LIAM DURKIN
CRICKET
LVDCL A GRADE
By LIAM DURKIN
DARE say it would have been a light session for all Latrobe Valley District Cricket League A Grade clubs at training last night.
Or no training at all, depending on if you could walk or not.
With the penultimate round seeing regular season matches played across Saturday and Sunday last weekend, plenty of overs were bowled as players were reintroduced to the feeling of playing back-to-back days for the first time in nearly two years.
While the top four was set in stone heading into the round, there was a still plenty to play for, as home finals and psychological edges all count for something in the race to the premiership.
TRAFALGAR and Mirboo North played in the match that had the most meaning.
A foot in the door to securing a home semi final was up for grabs on the Mirboo North Turf, and in the end, it was the Ships who prevailed.
The visitors were forced to showcase some adaptability in the lead-up, as they knew from a long way out they were going to be without three of their top six batsmen in Rhys Holdsworth, Brodie Burgess and Daniel Heathcote due to life outside of local cricket (there is such a thing).
With a combined 350 games of A Grade experience gone in one hit, there was a degree of uncertainty about just how Trafalgar would fare, especially without Holdsworth, who is enjoying some season, with close to 700 runs to his name in a season that has seen five washouts.
Taking a practical approach, the Ships reshuffled the order to try and give key batsmen Aiden George and Aydan Connolly as much time in the middle stages as possible, at a time when conditions might have enabled scoring to be easier.
With Holdsworth only available on Day 2, Trafalgar knew Mirboo North would look to bowl first if they won the toss.
Sure enough, they did, and the Ships were told to face the music.
Needing someone to shield the middle order, usual number 10 Liam Durkin was sent out to open the batting.
Durkin had been worded up after training on Thursday night with what the plan was, and was given one simple instruction – ‘stay in’.
He may have taken this advice a bit too literally, as he went on to spend more than three hours at the crease.
Combining with his namesake, usual opening bat Liam White, the pair saw out the first session, getting to drinks with 50 on the board.
White played a patient hand of 37, recovering well after a painful blow in the worst spot possible.
The two left-handers put on 63 for the first wicket, negotiating some tight bowling from the home side.
Young Tiger Max Woodall again bowled well with the new ball, and looks a player for the future, getting some appreciative movement away off the deck.
Mirboo North turned the tables dramatically through the efforts of experienced campaigners Will Cheatley and Dale Banks.
The former had White edging through, before wrapping his younger brother Riley in front.
Cheatley then took the key wicket of Connolly via a return catch, while leg spinner Banks did likewise to dismiss George.
At lunch, the Ships were in some trouble at 5/71.
Cooper Burgess and Durkin took the score past 100, but fell either side of each other, giving Cheatley a five wicket haul and leaving Trafalgar 7/104.
Durkin’s 200-ball stay yielded him 26 runs and a cure for insomnia.
Banks continued to take wickets at the other end, and when the second-last pole fell, Trafalgar had 122 on the board.
Owen McLeod-Agland then decided to free his arms, and played an enterprising hand of 34 off 49 balls, which included five boundaries.
He put on a more-than-handy 32-run 10th wicket partnership with Zack Brown, taking the Ships total up to 154.
Banks also took five wickets, making for the very rare occurrence of two players taking five wicket hauls in the same innings.
Banks’ figures read 5/31, and Cheatley’s 5/43.
With half-an-hour left in the day, the Tigers had a tricky period to negotiate.
Things started without much fanfare, but come the last over of the day, Trafalgar seamer Jackson Noonan ensured the visitors took all momentum into the following day.
Noonan started by knicking off Jed Alexander, and then, with the second last ball of the day, broke through Will Lawrey’s defence to have Mirboo North 2/13 at stumps.
Noonan picked up where he left off the next day, finding the perfect length to take Pedlow’s wicket with his first ball.
The Tigers did their best to stabilise from there, but two wickets in as many overs from McLeod-Agland reduced them to 5/29.
McLeod-Agland has enjoyed a meteoric rise in senior cricket, playing in a C Grade flag with Trafalgar in 2019/20, spending two seasons in B Grade, to now be a more-than-capable all-rounder in the top flight.
Mirboo North dug in for periods, but the task eventually became insurmountable, and they were bowled out for 70 just after tea.
Noonan sent down 19 overs straight and took 3/15, with 11 maidens. A herculean effort considering he had been at Country Week the week before.
Holdsworth chipped in with 2/11, as did McLeod-Agland (2/16) while Zack Brown was rewarded for a good opening spell, ending with 2/18.
CENTRALS won their third game outright.
The Lions met Willow Grove at McGregor Reserve, Yallourn North, and told the Wolves to have a hit at the coin toss.
The technically home side didn’t show a great deal of resistance, skittled for 67 inside 40 overs.
Corey Pollard took three wickets, as did Rob Webber.
The Lions then made the most of the overs they had available.
Despite falling to 2/10, the visitors ended up scoring 301.
Captain Tye Hourigan led the way, and came agonisingly close to his second A Grade century.
Hourigan did most of the heavy lifting early, and went at virtually a run-a-ball.
The skipper had to make do with 97 off 99 balls, a knock that featured 12 fours and two maximums.
Hourigan’s effort set the tone for others to follow.
Young gun Lachlan Speairs showed why he is nicknamed ‘King’, playing a mature innings of 47 off 152 balls.
Mark Rawson came in late at number 10, and went whack, whack, whack from ball one.
Rawson only faced 26 balls, but scored an unbeaten 57, with six fours and three sixes.
Ominous signs come finals perhaps.
Brad Hourigan also got some valuable time out in the middle, making 28.
Willow Grove battled hard in the field, and had some reward with Anthony Wilkes taking 2/31, Nathan Wheildon 2/40 and Liam Cumiskey 2/48.
Having chased leather for 84 overs, the Wolves weren’t in much mood to hang around.
They sank to 5/13 in their second innings, and capitulated further from there.
Willow Grove did last 53.5 overs, but could only manage 64, giving Centrals another victory with 10 points.
Joe Stuart ripped the life out of the Grove, taking four wickets.
Others to help out were Marc Fenech, who returned remarkable figures of 2/8 off 15 overs with 12 maidens, and Reghard Hefer, who took 2/14.
TRARALGON WEST survived a scare from Jeeralang-Boolarra.
The Eagles were 6/139 in pursuit of 225 at Jack Canavan, but the wise heads of Tim Fitch and Salman Rasool were able to see the home side to victory.
Before that happened, the Panthers decided to post a total.
Plenty of overs were bowled, 102 in fact.
Pleasingly for Jeeralang-Boolarra, runs came from different sources than usual.
Lachlan Smith applied himself well, and made 43, with his innings featuring five boundaries.
Others to get among the runs were Nila Thillekarathna and Jacob Carnes, who each made 28.
But it was Hasitha Hewawasam who was the shining light for the visitors, scoring an unbeaten 60.
Two of the smartest men in the league found themselves on opposite sides, with Hewawasam staying in the game, and Rami Zafar ahead of it, taking 2/14 for Traralgon West.
Rasool also grabbed two wickets, as did Hayden Kimpton and Reece Falla.
Leg spinner Adam Thow sent down 23 overs, and was then asked to bat at first drop the next day.
He came in after Ben Edebohls and Hayden Kimpton got the side to 51 without loss. Kimpton ended up making 38, but his dismissal set off an unfortunate chain of events as far as the Eagles were concerned.
The entire top-five got starts, but failed to convert, leaving the Panthers well and truly in the game.
When Dylan Smith had Josh Monacella caught, Traralgon West still needed 86 to win.
Given the sides form-line of late (four losses in five games) there was surely worrying signs for the Eagles.
Fitch stood tall, and refused to see his beloved green and gold suffer defeat, carrying his bat in a fine display.
The veteran ended unbeaten on 72, partnering with Rasool, who scored a cool, calm and collected 29 not out.
The result will surely give Traralgon West a much-needed injection of confidence, the very which may have taken a hit in previous weeks.
For the Eagles to chase over 200 on a wicket that is traditionally difficult to ‘get in’ on, and to do so without Zafar needing to bat, could propel them on the eve of finals.
The two Smiths performed well for Jeeralang-Boolarra with the ball.
Dylan took 2/38 and Lachlan 2/39.
