Army bowled over at nationals
Volume 11, No. 57, November 30, 2006
By Leut Matt Ryan

Pace setter: Lt Matthew Pascoe bowls to Air Force’s opening batsmen Flt-Lt Leo Lochran. Army won the game, but were defeated in their match against Navy. Photo by Sgt Mitch Dockett

By Leut Matt Ryan
AFTER demolishing Air Force in their opening match, Army folded in the final to allow Navy to successfully defend its national crown at the Australian Services Cricket Association National Carnival at Nudgee College in Brisbane from November 20-22.

Competing against Army and Air Force, Navy proved itself the ADF premier cricket side by comprehensively retaining the Lindsay Hassett National Inter-Service Championship Trophy for the second consecutive year.

WO Gary Fuss proved the destroyer and bowler of the series and to ice the Navy cake, LS Joe Rule was named batsman of the series.

Playing Air Force for the remaining spot in the final, Army bowled the RAAF out for 53 in 26 overs, and passed the total with the loss of only one wicket (1-55), leaving Navy to play a dead rubber against Air Force.

Lt Mathew Pascoe (10FSB) took 4-9 off eight overs, Capt Mick Say (HQ 7 Bde) 3-14 off five overs and Cpl Paul Collins (1 Armd Regt) 2-12 off six overs.

With the bat, LCpl Travis Hogan (21 Const Regt) made 23 not out and Maj Jim Johnston (8 Pers Spt Coy) 18 not out.

In the final against Army, LS Grimmond again called correctly and elected to bat. Navy lost two early wickets to be 2-11 after six overs, but several solid partnerships and innings built the Navy total to 7-244 off its 50 overs.

WO Fuss continued his outstanding carnival by reducing Army to 5-16 after nine overs. LS Grant Malouf finished the Army innings off with an excellent spell of pacy in-swingers (4-3 off two overs) as Army was bowled out for 38 after 15 overs.

Batting for Army, LCpl Hogan top scored with 20 and, with the ball, Lt Pascoe took 2-38 and Cpl Justin Falla (1 Topo Svy) 3-30.

Senior ADF cricketers in attendance could not remember a final being so one-sided or a side being bowled out for such a low score in the history of services cricket.

LS Rule was named batsman of the carnival with an aggregate of 140 runs and WO Fuss was named bowler of the carnival with combined figures of 8-59.

Following the final, a combined squad was selected to play the Queensland under-19 side. In that match LCpl Hogan top scored with 26 and LS Joe Rule hit 21 as ASCA was all out for 84. In reply, the under-19s compiled 9-210 to win the match.