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Geckos give Byron the Full Toss in Shand Memorial final Brian Mollet
The grass-stained gladiators of the Shand series have been buffing their boxes, polishing their pads and coaxing out their inner athletes all winter for the right to be crowned the social cricket champions of the shire. The Grand Final is the day the dove of hope flicks into the flightpath of the eagle of destiny, and the Full-Tossers, assembled from the seething fleshpots of Byron by the assidious Ash, met the Geckos, apostles of St Seymour called to the field on a kind of yearly cricketing crusade. A flukey northerly fluttered the famous turf of Lomath Oval as Ash won the toss and asked the Geckos to bat. Ageing adolescent Adeha and bloodyminded Brian saw off the pacey Adam and Troy but Ash was chopping and changing the bowling and Richie’s dipping leggies took the first scalp with the score on 19.
Echo GM Simon Haslam demonstrates the style that the Geckos are renowned for during Sunday’s win against the Byron Bay Full Tossers in the Shand Memorial. Photo Tree Faerie
Dan (47) began waving his curvaceous handmade bat around like a baton, conducting the ball to all parts of the ground as the Geckos charged early. Christian took a double just before drinks including season top scorer James in a victory for science and rationalism over
the airy-fairy metaphors of English. After drinks the flying ponytail Anthony (35 n/o) mercilessly chastised the bowling and Simon was showing off his seventeen varieties of the pull shot. Plucky Ali was biffing the ball around and it looked like the Geckos were
Champion Louis is ace at tennis Story & photos Eve Jeffery
At just 14 years of age, Louis Clark has already been playing tennis for eight years and competing for more than a third of his life. A bit of a lone ranger, Louis spends his time at several clubs and benefits from the experience of more than one coach and a few training buddies. Louis recently won the Northern NSW Junior 14s Champion of Champions Tennis Tournament held in Inverell. This has led to his selection for the NSW State Titles in Sydney. Because of his win, Louis has also been invited to at-
tend the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in America for a six-week scholarship. Louis will travel to the US early
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NETDAILY
40 September 24, 2013 The Byron Shire Echo
next year – this is a wonderful opportunity as these offers are usually more readily available to metropolitan children. Trained by coaches Ryan Kebblewhite of Pottsville and Mullumbimby-based tour player Stephen Gort, pictured, Louis spends about four hours a week training. He also plays cricket, soccer and golf but tennis is his first love. Louis also has clear ideas about his future. ‘I hope to go to college in America,’ he says. ‘I’d like to try to get into the pro circuit.’ Coach Stephen Gort says he has what it takes. ‘He’s got all the shots’, says Stephen. ‘Lots of shots I wish I had at his age. He has good technique that doesn’t break under pressure.’ Q For the full story and more photos visit Echonetdaily: echo.net.au/?p=64460.
on their way to a corpulent compilation of runs. Warhorse John (4–15) changed all that with a severe editing of the lower order to close the innings for 174 and sausages were munched with the fabled trophy up for grabs. High flyer Neil and Richie (30 n/o) gave the Toss-
ers a great start and it took a game-changing grab in the dazzling depths of backward square by the annoyingly effective Brian to halt Byron’s momentum. This brought big hitters Troy (32 n/o) and Jade to the crease and it looked as though the title was heading east into the sunrise as they tore great chunks off the required total like bull sharks hitting a whale carcass. Wily on field leader James had held back some of his best bowling however and wickets to himself, Dan, Anthony and Brian and tidy spells from Peter Wynn-Moylan and St Seymour had the pressure back on Byron with 42 needed off the last four overs. Christian was a revelation, taking aim at the skate park with some huge hits, batting partner Jamie followed suit and with two overs to bowl the Full-Tossers needed 22. Ali’s second last over was tidy, leaving 14 to score off the last six balls and the Geckos
Rams win
nearing panic in the field. Jamie took two off Dan’s first ball and swiped hard at the second, sending an arcing high ball down the ground where James, with an eye on the boundary cones a step behind him, pouched the catch. Christian swung big on the third ball and all eyes were on Trent as he plucked the Kookaburra from the sky on the long-on boundary to give Dan 3–20 and bring the Geckos home in a thrilling finish, their second Shand title. Nick Shand was lauded and toasted by his mate a very happy Pete Wynn-Moylan, and after the ceremonial lap of the oval in the back of a ute the players got down to some serious exaggeration of their prowess on and off the field, and all agreed the series is in good shape for next year. Thanks go to Laurie of the Court House Hotel and The Echo for their support all year.
FNC final
The Byron Bay Rams faced off againts the Lismore Thistles in both the Men’s Premier League and the Men’s Premier League Reserves on Saturday night at Oakes Oval in Lismore. At this end of the season no-one really loses and Lismore’s 3–1 win over Byron came after a great match. But it is great to hold the trophy aloft and the Rams’ Shaun Packham and captain Nick Baker did just that after their 2–1 win over the southern lads. See more photos in Echonetdaily – www.echo.net.au/category/sport. Photo Eve Jeffery.
Summer’s here: bring on the cricket
Blake, Anthony and David want out of the winter cage and onto the pitch for the 2013/14 season at the Mullum Bruns Cricket club. Junior cricket and MILO sign on is on Monday and Friday afternoons from 4pm from now until the season starts. Junior cricket starts on October 12. MILO cricket starts on Wednesday October 23. Senior cricket sign-on and training is on Thursday afternoons from 4pm. Photo Tree Faerie.
Byron Shire Echo archives: www.echo.net.au