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The internet home of the North East Knights can be found by clicking on their above logo. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Knights exceed all expectations - 10th January'08 NORTH East Knights have achieved their best result at the Victorian Under 18 Championships by winning their third consecutive match in Melbourne yesterday.
The Knights cruised to an emphatic victory over South East Country, passing their paltry total of 117, with the loss of just three wickets.
The Knights now play the Western Waves in the quarter-final at the Junction Oval today.
Two more wins would see them reach the grand final to be played at the MCG on Monday.
“The boys have done something that the Knights have never done before,” team manager Doug Nielsen said.
“We have surprised a few teams and we have proven that we can match it with the teams from the city.”
The Knights suffered a pre-match blow with opening bowler Josh Mallichan ruled out with a back injury forcing management to call up Wangaratta Magpies quick Matt Gathercole.
“It was a pretty good effort from Matt, his father brought him down last night,” Nielsen said.
Early wickets to Gathercole (1-9) and Aaron Boyle (1-5) helped the Knights grab the ascendency after losing the toss.
Another strong bowling performance from James McNeil (3-30) and two run outs, including the brilliant dismissal of Victorian under-19 representative Bob Clements (32), continued his near faultless tournament.
“We bowled very well, it was the best we have been all week, the oval wasn’t the best and it was tough to field on but we did it well,” Nielsen said.
A half-century to opening batsmen Jamie Sheehan (56) and 36 to Matt Brown ensured the Knights overcame the early loss of Zac O’Brien.
The one disappointing aspect of the day, according to Nielsen, was a lacklustre batting effort after they passed South East’s total — all out for 182.
The only other batsman with a notable score was Joe Doyle with 24. BY - BRAD McGRATH. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
Knights make unbeaten start to championships - 9th January, '08 THE North East Knights have made a sensational start to the Victorian Under 18 Cricket Championships with two wins on the opening two days. After going through last year’s carnival without a win, this year’s side has had no trouble with wins over South East Seagulls and Northern Cowboys. On day one against the Seagulls, the Knights opted to bat first and were made to pay for that decision early with openers Michael Hill (3) and Jamie Sheehan (2) back in the pavilion early. However, a recovery led by East Albury pocket rocket James McNeil (63), captain Aaron Boyle (36) and Mansfield’s Brett Mahoney (24) ensured the Knights would register a competitive total of 182. The Knights kept this momentum in the field as they bowled sensationally in the first period to have the Seagulls in all sorts of trouble at 4/18. Written by - JEREMY WILSON. |
( For the whole story look in this newspaper ) |
North East Knights ride away with second win - 9th January'08
ANOTHER match-saving knock from East Albury youngster James McNeil has propelled the North East Knights to their second-consecutive win at the Victorian Under 18 Championships
McNeil smashed 64 runs after the Knights were languishing at 5-80 in their run chase against the Northern Cowboys in Melbourne yesterday.
His hard-hitting knock comes on top of his 63 on the opening day of the championships when the Knights were in trouble against South East Seagulls.
The Cowboys, after a disappointing loss on the opening day of the championships, made the competitive total of 159 runs from their 50 overs, but they had no answer to McNeil, Matt Brown (47) and Trent Lappin (34no) as the Knights made 9/227 from their overs.
“We lost a few early wickets again, but then we had a good partnership of 60 or 70 between McNeil and Brown,” team manager Doug Nielsen said.
“Again it was a fighting battle from the tail-end down.”
Earlier in the day the Knights bowling stocks suffered a blow after promising Belvoir quick Josh Mallichan broke down after just four overs with a back injury.
The Knights will be aiming to make it three from three when they clash with Metro South East today. BY - BRAD McGRATH.------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A THRILLING three-run victory over the South East Seagulls got the North East Knights off to a perfect start at the Victorian Under 18 Championships at Melbourne’s Junction Oval yesterday. The Seagulls were nine wickets down, needing three runs from three overs for victory, when Rovers United all-rounder Matt Brown covered himself in glory.
Brown got a ball to rear sharply off the deck and caused Seagulls’ No.11 Robert Handel to sky a hook shot to Zac O’Brien, who was fielding in close, to seal the win.
The Knights entered the encounter as underdogs, with the powerful Seagulls’ outfit boasting Australian under-19 representative Clive Rose, and were in trouble from the outset before recovering to make the competitive total of 182 from 50 overs.
Openers Jamie Sheehan (2) and Michael Hill (3) were both victims of the juicy wicket but a rearguard action from Brett Mahoney (24) and East Albury young gun James McNeil (63), put the Knights back on track.
Skipper Aaron Boyle was also handy, adding 36, before he was given out lbw.
In reply the Seagulls were in trouble at 4-18 with Boyle reaping 1-18 from his 10 overs and Belvoir’s Josh Mallichan (3-44) also causing major headaches.
Daniel Curtain and Ricky Foulstone resurrected the Seagulls’ innings and they were on track for victory before McNeil dismissed the latter for 44.
But the real turning point in the match was a brilliant run out from Mansfield’s Jamie Sheehan.
Curtain struck the ball to mid-off and took off for a single, but a brilliant sliding pick up and throw to the bowlers end, where Joe Doyle whipped the bails off, put a severe dent in the Seagulls’ prospects.
Knights coach Craig Hogan said he was thrilled with the win.
“They are a good side and we did pretty well to keep them under our total,” he said.
“We were aiming to make 200 after being sent in, so we probably wanted a few more.
“We’ve still got a few areas that we need to work on, we dropped a few catches.”
The Knights play Metro South-East today and face the South-East Country Sharks tomorrow.
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