NSW Premier Cricket: U21s Poidevin-Gray Shield round four wrap, team of the week

Wagga’s Jake Scott added to his list of big scores, and two weeks ahead of the under-19 nationals in Albury, the country all-rounder also showed his class with the ball.

UNSW opener Ethan Jamieson backed up his round two century with a fine 88 to guide the Bees to much needed victory, while Wests’ Cooper Brien climbed into the Blacktown attack to post another blistering PG’s ton.

With a second grade century already under his belt this season, Ghosts opener Andrew Salian dined out to post the highest score of the competition at Sydney University.

While with the ball, there was none better than Manly leg-spinner Roop Dhillon, who bagged the only five-wicket haul of the round.

Round four wrap and Team of the Week.

POIDEVIN-GRAY SHIELD: ROUND FOUR TEAM OF THE WEEK

1. Andrew Salian, Campbelltown-Camden (153 runs off 145 balls)
2. Ethan Jamieson, UNSW (88 off 122, 1-36)
3. Kunj Changela, Blacktown (103 off 117)
4. Jake Scott, Penrith (91 off 118, 3-41)
5. Cooper Brien, Wests (105 off 91)
6. Mac Webster, Gordon (82 off 105, 2-22)
7. Rory McLean, Gordon (84 from 69)
8. George Bell, Bankstown (63 off 106, 3-34)
9. Roop Dhillon, Manly Warringah (5-49, 20 off 57)
10. Sam Greenland, Easts (4-16, 19 off 31)
11. Angus Mctaggart, Randwick Petersham (2-15, 25 off 22)

ROUND FOUR WRAP

Sunday saw a full round of Poidevin-Gray Shield contests played across the Sydney metropolitan region.

There were three tons, but not all the centurions tasted victory, while at Manly a young leg-spinner lifted his side to victory.

But the star of the weekend was an unassuming right-hander, who until last Saturday had more chance of landing on the moon than pinching a single.

All ten matches followed the 50-over format. Round four U21s wrap.

RORY ROARS BACK TO FORM

What a difference a week makes.

Just over seven days ago, Gordon’s Rory McLean had been black-listed by the cricket gods.

Coming off consecutive third grade ducks, the right-hander’s season was in disarray with only 44 runs to show from six visits to the crease.

On Saturday, as if touched by a magician’s wand, the keeper’s fortunes changed with a trip to Hawkesbury’s Bensons Lane.

And a day after belting 111 against the Hawks, he was there again when his PG teammates needed him most.

At 3-100 in the 27th over, Mosman were gaining the upper hand before McLean continued his weekend feast.

Along with Orange recruit Mac Webster (82 off 102 balls) the pair rescued the innings with a partnership of 96 before McLean dined out, helping himself to four maximums in an unbeaten 84 from 69 balls as Gordon posted a formidable 7-279.

Mosman never looked likely in reply, and when paceman Sidhant Singh (2-45) had U19 Aussie rep Ryan Hicks (10 off 25) caught at fine-leg, the home side slumped to 3-32 on the way to a 79-run defeat.

Following his back-to-back heroics, a low-key McLean quickly dismissed his run of outs.

“It’s always good to get back into form after going through a tough time,” said McLean, who last summer played Green Shield.

“The coaching staff have been great, it was just a matter of taking the opportunity when it comes.

“I’d been hitting the ball pretty well, but just kept finding ways to get out.”

Asked if the emotion of Saturday’s knock interrupted his build up to Sunday’s outing, McLean didn’t skip a beat.

“I actually fell asleep pretty quickly. Then in PG’s, Mosman bowled short to me early and I was able to get away, then the runs just kept coming.”

The win was the Stags’ fourth on the trot, and as the only unbeaten side in the competition, McLean senses something building.

“It’s such a good group of people,” he said.

“We know we’re good enough, we’ve just got to apply ourselves.”

AROUND THE GROUNDS

It was a run-fest at Blacktown with Wests holding on to win by five runs. Bathurst’s Cooper Brien smashed 105 off 91 balls to register his second PG’s ton of the season as Wests set the home side 267 for victory.

Blacktown only lost three wickets in reply, but fell agonisingly short despite Kunj Changela (103 off 117) and Gaurav Dogra (99* off 106) adding 172 for the third wicket.

There was no hard luck story at Sydney University, where Ghosts opener Andrew Salian struck 153 in Campbelltown-Camden’s 35-run victory. Milan Swaraj (88 off 109) top scored in Uni’s chase in an innings where Blake Smith took 3-39.

Half centuries from Blake Weymouth (85 off 118) and Max Robinson (58 off 71) guided Randwick-Petersham to 9-227 at Coogee. In reply, St George could only muster 174 with Jackson Dodd (3-28) returning the best figures for Randy Petes.

A disciplined all-round effort in the field by Parramatta restricted Fairfield-Liverpool to 198. Three bowlers finished with doubles including an innings best of 2-32 to Kye Thornley. Santhosh Samuel (72* off 75) powered Parra to a four-wicket win in the final over.

Bankstown headed to Asquith and rolled Northern District for 191 to set up a four-wicket victory. Once again Lancashire signing George Bell starred with bat and ball for Bankstown. After picking up 3-34 with his spin, the right-hander struck 63 in an opening stand of 120 with former NSW U17 rep Riley Kingsell (67 off 66).

Easts got the better of Sutherland by 81 runs at Waverley. Max Glen (84 off 89) top scored in the Dolphins’ 9-227, while Rhys Cattle (3-30) was best with the ball. With the bat, the visitors offered little resistance as Sam Greenland (4-16) and Akshay Prasan (3-27) picked up wickets at regular intervals.

Nikhil Ahluwalia (57 off 86) put Sydney on track for a big total, but a middle order collapse left them defending 207 at David Phillips. With one PG’s ton under his belt this summer, UNSW skipper Ethan Jamieson (88 off 122) looked set for another. The home side eventually won by three wickets, while for Sydney, right-arm quick Darcy Mooney took an innings best 3-38 off nine overs.

Jordan Watson (79 off 105) and Jake Scott (91 off 118) did the heavy lifting in a Penrith innings of 9-216 that included three run outs and 4-20 from Hawkesbury’s Jake Roeder. In reply, the Hawks crashed to 141 on home turf and had no answer to William Hicks (3-11).

On a difficult wicket at Manly, the home side posted 202 before leggie Roop Dhillon (5-45) bagged five to help knock over UTS North Sydney 41 shy of the target.

Originally published as NSW Premier Cricket: U21s Poidevin-Gray Shield round four wrap, team of the week