22/02/2026
A great post from Barry Everingham on today’s exploits for young and old during our MNC Veterans and Great Lakes Cricket Club mixed men’s invitational!
MNC Intra Club Invitation Practice Match
(With support from Great Lakes CC players)
Tuncurry’s South St Oval today saw a rag tag group of old & not so in a practice match where both sides were mixed in age & background.
As usual, local curator Wok Chapman produced a cracking deck we were blessed to enjoy.
After a number of withdrawals, a group of Great Lakes players topped up the Mnc Vets guys, who’d already grabbed the support of Coffs legend Bruce Mackie & Central Coasts champion Charlie Charlton.
The match saw a new schemata given the smaller numbers with each batter batting for 25 balls regardless if they had a dismissal amongst their innings. Batting side members fielded &/or bowled for the opposition as required with the aim of everyone getting a bat & bowl fulfilled well.
Grant Elliott led the ‘Limpers’ as they batted first & despite a couple of dismissals here & there they put on 85 for their first 20 in the split innings set up.
Everingham’s Hobblers did likewise with again dismissals amongst some big hitting to end their first section well in the lead with 127. Morris & young gun Herival scored heavily with dismissals amongst it, whilst Russ Madeley was all class in his knock.
The Limpers did well in their second stanza, doubling their score with again dismissals here & there to various, but landing on a respectable 10/179!
Mitch Clark, Jase Smythe & Beau Peter all scored well amidst it all. All bowlers did well with Charlton & Madeley, along with young leggy McCarthy (despite a last over plundering) all doing well.
The Hobblers looked headed for a simple chase but after Everingham & Bulmer retired, it became a graft for a while until Abisheck & young McCarthy completed the chase plus some, as they batted their innings out.
It was a beaut day with all involved in some way.
MoM for Limpers was Mitch Clark for his run haul, despite dismissals, and a fine ‘Michelle’…. the hilight being getting Herival bowled in a tight spell of spin! Plenty of talk about that & more to come we’d think! 🤪😂
MoM for Hobblers was Charlton, a superb if unlucky bowling spell, tremendous chasing in the field & like our Dorrigo traveller Mackie, a superb commitment to getting here from the south!
Match balls went to Smythey for his batting, bowling & keeping stint effort whilst Deano McCarthy was a standout for surperb fielding, gutsy leggy bowling & a beaut last man matting stint. Besides good natured joking & a bit of sledging of his team mate & big brother with clever consistency throughout!
A hilight for us all was discussing & recognising the recent tragic loss of well regarded Coasty of the North, John Brenton, & Central Coast Cricket & NSW Veterans/Masters Chair, Johnny Jewiss.
Black arm bands and a minutes silence was our simple way of honouring them in a great day we had, that we know they would have approved of.
Cheers to all. Well done lads.
Baz
👴🏻🏏💪👊🏻
