CRICKET

CRICKET LATROBE VALLEY

By LIAM DURKIN

 

CLV Premier A Grade

BATTLES for various reasons remain alive in Cricket Latrobe Valley Premier A.

Round 12 concluded at the weekend, leaving an intriguing ladder read with two rounds remaining.

Just three points separates second-placed Glengarry from third-placed Moe, which is looming as a race to see who can secure a home semi.

Raiders and CATS follow the Lions, and will be out to secure a spot in the top four, as will Morwell.

Toongabbie and Mirboo North are still mathematically alive, but have the added pressure of fighting for not only finals, but surviving relegation.

Churchill is last on the ladder, and needs to make up at least seven points to go equal with Toongabbie to possibly put itself out of relegation contention.

At the other end, Ex Students are well out on top, holding the clubhouse lead by 11 points.

In this season, two of the nine teams in Premier A will go down to A Grade next season, making for an eight team competition in both divisions as the premier of A Grade will be promoted.

Clubs have been aware of this from the start.

This set of arrangements came came about when Latrobe Valley District and Traralgon District merged at the start of the season, and a few clubs left both previous associations, making for compromised gradings.

Trafalgar joined Warragul District, and Yarram joined Sale-Maffra, while Jeeralang-Boolarra dropped out of Latrobe Valley A Grade.

As a result, there was six clubs from the previous Latrobe Valley season who had qualified for Premier A, and three from the TDCA who played finals last season (Ex Students, Glengarry, Toongabbie).

It was decided it was unfair to relegate a TDCA team who had played finals in the previous season.

Cricket Latrobe Valley will play Saturday/Sunday two dayers this weekend, in order to fit in the 14 rounds required plus finals before the end of March.

 

GOOD teams just find a way to win.

Ex Students were exceptional on Day 2 against Raiders, winning a match they perhaps had no right to.

Taking to Terry Hunter Oval, the Sharks needed seven wickets to win with only 66 runs in the bank – and managed to pull it off.

The preeminent team of Latrobe Valley cricket showed just why they are deserved premiership favourites, as they knocked Raiders over for 104 in pursuit of 127.

Everything seemed to be pointing toward a Raiders victory last week – that was until Lee Stockdale and James Pryde got to work with the ball.

The spinners gave next to nothing away, returning figures of 6/28 and 2/23 respectively.

Stockdale sent down 23.2 overs, and Pryde 18, as Raiders crumbled under intense pressure.

Stockdale started off by trapping the dangerous Barney Webber in front, before quick Mitch Harris saw the back of nightwatchman Harri McColl.

From there, Pryde took the next two wickets, and then a disastrous run out saw Raiders captain Liam Maynard short of his ground.

Maynard had faced 65 balls, and probably knew internally he would have to bat to the end to see his side over the line.

He was forced to watch on helplessly though, as Stockdale and Pryde cleaned up the rest of the order.

Once the books were added up, the carnage was truly spelt out – Raiders lost 7/33 to surrender first innings points.

Ex Students then batted out the remaining 14 overs in the day, and got 2/23 on the board.

While the result was much to the Sharks’ credit, it will perhaps send warning sirens off in the Raiders camp.

No matter how good the bowling or fielding is, there is really no excuse for not chasing 66 runs when you have seven wickets in hand.

 

THERE was no nightwatchman heroics at Ted Summerton Reserve.

Toongabbie suffered a heavy defeat to Moe, who bowled out the Rams for 121 in pursuit of a mammoth 334.

A concerted bowling effort from the Lions saw wickets shared, and most were able to chip in throughout the 42.5 overs Toongabbie batted for.

Left arm orthodox Callum Grant took 3/33, veterans Rob Phoenix and Aaron Johnstone two each, and Day 1 hero Benn Zomer added figures of 2/19 to go with his maiden ton.

Rams captain Keenan Hughes did his best with 35 off 23 balls, smashing six fours and a six, while further up the order, Sean Pickles was also attacking, striking at 76.78, making 43 off 56 balls.

Moe sent Toongabbie back in, and with a lead of 213, had their sights set on an outright.

The Rams fared much better second time around, going past the deficit before the match was called after 50 overs.

Hughes bumped himself up to second drop and made 62, while a few others got valuable time in the middle.

Matt Stoddart made 44, Jimmy Chalmers 30, Sam Moran 27 and Daniel Barry the same against the new ball.

With plenty of runs in the Toongabbie second innings, there is bound to be a player that has now nailed down an A Grade spot.

There is always one bloke around this time of year who makes one score for the season, and it comes in a meaningless second dig.

Phoenix and Johnstone added another two wickets to their match tally.

 

FOR a match between second and last, it was a pretty tight game between Glengarry and Churchill.

The Magpies appeared to be cruising to victory at Fred King Oval, starting the day 1/89 chasing 162.

Glengarry however lost six wickets before passing the required total, netting a slight sigh of relief from the premiership hopefuls.

Nat Freitag was there to put the side into a solid position, but when he fell for 70 with the score 3/125, there was life in the Cobra camp.

With Steve Warr bowling classic Tugga lines, the visitors stayed in the hunt until the Magpies declared 52 runs ahead.

The Glengarry card had scores at both extremes, with three ducks contrasting scores of 70 (Freitag), 43 to Sam Marks, 27 to Al Jenkin and 26 not out to Brayden Mayberry.

Warr sent down 25 overs and took 4/50. John Keighran bowled just as many and took 2/76.

Churchill got through its second innings, losing five wickets for 81 runs.

Ross Parker made 25 not out, while Cam Graham took 4/21 for the Magpies.

 

THE match between Mirboo North and CATS did not enter a second day.

Last week’s horrific storm left the Mirboo North Turf unplayable, meaning CATS took first innings points having secured the win last week.

Not far from Mirboo North, Thorpdale also experienced trouble in the aftermath of the storm.

The Blues’ team, made up predominately of farmers, were left with six players on Friday night for their match against Toongabbie.

Thorpdale however hit the phones, and managed to get a team on the park.

The Blues reportedly reached out to anyone in their contact list, which even included AFL games record holder Brent Harvey.

 

MORWELL had the bye.

 

CLV A Grade

ALARMINGLY low scores featured on Day 1 of Cricket Latrobe Valley A Grade.

Two of the three games saw more than 20 wickets fall, while four of six first innings returned totals of less than 100.

 

IMPERIALS were knocked over for 51 chasing a mere 75 against Centrals.

Batting first at Catterick Crescent, the visitors only found runs form Mark Rawson, who made the most Mark Rawson score ever of 33.

Todd Mann took five wicket for Imps, taking his season tally into the 40s.

The batting effort however just wasn’t up to standard, and a sorry-looking card read five globes, three of which were in succession from batsmen nine to 11 for Imps.

Tyron Gamage led the way with six wickets, working alongside Marc Fenech who grabbed three.

The Lions are 2/76 in their second innings.

 

GORMANDALE continued their rise.

The Tigers have won on first innings against ladder-leaders Rovers, and might just be about ready to hit their peak on the eve of finals.

Gormandale only made 119 at Duncan Cameron Reserve, but bowled the home side out for 80 in reply.

Runs to new Tiger Nimesh Soyza, who made 29, enabled the visitors to scratch out triple figures.

Ewan Williams would have been feeling confident after taking 6/42, but that is about where the positive news ended for Rovers.

Rovers were blown off the park by a disciplined Gormandale attack, who used four bowlers, all of whom took wickets.

Nat Campbell took 4/27, Dylan Freitag 3/12 and Yohan Soyza 2/10.

Gormandale are 2/20 in their second innings, leading by 59 runs.

 

HE’S gonna be a star this kid.

A six wicket haul to 14-year-old leg-spinner Darcy Walsh propelled Willow Grove to a commanding position against Latrobe.

Walsh took 6/49 off 13.3 overs, to see the Sharks bowled out for 81 at Peter Siddle Oval.
Latrobe got off to a decent start, putting on 29 for the first wicket, before things quickly went south.

Walsh took the first four wickets to fall, working in tandem with medium pacer Nathan Weatherhead, who took 4/10 off nine overs.

After that, it was the Luke Payton show.

The Englishman, who came across with a reputation as a big hitter, did just that, smashing 149 off just 129 balls.

Incredibly, he hit more sixes than fours, sending 10 over the cones at Maryvale.

Josh Hammond’s score of 30 and Adam James’ effort of 28 not out went largely unnoticed amid the carnage at the other end.

Willow Grove has first innings points in the bag, and is 3/223, with a long Saturday looming for Latrobe.

Payton is still not out, and having scored Willow Grove’s first A Grade century since the Wolves returned to the top flight last season, could have his eyes set on a double ton.

 

TRARALGON WEST had the bye.