Eastern Suburbs co-captain Trent Park defied the heat and a formidable Kurri Weston bowling attack in a memorable innings of 96 to set up the Griffins’ first win of the season.
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Park spent 25 minutes under the shower after his energy sapping 48 overs at the crease in which he first played the role of sheet-anchor and then tore the Warriors attack apart with big hitting as Easts posted 9/253.
His co-captain Jack Bennett said it was one of the guttsiest innings he had seen and set up the Griffins first win of the season.
“It was such a contrasting innings, he was there from the second ball to virtually the end. It was such a pity that he didn’t get the century but he was just exhausted at the end when he was bowled,” Bennett said.
“At the start he stuck around compiling runs and giving the other batsman the strike as Josh Hickey (40), Dan Stoneman (28) took on the bowling with some big hitting.
“Brendan Allan (41) came in and batted well and Trent started to pick up the tempo from his end.
“But even then when he came in at drinks at the 30-over mark he still hadn’t made his 50 he really got stuck into them with some big hitting after that.
“The heat was really affecting him. He got to the point where he was taking his helmet off when he was at the non-strikers end and we were keeping the water up to him.
“It was a great innings and certainly set up our win.”
Alex Seamer finished with the best figures for Kurri Weston taking 2-33 from his 10 overs. Isaac Barry, Steve Abel and skipper Josh Tuckwell also took two wickes. Spinning Liam Neild finished with an economical 1-26 from his 10 overs.
Nothing has been easy for Easts this season and they went about the process of defending their total without strike bowlers Lucas Sargent and Josh Hicks. Sargent was unable to complete his second-over with a back injury and Hicks was called for two bouncers in his first over and the umpire ruled he could not continue to bowl.
It was an eventful over for Hicks who dismissed the dangerous Casey Capper for 26 with one of his four legitimate balls.
“Losing Lucas and Josh so early certainly stretched us in terms of bowlers and in the field,” Bennett said.
“Trent was too crook to come back on so Lucas was stuck either in the slips or at third-man and could hardly move.
“We’re hopeful he will come good for next week.
“The other boys really came through with the ball. Brendan Allen finished off a great game with 4-41 and Sean Gibson got 3-46.
“It had been a while since we won. It was the first win in first grade for Sean Gibson and Dan and Will Stoneman.”
In his first game for the Warriors, Neild was the best with the bat making 61 which included five fours and two sixes.
