Scotch College

Turnbridge-Cowper Cup ours again

Tunbridge-Cowper Cup ours again

Old Scotch has finally won back the 2002 Tunbridge-Cowper Cup, in a thriller at Scotch College. The game was decided in the final over. After three consecutive defeats we were under pressure to deliver and deliver we did, in dramatic circumstances. The ledger is now 6-3 in Geelong's favour.

Wet weather prevented us from using the Main Oval, and the Rugby ground became this year's venue. ACB CEO (and Geelong Grammar Captain), James Sutherland won the toss and with limited experience on synthetic surfaces, deliberated for some time before electing to bat.

At the half way mark (twenty overs), Geelong Grammar had raced to 2/120, and it looked like we would be chasing a total of three hundred. Ben Milliken (0/37), opened the bowling without luck and Bowie Thomas (2/23), bowled superbly, but with the ball like a cake of soap, batting was relatively easy.

The introduction of Matthew O'Brien (0/42) off three overs), had a dramatic effect on the Geelong run rate. Tom Fraser (2/34 on debut), Rob Ashton (2/28), John Ross (0/14), and Stuart Milliken (3/16), all did a tremendous job in the second half of the innings to restrict the Geelong side to 9/207 from their forty overs.

Our run chase started poorly with Rory Stewart being fired out by Sheffield Shield umpire Geoff Morrow for one. Rob Ashton (42), was then joined by Stuart Milliken (11), and they took the score to forty-six.

Four successive wickets had us on the back foot at 6/113 before Tim Frankenburg (39, with suspected broken finger), Tom Fraser and Matthew Gwynn (26), got the innings going again. Matthew struck the ball powerfully to all parts of the ground and was confused when given out LBW for thirty-six. O'Brien (6), Ross (2), and Thomas (7), all fell cheaply before the skipper (batting appropriately at No 11), joined Tom Fraser at the crease with seventeen runs still to get.

An inside edge for four in the last over was enough to give Scotch a much needed victory in this greatly anticipated annual event.

We would like to thank the Geelong Grammar team, the Scotch groundsmen who facilitated the change of the oval, Caroline and Ben Shearer for the superb catering and the umpires for the great day.

Tim Shearer