STAFF WRITERS
CRICKET
TDCA
WITH three rounds to go in the TDCA, Round 12 was going to be crucial for the finals chances of those sitting outside the top four.
Results needed to go Rovers way, who had the bye as Imperials and Yarram needed to pull off unlikely wins to keep the dream alive.
Imperials v Gormandale
THE match of the round had Gormandale playing at Catterick Crescent for the first time since its redevelopment against an Imperials team confident they could win after a convincing victory against the Tigers back in Round 5.
Winning the toss Gormandale batted first but a revved up Imperials team were waiting to take it to them and Gormandale quickly found themselves in trouble with the score 6/51.
An exuberant Scott Aitken was doing the damage with the new ball, stamping himself on the game and physically imposing himself on the Gormandale batsmen.
Things didn’t get any better for the Tigers when Nick Scammell had to retire hurt with a calf injury which effectively made Gormandale 7/60 at drinks and staring down the prospect of another low total.
The going was tough so the tough got going and Campbell Peavey was joined by Adam Brady.
The pair put on a 50-run stand to get back into the match and once Peavey was dismissed for a hard-fought 19, Luke Henderson then came to the crease and added another 43 batting with Brady and helped the score to be 8/154 at compulsory closure with Brady top scoring on 35 although Imperials helped the cause by bowling a whopping 37 extras.
Scott Aitken was the best of the bowlers as he ended up with 3/26 while Ross Williams did as he has all season and took two wickets.
Imperials got off to a good start at 1/43 with Brad Sizeland being the batsman out due to a brute of a ball from Dylan Freitag things were going well for the home team.
Then, Ryan Morley got out after making another start and the very next ball Williams let the pressure get to him and gave his wicket away to then have Imperials 3/43 in a blink of an eye.
The hero from Round 5 Tuan Abdeen was then out for 15 and when Shaun Boyes ran himself out with the score on 69 it was all but over for the home team.
Imperials ended up scrapping to 103 after being bowled out in the 42nd over.
Luke Henderson ended with the best figures for Gormandale taking 2/11 from eight overs as Peavey also claimed 2/23.
All the other wickets were shared around, but it was Brady who was the best bowler of the day taking 1/7 from eight overs to round out a very good match.
Glengarry v Toongabbie
THE rivalry continued at Fred King Oval between Glengarry and Toongabbie as another chapter was written.
With a couple regular players unavailable this week Glengarry was a little thinner than usual
but the class still shone through.
Batting first the Magpies got off to a great start before Nat Freitag was dismissed for 46 with the score on 76. Frank Marks was the next out with the score on 113 as he made a very good 49 before being run out taking on Rob Wheildon.
Glengarry didn’t let the Toongabbie bowlers get into their top order at all as Paul Henry (42 not out from 80), Sam Marks (35 from 38) and Hamish Busk (17 from 12) batted superbly, taking the total to 4/199 at compulsory closure.
With two run outs in the innings only two bowlers took wickets for Toongabbie on what was a very flat pitch.
Toongabbie knew the task at hand and with Nat Freitag still not 100 per cent nursing a knee injury the Rams were going to be in the match if they could apply themselves early.
What the Rams weren’t counting on was Gareth Waack-Hawkins running through the top order knocking over Michael Dunn, Jason Veneman and Gerard McIlroy to have Toongabbie scrambling at 4/22.
Enter James Chalmers, a one-time rig based selection who has now made the number six spot his own this season as he chanced his arm and took it up to the Glengarry bowling attack.
In partnership with Tim Dunn, Chalmers took the score from 4/22 to 5/101, raising the bat for a well-made 61 from 66 balls before Sam Marks bowled him. Toongabbie still had Kev Stoddart, Tom Shippen and Keenan Hughes in the sheds with lots of time left in the match, meaning they still had a chance, but a Sam Marks masterclass ended those dreams and Toongabbie ended up being dismissed for 148 in the 40th over.
Marks ended up with 4/24 from 10 overs while Waack-Hawkins’ three wickets came at the expense of 16 runs.
Ex Students v Yarram & District
YARRAM travelled to the Traralgon Recreation Reserve to take on Ex Students, knowing that
an unlikely win would keep them in sight of the top four.
Ex Students won the toss and batted, but as Kelly Griffiths removed the dangerous Lee Stockdale, things didn’t start as planned for the Sharks.
Yarram was able to take wickets at regular intervals and had Ex Students 7/149 which would give them a sniff if they were able to contain the lower order but with his back to the wall Mitch Harris then started to hit out and took the score up to 8/197 in a 48-run partnership with Rob Voss for the eighth wicket.
Harris ended up 68 from just 70 balls which included fours boundaries and two big sixes.
Four bowlers for the Pelicans took two wickets each with the best being Ant Scott with 2/35 while Josh Swift, Jack Collins and Kelly Griffiths were the others.
The Pelicans innings did not start well as Andy Matthews ripped through their top order.
Yarram was left shellshocked and quickly 6/45 as they stared down the barrel of another score under 100.
Scott in partnership with David Brinker-Ritchie were able to stop the bleeding a little, but when Scott was dismissed for 11 the game was over.
Brinker-Ritchie batted incredibly well though and notched up his highest A Grade score in the TDCA with 61 from 86 balls.
However, the day belonged to Matthews who finished with 5/14 while Michael Warne was the other multiple wicket taker as he claimed 2/18.
ROVERS had the bye
Ex Students welcome Imperials in Round 13
By TYRON BRAMWELL
ROUND 13 of TDCA action features three intriguing matches.
Ex Students v Imperials
THIS again will be a very one-sided game in favour of Ex Students as they will want to stay top of the table and keep their lead against Glengarry, who are close in second place.
The pure experience, athleticism, and patience of Students, helps them to flip a game on its head.
They can go from 20 off 10 overs to 100 off 20 overs if the right people are in.
This includes the likes of Lee Stockdale and Mitch Harris, who are all very powerful hitters and can bump the run rate in an instance.
But in Brad Sizeland and Ross Williams, who are both on fire this season, Imperials will look to get the big wickets out early and keep Students under 150.
However, this will not be an easy task for Imperials, and will need a miracle to knock off Students. Imperials are out of finals contention, but have plenty to play for, as they aim to stay above Rovers on the ladder and not finish last.
One to watch: Lee Stockdale, on fire with the bat, who is leading the league batting averages with 377 runs at 62.83.
Prediction: Ex Students will fly through Imperials batting Line-up and make the runs quickly and easily, making it an early day for them.
Gormandale v Glengarry
GORMANDALE, currently in the top four, will be looking to keep themselves there, as Yarram are not that far behind.
Gormandale need to win one of the remaining two games to guarantee themselves a position in the finals, but it will not an easy task against the competition’s two top teams in Glengarry and Ex Students.
For Gormandale the likes of Matthew Hibbs, Chris Lehner and Paul Roberts can give them a
solid foundation, but it is up to one of them to take the game on and make a sizeable score.
This will help the supporting batters to push the ball around and tick the strike over. Nathan
Freitag and Cam Graham will not make this easy however, both being two very experienced left-arm quick bowlers.
One to watch: Al Jenkin will be looking to keep his good form as the finals loom large.
Prediction: Glengarry will prove too strong.
Rovers v Yarram & District
YARRAM, after being knocked off by Rovers early on in the season, will be looking at getting back at them at Duncan Cameron Reserve.
Yarram are still in finals contention, if they can win these next two games, and the results for other games go in their favour.
Dougal Williams, coming off a shoulder injury will be nervous to play this round, but hopefully can get right back into rhythm and keep on scoring runs, and taking wickets, as he has been all season.
The key to this match, for Yarram, will be to stop as many singles as they can, as the young and very fit Rovers side, love to work quick singles whenever they are able to get them.
One to Watch: Jarryd Swift, with ball in hand.
Prediction: Yarram will turn the tables and take home the win against Rovers.
TOONGABBIE has the bye.
