Doctors extinguish Suns but fail to secure bonus point

After an extended period of leave, the match reports are back!

The game against the Springwood Suns started last week as the 3rd placed doctors travelled down the motorway to Logan City to face up against the bottom place Suns.

Team selection proved to be an issue and after some complicated work a team managed to be scraped together with the inclusion of new recruits Michael Boysie, Harry Coburn and Dom Elsome joining the doctors ranks.

With a bowling heavy list the key to the day was to win the toss, and in the absence of Rob Corrigan, I carried on the fine tradition of losing the toss and the doctors got sent in to bat.

A solid opening partnership between Abbas Panju and Matt Belford set up the innings before Belford tickled one behind. Abbas then teamed up with newcomer Boysie before falling for 47 while Boysie powered on with Hassaan Shahid as the Doctors went on to amass a sizable total of 205 before declaring, Boysie remaing undefeated on 83.

With a minimum of 21 overs left in the day the menace that is Sam Belford was unleashed but even he could not break the partnership of the two Suns veterans. At stumps on day 1 the Suns were 2-37.

Resuming today, a minor miscalculation by your truly meant that the doctors on had 9 players, with an urgent SOS sent to Jordan Barker, he responded and made the trek over.

Over the week the night-watchman had been retired and a fresh face replaced him at the crease. This marked a new day and a new start. Quickly they tumbled, started off with a direct hit run out of the Suns captain by bullet arm Matt Belford. Jake Schmidt was the bowling hero we need as he came in and ripped apart what I want to call their middle order, but the destruction that the man caused left it unrecognisable. The Suns were all out for 71 and the follow-on was enforced. 134 runs was need for them to avoid being outrighted.

The opening partnership proved difficult to break but once it was the flood gates opened once again. An injury to Schmidt meant the loss of a bowling option as well as quality banter but the Doctors persevered, with Matt Belford stepping up to the plate bowling a whopping 12 over spell with amazing line and length. Don't get me started on the hooping out swing he got.

Drinks were taken with an hour of play left and the mood remained optimistic that the wickets could be taken however things were getting desperate and a change needed to be and a change was made, Panju was taken off as keeper and brought on to bowl.

And bowl he did. As the sun set behind the gum trees, one after another wickets tumbled in what can genuinely be compared to the Michael Clarke magic against the Indians so many years ago.

It all came down to the final 10 minutes. With time wasting tactics in full force 2 wickets were required and the doctors only had 7 runs in hand to be able to secure an outright victory, first innings points were secure but with finals in play, gaining extra points would strengthen their hold in that position.

Unfortunately it wasn't to be in the end, while the two wickets were taken the Suns ended up with a mere 3 more runs and with no time left in the day that was stumps