LIAM DURKIN
CRICKET
LVDCL
By LIAM DURKIN
THERE was no shortage of talking points when results from Round 9 of the Latrobe Valley and District Cricket League came to hand.
A three-run margin and one wicket margin highlighted the evenness of the competition, while some emphatic performances by teams in other games proved what they are capable of, and may have sent a message to the rest of the competition.
LATROBE got home in a thriller against Raiders.
The Sharks looked gone for all money, but proved ‘it ain’t over till it’s over’, taking 8/30 in a dramatic finish to see Raiders go from 2/177 chasing 210 at Peter Siddle Oval to all out for 207.
Earlier in the day, Latrobe was asked to have a hit, and found runs from opener Anu Meenakshi who scored 61, captain Benn Zomer (45) and Brett Duncan (29 not out).
Raiders captain Liam Maynard took 4/29 with his leg breaks, while beanpole quick Harry McColl nabbed 4/45.
Maynard then scored 32, partnering with Mick Higgins in an 86 run stand for the second wicket.
When Maynard was dismissed, Higgins continued on with Madura Perera. The pair added 88 and looked to be in cruise control, however, shortly after Perera raised the bat for his half century, an appeal by Zomer for leg before wicket was looked upon favourably by umpire Ray Hooper, and Latrobe was back in business.
Zomer made it a double-strike when he dismissed Higgins for a well compiled 86 a short time later, leaving Raiders a tricky 29 runs to get with six wickets in hand and two fresh batsman at the crease.
From there it was a matter of being the last team to panic. Raiders counted down the runs one by one and Latrobe went in for the kill.
Zomer broke through for his third wicket with the score 5/191, and then back-to-back run outs meant Raiders needed six to win.
With the game on the line, the ball was in the safe hands of Latrobe pace ace Tyron Gamage, who firstly tore through the defences of Brayden Hickey, before Harry McColl was run out in further chaos.
The equation came down to four off two with one wicket in hand.
Gamage was up to the task and delivered the final blow, knocking over Oliver McColl to see Latrobe to victory.
The Sharks took the last three wickets for no runs to win the match.
Gamage ended with 3/28 from 9.5 overs, while Zomer took 3/42 from his 10.
TRARALGON WEST continues to be a bogey team for Trafalgar.
It was double-déjà vu for the Ships, who lost to the Eagles by one wicket for the second season in a row.
Batting first, Trafalgar compiled 6/172, with Rhys Holdsworth and Aiden George scoring 47 and 45 respectively.
The Traralgon West tweakers found a good amount of purchase in the Jack Canavan surface and gave the Ships plenty to think about.
Reece Falla was miserly, going for just 21 runs in 10 overs with three maidens, as was Adam Thow who only went for 22 in his 10.
Mark Williams got the breakthroughs, finishing with 3/48 along with Tim Fitch who took 2/39.
Trafalgar started brightly and had Traralgon West 4/30 in the first session.
Young Eagle Josh Monacella then stood tall under duress, partnering with Tim Howe in putting on 91 for the fifth wicket. The pair denied Trafalgar for the entire middle session, as Monacella ticked the score along and Howe played a tremendous supporting role.
Monacella proved his effort of 85 not out in the previous game wasn’t a fluke, as he put Traralgon West into a winning position with 58 off 69 balls.
At 5/121 the match was in the balance. Trafalgar looked like they had the game there for the taking when Traralgon West slipped to 7/133 following the dismissal of Howe for a determined 36.
Williams played a handy cameo of 21 off 25 batting at number eight, and he took the Eagles to within nine runs of victory.
The wicket of Williams had the scoreboard
reading 9/164 with four overs remaining.
Some tense moments followed the last pair of Zach Henke and Adam Thow, but the tailenders held their nerve and Thow, with ice in his veins, clipped the winning runs to secure victory for Traralgon West.
Such a performance by the Eagles will surely do wonders for the team’s confidence moving forward, especially considering they were without key
players Rami Zafar, Rob Wilkie and Ben Edebohls.
Jackson Noonan was easily the best bowler for Trafalgar, taking 3/10 off 10 overs with four maidens. Aydan Connolly chipped in with 2/31.
CHURCHILL showed form is temporary and class is permanent against Morwell.
The Cobras bounced back from a heavy loss to Latrobe the previous game, inflicting the Tigers with an equally heavy loss this time around.
Brendan Mason played a breathtaking innings for Churchill, making 109 from 89 balls batting on the Morwell Recreation Reserve.
Mason hit six sixes in his effort, which was ably supported by Matt Harvey who made 48 opening the batting.
Harvey and Mason put on 124 for the second wicket, helping the Cobras to a score of 211.
Off spinner Mark Cukier led the bowling for Morwell, taking 4/34, while Brendan Brincat (3/30) and Sam Mooney (2/36) took poles along the way.
The Morwell reply never materialised, and the Tigers lost wickets at regular intervals to eventually be routed for 87 inside 30 overs.
A middle order collapse saw Morwell lose 4/10, as the Harvey twins of Ryan and Matt ran riot for Churchill.
Left arm quick Ryan took 2/19 and Matt 2/28.
The King Cobra John Keighran missed out with the bat, but more than made up for it with the ball, nabbing 4/17.
CATS activated beast mode against Mirboo North.
Batting first at John Black Oval, the home side sent the ball to all parts, racking up a huge score of 4/294.
Of the six CATS players that got a hit, five had strike rates at 80 or above.
Josh Keyhoe torched 107 not out from 121 balls, with his innings featuring seven maximums.
Cal Stewart was equally devastating, making 94 not out from 86 balls with six sixes.
Stewart and Keyhoe demoralised Mirboo North to the tune of a 198-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Skipper Ben Julin had to make do with scoring 30 off 31 balls, along with Jamie Cochrane who made 27 off 21.
Amazingly, despite the batting onslaught, nearly one-fifth of the overs bowled were maidens. Anton Thomas had an eventful first grade debut for Mirboo North, and finished the innings with 3/51.
The Tigers went down swinging with the bat, and although they were dismissed for 140 in 36.2 overs, a few players were able to spend time out in the middle. Captain Jesse Giardina top scored with 40 off 49 balls.
Harry Cooper made it nine wickets in two weeks with figures of 4/24, which included two coming via caught and bowled.
Tinashe Panyangara (2/26) and Julin (2/32) also got their names in the wicket takers column.
CENTRALS made it back-to-back wins with victory over Jeeralang-Boolarra.
The Lions compiled 7/247 batting first at Moe Racecourse, which ended up being virtually 100 runs more than what the Panthers could manage.
Opening batsmen Wayne Henry and Reghard Hefer led from the front, scoring 76 and 31 respectively.
The pair received good support from a number of players coming in later, notably Tye Hourigan who scored 52 and Ethan Foley who made 25.
Alex Devonshire had some success with the ball for Jeeralang-Boolarra, taking 3/48.
The Panthers were plagued by players getting starts in their batting effort, but couldn’t capitalise after putting in the ground work.
Captain Ben Heath did his best with 41 batting at first drop, along with Nila Thilllekarathna who scored 28.
Jeeralang-Boolarra saw out their innings, getting to 158.
All Centrals bowlers took a wicket. Corey Pollard was the best performer, taking three wickets for the second week in a row, finishing with 3/6 off seven overs. Lachlan Patterson broke the game open for the Lions, taking the wickets of Heath and Thilllekarathna on the way to figures of 2/38. Bryce Williamson also claimed a couple of scalps, taking 2/26.
MOE had the bye.
THIS WEEK, Moe will host Raiders at Ted Summerton Reserve, while Traralgon West travels to Peter Siddle Oval to take on Latrobe. Other games will see Centrals and Mirboo North meet at Yallourn North, Churchill and Jeeralang-Boolarra clash at Yinnar, and Trafalgar will surely have a bus booked for the journey out to Traralgon South.
