Bull Sharks stun premiers on cricket return

 After a 20-year hiatus, the Bond University Cricket Club has made a strong return to the crease.

The Bull Sharks opened their innings with a win over the defending champions and will battle it out for a spot in the top four with Surfers Paradise this weekend. 

Captain Aadit Kelovkar has been a standout notching half-centuries in three out of the four games so far.  

The team has settled into a groove and were comfortable winners against Helensvale last week after a nervous start in their first match. 

After a sluggish start, Bond were forced to chase down a steep 226 run total to jag the points with just eight balls to spare. 

Choosing to bat first, Broadbeach dominated the first session and were on the cusp of a century opening stand before Prathamesh Agalgaonkar broke through for the Bull Sharks first wicket. 

Club President and opening batsman Harry Worthley admits a slow start caused some early nerves for the team.  

“When you get into your first game and you struggle to take a wicket, you start to think you’re way out of your depth,” he said. 

“They were scoring so quickly. You really start to worry you aren’t at that level yet.

“Everyone was ecstatic when we got the breakthrough and a little bit relieved, but you want to have those first moments as a team, they are the ones you cherish later down the line.” 

Still, despite the best efforts of Harish Aakula who took two wickets, Broadbeach amassed 5/226 from 36 overs meaning Bond would have to score at greater than a run a ball in response.

“Whenever you are chasing a total, a rate of six and over is when you start to get a little bit anxious,” Worthley said.

“We knew we were going to be under the pump.”

The team made a reasonable start with Aakula following up his impressive bowling effort with 51 off 64 balls batting at number three. 

But with the rest of top four failing to convert solid starts, it was looking like an uphill battle.  

Enter skipper Kelovkar. 

He strode to the crease with Bond’s innings sagging at 4-110 and single-handedly turned the game on its head.

Kelovkar slammed six 4’s and three 6’s to reach 50 runs in just 27 balls to set up a grandstand finish. 

Contributions from Agalgaonkar (21 from 26) and Evan Poon (35 from 31) nudged Bond closer, and with nine balls left wicket keeper and club treasurer Ben Rainbird hit a boundary off the only delivery he faced to get Bond over the line. 

That he did so nursing a broken finger sustained during the warm-up underlined the Bull Sharks grit.  

“It just hurt… but I didn’t really think about it,” Rainbird said.

“We were nearly about to collapse at the end of the game… I was just saying to myself ‘don’t get out, don’t get out, don’t get out.’”

“Beating the best team in the competition, I think it really shows how good we can be.”