VETERAN St George pace bowler Steve Green keeps on keeping on.
He was at it again on Saturday, snagging seven wickets against a poor Mosman batting line-up — and topping 350 for the number of wickets he’s taken in first grade cricket.
Green has always had the knack of coming good just at the right time for his team, whether it is big-game finals or, like Saturday, when his side really relies on him.
St George’s explosive battery of representative bowlers was missing at Hurstville Oval on Saturday, with Josh Hazlewood called into an extended Australian camp in Brisbane last week before last week’s first Australia v South Africa Test, then moving into one-day state duties.
Moises Henriques was also on state duties while NSW partner Trent Copeland, unfortunately, suffered a bad ankle injury tripping on steps at the SCG last week.
So St George’s new ball duties were accepted by Green, Eric Denhartog and Daniel Magin — and in breezy conditions the Mosman batsmen quickly met their match, with Green and Denhartoh taking all 10 wickets between them!
Green had the first two wickets and by the 21st over, the visitors were reeling at 5-41. After 35 overs, they were all out for 86, with Green starring with 7-51 off 17.3 overs and Denhartog, 3-15 off 12.
Such was their accuracy, most wickets were bowled or leg before wicket (and two catches behind the wicket). In reply, St George lost eight wickets for 145 and declared, with Ashton May top scoring with 38 as most of the top order got some sort of a start. Mosman was 1-23 at stumps, with Green taking 1-11 from his six overs.
Steve Green has taken 631 wickets in all grades for St George.
ST GEORGE 8-145 dec (A May 38,
S McCabe 28, D Bourke 27) v MOSMAN 86 (S Green 7-51, E Denhartog 3-15).
SUTHERLAND’S state all rounder Steve Smith belted 92 off just 62 balls for NSW, but it wasn’t enough to stop Victoria winning their limited overs game at North Sydney Oval on Sunday.
Smith was in great form a week after piloting Sutherland to a grade victory, flaying the Victorian attack as he top-scored in his team’s 350 total. However, Aaron Finch topped his effort opening the batting for the Vics with an impressive 140 off 121 balls, along with David Hussey (140 not out) as the visitors passed the toal with more than three overs remaining.