Batting first, Kippa Fawcett and Jacob Robb put together a very good opening partnership of 80 until Fawcett was caught on the boundary for a well played 38. Thereafter Robb (31) Scott Finlayson (39) and Chris Swanson (37) all got starts but failed to go on to play a match winning innings.
The St Paul's top order was guilty of not being prepared to graft for ones and twos and too many batsmen were caught attempting big shots. The tail was left to accumulate what they could in the last 10 overs without a top order player batting through as the team scrambled together a gettable final score of 202 for 7 after 50 overs.
After a slow start by St Paul's in the field, St Johns were soon in trouble at 31 for 4 with Josh Malpas and Guy Wilkins taking early wickets. Bede Higgens (2 for 27), Guy Wilkins (2 for 25) and Scott Finlayson (2 for 24) all took wickets with Josh Malpas the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 26.
In the end this was a victory to St Paul’s by 79 runs, although the team will need a big lift in intensity in their performance in the coming weeks as big challenges await them.
