Ex-Servos batsmen combine to take team to grand final

March 18, 2013, 8:50 a.m.

ALL-ROUNDER: After he bowled 5/48, Shoalhaven Ex-Servicemen’s James Spackman was unable to back up his strong bowling performance with the bat after he was out for two runs.

SHOALHAVEN Ex-Servicemen has pulled a win out of its hat to make it to the second grade grand final.

After Nowra made a strong 203 runs, Ex-Servos responded with 273 to take the win on home soil at Hayden Drexel Oval.

Nowra won the toss and elected to bat first.

Nowra’s opening batsman John White did a good job of breaking in the new ball, despite the early loss of Gary Downey (3).

White smashed one boundary before he was caught by Nate Jones off a Matthew Robinson delivery.

The middle order of Mark Wasley (27), Tom Jennings (14) and David Schofield (15) put in an admirable effort to keep the strike rate up.

Batting sixth, Adam Weller was just what Nowra was looking for to give it a fighting chance in the semi-final.

Weller smashed 11 boundaries to make 66 runs before he was caught by David Sloane off a James Spackman delivery.

David Hedger (1), Travis Brown (0) and Bradley Nunn (4) went back to the change rooms early, but John King provided a late 25 runs to take his team to 203 runs after 56.5 overs.

Spackman was sensational with the ball for Ex-Servos. In just 18 overs, he took 5/48, which included six maiden overs.

Jones (1/28), John Kirkby (1/30), Matt Smit (1/28) and Robinson (2/47) provided strong support.

Ex-Servos went in to bat and after losing Andrew Wright (2) and Brandon Booth (1), finished Saturday’s play on 2/27 after 15 overs.

The team must have had a serious motivational session on Saturday night, because it started Sunday’s play looking like a different team.

Simon Smchotz (40) and Robinson (48) set the precedent for how the rest of the day was to pan out.

David Sloane hit a sneaky 15 before he was caught by White off a Wasley delivery, but it was sixth order batsman Kieran Witt who made all the difference for Ex-Servos.