Here are the quarter-final results...
Gareth and Rian have been a regular pair of the Popped Collars for pretty much the whole time the team has existed. They have batted together a massive 125 times. The random number generator selects innings number 31 to be today's match. The game was against the old blokes at Weston (27/9/10).
Rian started his innings in style with his first 5 balls going for 5-7-2-7-5, before changing down gears, and ensuring the team were in front with one pair still to bat. At the other end, Gareth had a very up and down innings with wickets and runs flowing freely. He didn't get any balls away for a goal before also deciding to tone down and play safe for the last over-and-a-half.
Rian 2 - 0 Gareth
Dan I. and Julz are yet to bat together, and despite Julian's recent return as an almost-regular player, they have only shared the court 3 times. The first of those 3 games has already been used for Dan's group match against Xavier - so there are only 2 to choose from (I'm going to avoid re-using innings by the same player unless it's unavoidable). Game number 2 of 2 is chosen, meaning that it is this week's game - the one we played just 3 days ago (8/7/14).
Julian is therefore carrying an injury into the match, and is forced to play mostly safe, side-net shots to reduce his chances of being run-out on a niggling knee. He hit no sevens in his innings.
Dan batted in the third pair with Tim, and were also playing it safe, this time because the game was in the balance, and they were avoiding (or attempting to) losing too many wickets.
Dan 0 - 0 Julian
We go into extra time, looking for 'most fives hit' to break the deadlock. But for the same reasons listed above, neither player could score in the additional time.
Dan 0 - 0 Julian
And so we come to 'penalties', comparing the last type of back-net shot: "side-back four". Julian put away one of these early in his innings (before deciding his knee wasn't working as well as he hoped), and another near the end, just because he can't help having a swing for the back net. Dan, on the other hand, apparently has more self-control than most thought - he made no back-net shots at all.
Dan 0 (0) - 0 (2) Julian
The Battle of the Andrews is up next. We paired them up twice in early 2010, and we will be looking at the second of those (15/2/10). Against the 4Skins (again), Pearson started in typical angry fashion smacking a seven in the first over. And that was about it. He hit a three and a five later in the pair - other than that, neither player made anything more than a two. Ragg went through the whole innings doing nothing other than 0, 1, 2 and runout.
Pearson 1 - 0 Ragg
Sanjit and Xavier almost became a regular partnership during the first season at Kaleen. They have batted together 12 times (10 of those at Kaleen). Number 5 is chosen (21/9/12). In a grading game against the lowly Team Freak, we can expect a high-scoring encounter (at least in run, if not in sevens). And that's what we get - Popped Collars batted first and piled on 224. Two of the three skins were above 80, including the opening one from X and Sanj.
Sanjit hit consecutive fives early on, taking a commanding lead should the game go to extra time, but Xavier hit-back with a goal immediately afterwards, looking to make sure the match didn't go that far. For such a high-scoring pair, there were surprisingly few sevens, and back-nets in general (only 5 in total).
Sanjit 0 - 1 Xavier
Upcoming Matches
| Match | Result coming... | |
| SF1 | Rian v Julian | Monday |
| SF2 | Pearson v Xavier | Monday |
| 3rd/4th | Loser SF1 v Loser SF2 | Tuesday |
| Final | Winner SF1 v Winner SF2 | Tuesday |
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