NORTH Sportsman’s crushing outright win over Mil Lel at Frew Park last weekend will be most fondly remembered by one stand-out individual performance.
Tigers’ paceman Nick McInerney produced an outstanding display of fast bowling across both weeks of the game to finish with the incredible match figures of nine wickets for just 50 runs.
His match haul proved to be the difference between the two sides and made North’s pivotal outright win turn from a hope into reality.
Forced to bowl first by the home side, McInerney set the game alight with four quick wickets for just four runs in a devastating passage of play which left Mil Lel in tatters at 4/17.
Although he did not claim any more wickets for the rest of the innings, McInerney continued to pose a constant threat to the remaining batsmen and finished with the eye-catching figures of 4/23 from his 10 overs.
When it was Mil Lel’s turn to bat again after North easily won the first innings, McInerney returned to tear though the home side’s top order as he captured another four wickets to leave the
opposition in the perilous position of 5/8 and finish the day with an incredible eight wickets.
He captured one more dismissal the following week in more batting-friendly conditions to achieve his second five-wicket haul of the season.
His nine wickets for the match created a smooth path for his side’s batsmen to score the outright win.
In reflection, McInerney said it was his best career effort and despite taking another five wicket haul the previous match, it actually came as a little surprise.
“I have not really thought of it too much,” he said.
“In terms of total wickets taken, it is the most I have taken in a single game.
“I do not typically bowl with the new ball, so when I opened in the second innings it was good and it seemed to do a little.”
McInerney said going into the match he did not expect to take so many wickets.
“I started to feel reasonably good about my bowling lately, but I was actually hoping for some runs,” he said.
McInerney said he tried to keep his bowling plans simple and was well supported by his teammates in the field.
“I basically just put the ball out there and tried to catch some edges,” he said.
“We had a really good day in the field and all the boys held all their catches which was great.”
McInerney said in the second week the pitch had flattened out and conditions became more challenging for the bowlers to push for the outright win.
“The pitch was beautiful to bat on and the Mil Lel boys actually had a crack and dug in,” he said.
“That was good for them and good for us because it gave us a bit of a challenge.
“But I probably strayed away from the plans a bit too much and kept trying to hit the stumps which was not really what I was supposed to be doing.”
His nine wickets for the match backed up his five-wicket haul against South Gambier the previous game, which means the fast bowler is in tremendous form taking 14 wickets for just 61 runs in his last three innings.
What makes these figures all the more impressive is the fact the star Tiger has only just returned to bowling after a long break due to injury.
“I did not bowl much before Christmas because I had a shoulder injury from the football season, so I had only bowled about five or six overs before Christmas,” McInerney said.
“I tried to leave it for as long as possible.”
McInerney said his bowling efforts would not have been as rewarding if the team did not achieve the crucial outright win.
He also feels the team is heading in the right direction with this weekend’s heavy-weight clash against Penola and finals looming large on the horizon.
“It (the nine wickets) certainly would not have meant as much if we did not get that outright result,” he said.
“The group’s mood feels really good at the moment.
“We are getting some really strong numbers out at training and the standard has been really high, so I’m looking forward to the clash this weekend against Penola to play off for the top of the ladder.
“Penola are a good side, they beat us earlier in the year, so they are the team to definitely be aware of (in the finals).
“It will be nice to get Dave (Somerfield) out, but I do not really mind who takes the wickets, as long as we get them out quickly.
“Everyone in the team is peaking at the right time and if we can just sustain this for a few more weeks that would be perfect.”
