Round two of the BPL was underway at Ivor Marsden Memorial Park as the Bayside Pirates and the Southern Rockets were still looking for their first victory of the inaugural BPL. It was the Rocket’s first game of round 2, but the Pirates had just come off a disappointing loss against the Coastal Marlins earlier in the day.
Southern Rockets had a clear plan to utilise the spinners throughout the powerplay, as Connor McInerney bowled well with 2-16, as he really restricted Pirate’s usage of the powerplay. Joshua Connolly also got the important wicket of Andrew Micheal. The Pirates were under siege until former Brisbane Lions player and Bayside Pirates captain Claye Beams, alongside opener, Logan Duval steadied the ship for the Pirates. Spin was still working for the Rockets with Ryan Walker getting the important wicket of Logan Duval for 26 and also Nick McGill getting the wicket of Harrison Clark-Burnham. Claye Beams was battling the spinners well, showing his skills with sweep shot until he was tempted by the power surge and got caught at mid-on for 32. Wickets kept tumbling for the Pirates, but a late cameo from Brandon Honeybrook helped the Pirates reach 125.
All hands were needed on deck for the Bayside Pirates to defend their score of 125. The experienced opener of Mathew Weaver, backed up by Connor McInerney got the Rockets off to a brillant start, with them reaching the 50 run partentship in just the 5th over. The experienced off spinner of James McNeil straight a way made an impact with the ball, getting the wickets of Connor McInerney and Martin Raadschelders in his first over. McNeil striked again, this time getting the dangerous opener of Mathew Weaver for 36, after Weaver had got 6 boundarys and was looking like he was going to get a big score. Rockets captain Leigh Drennan tried to seal the small total, and he looked he would take the rockets to an easy victory. Unfortunately for the Rockets and for Drennan, wickets kept falling around the captain. Until captain Drennan was caught at deep square leg, and all of the sudden a comeback was brewing for the Pirates. Some amazing fielding by the Pirates, lead by captain Claye Beams behind the stumps helped the Pirates get in the box seat for victory.
The game was setting up for an awesome finish, with the Rockets only needing 4 runs to win with 2 overs in hand, but with only 1 wicket remaining. James Ward and Joshua Connolly for the rockets tried ever so hard to get the rockets over the line, but great fielding efforts by the Pirates kept them in the game. The game came to the final over with the Rockets needing a single to take the victory, while the Pirates needed a wicket to tie the match. Joshua Henderson came in and bowled Joshua Connolly to tie the match, the first ever in the BPL.
