an attack from the word go. An early LBW appeal from the left armer Bollinger was given not out thankfully and the expensive technology at channel 9 agreed.

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It was a case of don?t look back as I took the attack to the Blues bowlers along with handy hitter Dave Hussey. Two shots that went for half a dozen the highlight of my innings so far as the clock ticks over to 5:30 leaving half an hour of play to pick up the runs with pressure written all over the faces of the New South Welshman.

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It now looks like the Victorians are safe from losing this match but the real question is can they win it? It will take some crafty strokeplay to beat the fielders from New South Wales.

Victorian Bushrangers 4/201
5:30pm ? Day 4
56 overs

Hussey 20(47)*
Slatter 21(14)*

Nicholson 2/48
Bollinger 1/34
Thornely 0/34
Krejza 0/13
Katich 1/69

Victorian Bushrangers require 57 runs to win

 

[Short Leg]

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Pura Cup ? Game 4
Victorian Bushrangers Vs New South Wales Blues
The MCG, Melbourne
29th November 2006

The plan for the last half hour is obvious as time is something that Huss and me don?t have a lot of. We estimated another 7 or 8 overs in the day and that will require us to score at around about 7 an over if not a bit more. A boundary an over will just about do it from here but it wont be easy with Bollinger and Bradstreet being called back into the attack.

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The leather didn?t fly as much as we would have liked thanks to some good bowling from the right and left arm bowlers. A hand full of boundaries brings us closer to the target that NSW set when they declared but with roughly 4 or so overs to go is the 9 an over to win gettable?

Victorian Bushrangers 4/221
5:46pm ? Day 4
59 overs

Hussey 29(51)*
Slatter 31(28)*

Nicholson 2/48
Bollinger 1/44
Thornely 0/44
Krejza 0/13
Katich 1/69

Victorian Bushrangers require 37 runs to win

 

[Gilchrist]

Damn! Looks like NSW are going to lose this one...Oh well, well batted Slater - so far.

 

[Short Leg]

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Pura Cup ? Game 4
Victorian Bushrangers Vs New South Wales Blues
The MCG, Melbourne
29th November 2006

To attack you have to take risks and that has become the downfall of Dave Hussey who tried to glance across the line trying to score off a ball that he would normally defend in any other situation. The shot came just after he cleared the roped for maximum runs and looked to be getting on top of the Blues for the first time in his innings. This may just be the defining moment for the Blues who are trying to stop the Bushrangers from gaining maximum points in this match however Slatter still remains in good form with Cameron White on his way to the crease now.

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Victorian Bushrangers 5/227
5:47pm ? Day 4
59.3 overs

Hussey 35(54)
Slatter 31(28)*

Nicholson 2/48
Bollinger 1/44
Thornely 1/50
Krejza 0/13
Katich 1/69

Victorian Bushrangers require 31 runs to win

 

[Short Leg]

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Pura Cup ? Game 4
Victorian Bushrangers Vs New South Wales Blues
The MCG, Melbourne
29th November 2006

Domenic Thornely is not only staring in his match with the bat but he has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons with the ball. The wicket of Cameron White for a second ball duck now has hope that the Blues can get for an unlikely win against the odds. The central umpire may be guilty of getting caught up in the moment as he has given the Victorian skipper out on the jump with the ball looking to be sliding down leg but that doesn?t change the fact that in reality Victoria are 6 down and have a fight on their hands.

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Later on 9 Track showed the fans that Cameron White had a reason to be dirty with the ball slightly missing leg stump by the smallest of margins. It?s a safe bet that punters would be putting money on the draw now although another wicket would really make things interesting as Nathan Pilon who has proved himself as a solid batsman in recent times makes his way to the crease to partner Slatter who is putting a big price on his wicket.

Victorian Bushrangers 6/227
5:47pm ? Day 4
59.5 overs

White 0(2)
Slatter 31(28)*

Nicholson 2/48
Bollinger 1/44
Thornely 2/50
Krejza 0/13
Katich 1/69

Victorian Bushrangers require 31 runs to win

 

[James_W]

5 sixes'll do it.

 

[Short Leg]

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Pura Cup ? Game 4
Victorian Bushrangers Vs New South Wales Blues
The MCG, Melbourne
29th November 2006

Any chance of a win for our boys should have gone out the window when I got underneath a rising ball from Nicholson. It went straight up in the air and hovered over the head of Krejza at mid on before the dolly was put down and I was given a second life on 32.

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It was just balls later that the Blues hit back but this time it was at Nathan Pilon who was on strike after taking the single on the dropped catch. Krejza was the man with the spotlight on him again as another high catch came down for him. At first it looked just out of reach for the New South Welshman however the dive came out and the result was a classic Channel 9 catch to get rid of the keeper without troubling the scorers.

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The Victorian?s are left with 3 wickets in hand now after a middle order collapse and still 30 runs to get all in 10 minutes of play. Do they attack for the win and risk losing tailenders? Slatter couldn?t have a better time then now to prove his worth to the Bushrangers.

Victorian Bushrangers 7/228
5:50pm ? Day 4
60.4 overs

Slatter 32(29)*
Pilon 0(4)

Nicholson 3/49
Bollinger 1/44
Thornely 2/50
Krejza 0/13
Katich 1/69

Victorian Bushrangers require 30 runs to win

 

[ashu2411]

This is getting very close now. Comon Slatter

 

[Short Leg]

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Pura Cup ? Game 4
Victorian Bushrangers Vs New South Wales Blues
The MCG, Melbourne
29th November 2006

Allan Wise was the new figure I sore emerging from the dressing room and out onto the MCG. Seeing the first of the tailenders is never confidence filler but it just means that it?s up to me to get the team home now. I had made up my mind that it?s hit out or get out now so I let Wisey know that he has t give me the strike because there aint many overs to go.

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Some brig shots has helped us get closer to the required total but time is definitely against us as the umpire come together out in the centre after the 63rd over is completed and the clock reads 5:59pm to talk about the light??.

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With just 6 balls to go in the match and 14 runs required this one is going down to the very end at the MCG. Allan Wise looks very nervous between overs as he is on strike. I let him know that he needs a single off this first ball to give me the strike if we are going to be able to win this.

Victorian Bushrangers 7/244
5:59pm ? Day 4
63 overs

Slatter 47(39)*
Wise 0(4)*

Nicholson 3/56
Bollinger 1/44
Thornely 2/59
Krejza 0/13
Katich 1/69

Victorian Bushrangers require 14 runs to win from 6 balls

 

[surendar]

I think slats can finish them off.... So close match!!! Still its possible for a win!!

 

[Mr. Kurns]

can't wait go slats!!!!!! this is an awesome story mate reps 4 u!

 

[madmick96]

slats gonna get his 50 by slogging and as always great presentation..i like the intro of the dart fish thing...

 

[Short Leg]

Thanks alot of the replies boys it's an interesting finish but made harder as Wise is on strike. Yeah madmick i think i might start paying a little bit more attention to the technology side of things. Cheers.

 

[Short Leg]

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Pura Cup ? Game 4
Victorian Bushrangers Vs New South Wales Blues
The MCG, Melbourne
29th November 2006

The pressure is all on tailenders Allan Wise for the start of the 64th and final over of the match with Nicholson at the top of his run. A single is required but a boundary would be nice not to mention it would ease the pressure on me now that im approaching my 3rd first class half-century.

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Victorian Bushrangers 7/245
6:00pm ? Day 4
63.1 overs

Slatter 47(39)*
Wise 1(5)*

Nicholson 3/57

Victorian Bushrangers require 13 runs to win from 5 balls

 

[Short Leg]

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Pura Cup ? Game 4
Victorian Bushrangers Vs New South Wales Blues
The MCG, Melbourne
29th November 2006

Nicholson comes in for the second ball of the over to me with 13 runs to get. At this point it?s just hit and his hopefully a swing will connect and the ball will roll our way. A good start to the over is crucial like in a one day game as it can dictate the pace of the over and can put either the batsman or the bowler on top.

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Victorian Bushrangers 7/245
6:00pm ? Day 4
63.2 overs

Slatter 47(40)*
Wise 1(5)*

Nicholson 3/57

Victorian Bushrangers require 13 runs to win from 4 balls