AS Bendigo United captain Leigh McDermott trudged off Glen Loddon Homes Oval last Saturday, he did so having just become an honorary member of cricket’s most unwanted club – out for 99.
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Those “nervous 90s” claimed another victim when McDermott skied a shot and was caught by White Hills’ Josh Matthews to fall one measly run shy of what would have been his second ton of the season.
Not long after McDermott was dismissed, over at Atkins Street, Kangaroo Flat captain Adam Burns had a stroke of luck when on 99, he was dropped by Bendigo’s Alex Pearson at mid-wicket, before going on to make an unbeaten 113.
With there nearly being two 99s on the same day , it prompted me to have a look back at the “nervous 90s” in the BDCA first XI.
Based on 1025 games of information going back to the 1999-2000 season:
• There has been 128 scores in the 90s.
There has also been 301 centuries, meaning for every 2.3 tons made, a player is either dismissed or left not out in the 90s.
• McDermott’s dismissal last Saturday was the 10th score of 99.
He joins Adam Hargreaves (White Hills); Andrew Hosking (Kangaroo Flat); Andrew Price (Strathdale-Maristians); Brad Orton (Kangaroo Flat); Bruce Hando (Golden Square); Heath Lane (Golden Square); Neil Williams (Eaglehawk); Sam Walker (Eaglehawk); and Tony Taig (Kangaroo Flat) in the 99 club.
Golden Square’s Hando and Lane both scored their 99s in the same season – 2002-03 – with Lane’s coming in the semi-final against Eaglehawk.
• Of those 10 scores of 99s, Hargreaves’ is the only not out.
Hargreaves was left stranded on 99 in round two of the 2006-07 season against Strathfieldsaye when he hit the ball to point and set off for his 100th run, only for No.11 team-mate Cameron Shaw to be run-out via a direct hit from Brad Rohde.
• The Kangaroo Flat trio of Orton, Hosking and Taig all scored their 99s against White Hills, with Orton’s dismissal coming after a direct hit run out from Jock Schofield going for his 100th run in round three of the 2003-04 season.
The nervous 90s clearly didn’t worry Taig, apart from round nine of the 2007-08 season when he was caught at mid-on by Lincoln Jacobs. Taig made 19 tons during the period of research, with that 99 against the Demons the only time he was dismissed in the 90s.
• The most common mode of dismissal on 99 has been caught (five), followed by run out and lbw (both two).
• Bendigo United’s Heath Behrens has made twice as many 90s as any other player with 10.
It has been well documented the only club Behrens hasn’t made a century against is Strathdale-Maristians. Three of his 90s have been against the Suns, including two in finals – 97 in the 2010 grand final and 93 in the 2007 semi-final.
Still, he’s done a decent job of converting 90s into 100s – he’s done it a BDCA record 25 times in his career.
• As well as Behrens, five other players have at least four scores in the 90s – Neil Williams (five); Andrew Hosking (four); Brad Orton (four); Jason Abbott (four) and Scott Johnson (four).
Three of Johnson’s four 90s have been not outs – and all 95 and above.
• Behrens is one of only two players to have made back-to-back scores in the 90s. Late in the 2004-05 season he was dismissed for 98 against Golden Square in round eight and 93 against White Hills the following round.
The other is Eaglehawk’s Andrew Smith, who made consecutive scores of 92 n.o. against Sandhurst and 94 against Huntly-North Bendigo in rounds three and four of 2009-10.
• The same day Smith was unbeaten on 92 against Sandhurst, team-mate Sam Walker on debut for the Hawks was out for 99.
Two team-mates scoring in the 90s in the same game has been a rarity, having only happened three other times – Bendigo United’s Behrens (97) and Nick Crawford (93) against Bendigo in 2002-03; White Hills’ Aaron Monro (98) and Michael Hanson (97) against Strathfieldsaye in 2010-11; and Strathdale-Maristians’ Linton Jacobs (98) and Cameron Taylor (94) against Huntly-North Bendigo in 2011-12.
• The most common score in the 90s has been 91, with 19 players either dismissed or not out on that total, followed by 18 scores of 95.
Scoring breakdown – 90 (8); 91 (19); 92 (12); 93 (8); 94 (17); 95 (18); 96 (14); 97 (10); 98 (12); 99 (10).
BDCA'S SCORES OF 99 SINCE 2000:
Adam Hargreaves (White Hills) v Strathfieldsaye, Rd 2, 2006-07
not out
Leigh McDermott (Bendigo United) v White Hills, Rd 11, 2014-15
c Josh Matthews b Adrian Holland.
Andrew Hosking (Kangaroo Flat) v White Hills, Rd 14, 2009-10
c Ryan McNish b Rhys Irwin
Bruce Hando (Golden Square) v Huntly-North Bendigo, Rd 3, 2002-03
run out
Brad Orton (Kangaroo Flat) v White Hills, Rd 3, 2003-04
run out
Sam Walker (Eaglehawk) v Sandhurst, Rd 3, 2009-10
lbw Mark Keck
Neil Williams (Eaglehawk) v Bendigo United, Rd 4, 2004-05
lbw Chris Pinniger
Tony Taig (Kangaroo Flat) v White Hills, Rd 9, 2007-08
c Lincoln Jacobs b Daniel Jones
Heath Lane (Golden Square) v Eaglehawk, Semi-final, 2002-03
c Matt Fitt b Richard Webb
Andrew Price (Strathdale) v Eaglehawk, Semi-final, 2005-06
c Matt White b Linc McRae
