By Jonty Ralphsmith
A hat-trick, nine wickets and free Saturday night drinks.
Not a bad afternoon’s work for NNG/Maryknoll quick Ash Bailey on an overcast, humid day in the Marygoons C Grade clash with Cardinia.
A tall bowler who gets steep bounce and shape on the ball, he made a mess of Cardinia’s batting line-up as they were skittled for just 43.
Only Craig Boswell (21) passed 10 for the hosts and just one other player got more than four.
It happened in a rush for Bailey, as he claimed his first wicket with a scoop to midwicket and then had Andrew Ciantar play and miss as he swung the ball around corners.
Thereafter, it was a case of rinse and repeat as Ciantar, Jackson Adlam and Ryley Watts were all bowled through the gate and victims of Bailey’s first hat-trick and four-wicket maiden.
At that stage, Cardinia was 4/7 and would soon be 5/7.
“I was just thinking ‘bowl it in the same spot’,” Bailey said reflecting on the hat-trick ball.
“Keep hitting the same spot and let the ball do the work.
“I think I’ve bowled better before, it was just bowling at the stumps, but in myself I feel I have bowled better spells than this one.
“When I go out there, my goal is to keep the batters to minimal runs and bowl as many maidens as I can.
“I’m not really fussed if I get a wicket.”
Bailey is a well-respected club figure and previously claimed 8/49 in 2018-19 and 7/24 in 2016-17.
Five of his wickets were bowled and four were caught as he bamboozled some batters and had others skying it as they swiped across the line.
He had a regulation ring field with two slips.
“I was getting a fair bit of shape – pitching on leg and the ones that were bowled were hitting the off stump, and the others were missing the off stump,” he said.
After claiming the first six wickets, there were thoughts he could run through the order, but fellow opening bowler Ryon Tocknell claimed the seventh wicket, Lachlan Boswell, putting paid to those thoughts.
Bailey finished with figures of 9/14 off his 12 overs including six maidens, as he bowled a straight spell from start to finish as Cardinia’s innings was finished inside 24 overs.
“The boys got stuck into (Ryon) on the field when he got his wicket,” Bailey recalled.
There was a sense of fear factor about Bailey’s bowling given the damage he was doing.
“I was even told to slow down a little bit to give them a little bit more time to get ready, one of the (Cardinia) guys said that to me.
“Now I think about it, it’s a big achievement, something I haven’t done before.
“I’m happy with my performance, there were some celebrations, I didn’t have to buy a drink at the club afterwards!”
But he says the performance won’t result in a promotion back to the Marygoon’s ‘ones’.
After playing the first two games in the firsts and failing to capture a wicket, the club took the long-term approach and gave young Wil Taylor a run, a decision Bailey, the first’s bowling coach, supported.
“I’m happy to stay down and work my way back up there,” Bailey said.
“I would rather see Will stay in the ‘ones’, he needs it more than I do and he adds a bit more life to the side (in the field).
“I’m nearly 40 and looking to start playing for fun now.”
Opener Lakhvir Sekhon (41) and Brandon Interlandi (37 not out) then helped the Marygoons to 2/111 at stumps.
