With most of the first grade top order already sitting back in the pavilion, after a batting collapse left the Eagles with 5-56, Auburn needed the not out batters, Dinitha Panditharatne and Shan Rana to build a strong partnership in order to lay the foundations for overhauling Roseville’s total of 208.
Unfortunately, disaster struck early for the Eagles with the quick dismissal of Rana, leaving the Eagles precariously placed at 6-61 and in urgent need of a strong partnership to regain some momentum in pursuit of the target of 208.
Following the dismissal of Rana, Gihan Ebert, the club’s promising 20-year-old Sri Lankan First Class all-rounder, who was making his debut for the club, strode to the crease to join Panditharatne.
The pair batted with confidence, combining good defence with fine stroke play to offer a glimmer of hope that the Eagles could achieve a victory against the odds.
The pair managed to take the Eagles score to 6-125 before the dismissal of Ebert (26 runs), which was then quickly followed by the loss of Panitharatne (48 runs) leaving the Eagle’s lower batting order the monumental task of scoring the remaining 84 runs for victory.
Despite some dogged determined batting from the Eagles tail end batters, the task was too great and they were dismissed for 169.
On a positive note the Eagles Second and Third Grade teams both put in outstanding performances to record outright victories and earn 10 valuable competition points each.
In an amazing performance the Eagles Masters (Over 40s) team, batting first put on an astonishing display of aggressive stroke play to score 6-418 off 40 overs and then dismiss its opponent Balmain South Sydney for a total of just 86 runs.
Results: First Grade: Auburn 169 (D. Panditharatne 48, G. D. Ebert 26) lost to Roseville 208 (Y.Ali 3-34, G. Ebert 3-48, Z. Khan 2-38);
Second Grade: Auburn 6-237 (S. Nouree 98, A. Totade 58, K. Bakshi 36, S. Gitte 22) dec d outright Roseville 81 & 82 (A. Hamza 3-9, T.Mudyansela 3-17, K. Bakshi 2-12); Third Grade: Auburn 3 -200 dec & 1-29 d outright Roseville 98 & 129 (A. Hadley 6-50, M. Dewji 2-28); Fourth Grade: Auburn 163 ( S. Ullah 97no, A. Akkhar 20) lost to Roseville 216; 5th Grade: Auburn 270 (F. Butterfield 90, G. Tissatgeja 91, M. Juliyangedon 32, N. Korala 23) d Balmain-South Sydney 142 (D. Dhami 2-16, S. Ullah 2-0); Chappelow Cup:
Auburn Green 165 (A.Ashar 56, A. Sulaiman 28, S. Ranaweera 22, H. Mohamed 20) d Burwood 118 (H. Mohamed 3-4, J. Ranweera -8, A. Sulaiman 2-32, U. Buhary 2-47); Auburn Eagles 113 (R. Nigul 20, M. Junaid 24, S. Tawakal 26) Lost to Burwood Brothers 3-114 .
