By Jonty Ralphsmith
Devon Meadows skipper Mick Floyd tried to process the target his team had to chase down a dozen times throughout the week.
There were different plans that could be put in place; you could alter the mini targets along the way or the approach to each phase of the game.
But there was no escaping that the figure to reach was 306 – seemingly an untouchable number in local cricket.
That’s what made the six-wicket A Grade win over Clyde one of the best wins Floyd has been involved in.
“Everything we planned came off perfectly,” Floyd said.
The perfection started on Thursday night, when the Panthers told a reluctant Anthony Brown that he would be opening the batting.
Promoted from the thirds mostly for his off-spin and having played lots of fourth XI cricket last season, his stability steered the Devon Meadows thinking in that direction.
Floyd said the plan was for the Panthers to bat through to tea and assess the game situation at that point.
It turned out to be an inspired move, with Brown scoring a century to hold the innings together.
At the other end was the more positive Will Loudon, who finished with 72 off 114 and kept the pressure on the Clyde bowlers.
“Will’s quite attacking, likes to play his shots, he’s a shorter right hander, Anthony is a taller lefty and they rotated the strike enough to make it annoying for bowlers,” the president said.
After going at a strike rate of about 30 prior to tea, he lifted his intent after the break, ultimately taking pressure off incoming batters Nathan Kleinig and Peter Deighton.
The milestone was brought up with a glance off his pads.
“It was a big jump,” Floyd said of his celebration.
“He’s a big fella Anthony but he was pretty gassed when we sent a message out a little while earlier.
“He was getting close to 100 and the scoreboard slowed a little bit and we worried a little bit that we couldn’t afford the run rate to slow, but it worked out well because the ones finished early and watched our game and most of the threes were there too. “He brought up the milestone in front of the whole club and he’s a popular fella, great club guy and teammate so to be able to do that was a magic moment.”
Kleinig (66 off 61) and Deighton (25 off 17) both finished unbeaten, playing positive cricket to guide the Panthers home with three overs to spare.
