When the Saint Stanislaus’ College division two Independent Sporting Association cricket side was bundled out for 104 runs in Saturday’s match against Oakhill College, they thought they were in big trouble.

But eight overs later it was the visiting Oakhill side who was on the end of a crushing defeat, having been dismissed for just five runs.

“We were standing around talking about it after the game, you won’t see the likes of that again,” Stannies coach Mark Elliott said. “It was definitely very surreal when it was happening, I was out in the middle umpiring trying to keep a lid on it, but the boys were bouncing around.

“The boys had their heads down after we batted. There were stones being kicked and that sort of thing, thinking we hadn’t done a good enough job. The team we were playing against hadn’t won a game.”

Having beaten Oakhill by 23 runs when they met three weeks earlier, Stannies went into the return match on their home turf confident of success.

However, with plenty of movement off the deck, it was the Oakhill bowlers who dominated the first innings.

Stannies were reduced to 5-29 before number five Tom Veitch, who top scored with 24, finally mustered some resistance.

But with Jaydon Howarth (12) and Sam Condon (23) the only other Stannies batsmen to reach double figures, the hosts were all out in the 30th over for 104 runs.

Elliott knew his side was under extreme pressure, but set them an achievable goal of taking two wickets before the lunch break then building from there.

He entrusted Year 10 students Jack Cornish and Dominic McCrossin with the new ball and what unfolded was something which the quicks will long remember.

Cornish claimed opener Blake Peisley, who had made 63 in the earlier match against Stannies, for a duck and from there came a batting collapse of epic proportions.

Seven Oakhill players were sent on their way without scoring, three men managed just a single run, while number eight Daniel Grace top scored with two. 

There was one run-out.

“It was the first time I had opened the bowling for seconds, so I was happy to get the call up. The new ball in the hand felt pretty good,” Cornish, who finished with 5-1 off four overs, said.

“We versed them a few weeks ago and the bloke that opened got about 60 runs, but I got him out second ball. It was a bit relieving and we went from there.

“I was just waiting for one of them to stand up and stick around, but no-one did. No-one decided to value their wicket too much. It was moving a bit and as the day went on the pitch deteriorated, so we put our bowling down to that.

“I think I have had a five-for before, but that was back in under 12s, so these were definitely my best figures.”

Cornish’s dismissals included a catch off his own bowling, his efforts taking his tally of wickets for the season to nine. It drastically improved his average as well, which now stands at 6.9.

While Cornish’s pace caused Oakhill plenty of problems, McCrossin’s accuracy created similar dramas. 

He finished with 4-4 off his four overs, with three of his victims having their wickets broken.

“Our coach told me he wanted me to open the bowling, so I knew I had to hit the spot and had a job to do,” McCrossin said.

“We kind of joked about it half way through the innings, we were saying ‘let’s bowl these blokes out for single figures’ but when it actually happened, it took me a while to comprehend what we did.”

Stannies now head into the mid-season break, but when they return to the competition next January, the pressure will be on to build on their remarkable win as they attempt to qualify for the semi-finals. 

They are currently eight points outside the top four in sixth place.

“I think we have to win three of our last four to make the semis,” Elliott said.

“We have All Saints’ and Central Coast, who are both on top and we play two Bowral schools. Hopefully, we can beat both the Bowral sides and jag one of the other ones.”