CRICKET
CLV
By LIAM DURKIN
CRICKETERS made the sensible decision to start early at the weekend.
With temperatures forecast to reach close to the 38 degree cutoff, games commenced around 11am in order to try and beat the heat.
In the end, conditions weren’t stifling hot for the last one day round of the season.
The league also made the sensible decision not to play third grade matches over the Australia Day long weekend.
Interestingly, Bairnsdale Cricket Association did not play at all, likely due to the huge influx of people heading to Lakes Entrance (was it not an opportunity missed though to host a cricket carnival?)
Round 11 of Cricket Latrobe Valley presented another interesting case study as the season moves closer to finals.
Teams are getting some key players back for the right time of year, and it is likely going to come down to the last couple of rounds to determine who makes up the final four in each division.
Generally speaking, teams sitting mid-table simply have to keep winning in order to qualify.
Premier A
Morwell 9/162 def Toongabbie 10/160
THIS is truly one of the most bizarre games imaginable.
Morwell survived a huge scare against Toongabbie in Round 11 of Cricket Latrobe Valley Premier A.
It took a Todd Dixon four in the 45th over for the Tigers to win nine down.
The ending was in keeping with what was something that had to be seen to be believed.
Chasing 160 at Keegan Street, the home side was 7/136, but managed to sneak the runs required, much to the relief of all wearing yellow and black.
Incredibly, all nine Morwell dismissals were bowled (no word of a lie).
Blair Clymo (43) and Blake Mills (39) provided the backbone of the innings, but could only watch on helplessly as Nathan Farley (3/26) tore through the middle order, backing up Gayashan Munasinghe, who took 4/17 across his spells.
Rams legend Rob Wheildon had earlier batted through the entire innings to finish 88 not out, in one of the great individual knocks.
Just to add another layer to such a strange game – the next highest score after him was extras on 17.
Wickets were shared in the Morwell camp.
Ross Whelpdale took 3/13 with his off breaks, and fellow spinners Blair Clymo 2/8 and Mark Cukier 2/34.
The evergreen Brendan Brincat took 3/47.
First the footy and netball club play in a game against Traralgon when the scores are exactly the same, and now this.
The stuff historians dream about.
Moe 3/132 def Traralgon Imperials 10/131
MOE scored arguably its most important win in the context of its Premier A season.
The Lions defeated Imperials, who have just started to wobble over the last couple of weeks.
Making the very un-Moe like decision to bowl first at Burrage, the Lions dismissed the visitors for 131.
Brett Chapman and Scott Aitken were the only Imperials batsmen to really get going, scoring 32 and 31 respectively.
Spinner Callum Grant led the way for Moe, taking 4/16, supported by left arm quick Royce Colgrave with 2/41.
Moe was then methodical as ever chasing down the runs without too much risk.
Philip/Phoenix CC returned, with Andrew Philip making 45 red and Rob Phoenix 41 off 37 balls.
Dilshan Thilakarathne had some joy with the ball, snaring 2/32 for Imperials.
Another blast from the past appeared on a Moe team sheet, with Joel Jacovou having a hit in the twos.
Glengarry 4/148 def Churchill 10/146
HE really makes a world of difference.
Nat Freitag helped Glengarry to a win over Churchill.
The gun left hander scored 64 not out in a 150 chase at Andrews Park West.
Sam Marks hung around for 31 off 70 at the top of the order.
Jordan Higham was the pick of the Churchill bowlers with 3/21 off 10 overs with three maidens.
Earlier in he day, the Cobras card was plagued by only two scores of significance and a heap of single digit returns.
Higham top-scored with 43, while skipper Ryan Ayres made 36.
New ball bowlers Max Merton (3/27), Cam Graham (3/24) and Frank Marks (2/15) did the damage for the Magpies.
Ex Students 6/256 def Centrals 10/34
CENTRALS batting like its 1995.
That is the supposedly how long epic batting collapses have been happening at the Lions.
The team from Apex Park took it to new levels last Saturday, getting blasted out for just 34 against Ex Students.
The Sharks perhaps showed just how big the gap is between top and bottom, after closing at 6/256.
Perhaps the only saving grace for Centrals was that this game wasn’t played in the old days when teams could bowl twice in one dayers (how ridiculous was that).
Such a pummeling appeared some way off after Ex Students were reduced to 3/22 at Terry Hunter Oval.
Yet again though, Rick Battista showed just how important he is, scoring an unbeaten 122 off 137 rocks.
He combined with skipper James Pryde, who made a run-a-ball 56. Michael Stockdale also helped the total with 33.
Centrals may well have been thinking 150 was on the cards thanks to the bowling of Tyron Gamage (3/49). Cameron Whitehead took two wickets, but went at more than seven an over.
The Lions’ batting resembled a telephone number, and they were shot out in 20.2 overs.
The visitors were in early trouble at 2/15, and then further up the proverbial without a paddle when two more wickets fell for no runs added.
Extras (11) was the only double figure score.
Ex Students only needed to use three bowlers.
Pryde (4/4), Lee Stockdale (4/11) and Mitch Harris (2/16) cleaned up.
A Grade
Willow Grove 3/223 def CATS 10/221
THAT would have to be the greatest win in Willow Grove’s history.
The Wolves defeated CATS by seven wickets at home, thanks to a mighty hand of 132 from Luke Payton.
Willow Grove officials have banged on about how good this bloke is for two years.
After showing glimpses last season, there is now no denying he is one of the most destructive batsmen, not just in Latrobe Valley, but in Gippsland.
His innings at the weekend came against an attack that had former Zimbabwean Test bowler Tinashe Panyangara. (From the MCG in a World Cup to the hard deck of Willow Grove, how much further apart could you get).
Opening up, Payton struck at 159, sending six balls over the fence, including one into a nearby house – quite a feat given there aren’t many surrounding the Willow Grove oval.
Wolves captain Ben Edebohls played a perhaps forgotten innings of 55, striking at 80 as well, in a winning chase of 3/223.
Panyangara had earlier blasted four sixes for CATS, while Cal Stewart (37 off 24) and Jamie
Cochrane (36) also contributed.
CATS had Aaron Fawcett playing, brother of Dane, who has joined the club this season.
The experience would have undoubtedly been strange for the Neerim South local, playing cricket against the club he plays football for.
Aaron scored 33 batting in familiar territory, although changing in the unfamiliar environment of the visitor’s rooms.
Edebohls took 3/50, while youngster Logan Walsh (2/26) and Nathan Wheildon (2/32) chipped in.
The Wolves will surely feel vindicated, after losing reverse-outright to CATS in the two dayer.
Technically speaking, Willow Grove has actually defeated CATS 1.5 times this season.
CATS player Shane Mustoe suffered an unfortunate injury in the Premier B match against Thorpdale, after top-edging a bouncer into his head.
Mustoe wasn’t wearing a helmet, and had to retire hurt.
He was taken to hospital and is recovering from a broken eye socket.
Rovers 5/169 def Gormandale 6/165
JUST one or two wickets shy of making things really interesting.
Rovers chased Gormandale’s total of 165, although half the side was in the shed when the game was won.
Batting first at Duncan Cameron, top-scorers for the Tigers were Campbell Peavey (50 not out) and Cal Polo (32).
Liam Little was the best of the Rovers bowlers with 4/28 off his 10.
Ewan Williams then did most of the scoring, making 62, although his dismissal changed the complexity of the game.
Rovers appeared to be cruising at 0/75, yet were precariously placed at 5/127 not long after.
Yohan Soyza gave little away, claiming 4/15 off 10 overs with four maidens.
Latrobe 6/172 def Traralgon West 10/171
LATROBE secured a vital win.
The Sharks made sure of things, taking 46.2 overs to chase Traralgon West’s total at Moe Racecourse.
A number of starts punctuated the Eagles’ innings. Josh Monacella scored 31, Bohdi Bright 30 and Sam Treasure 28.
Bright suffered the slight misfortune of going out to Rob Webber – his coach for the Gippsland Under 21s team.
Webber showed how its done, taking 3/28. Ed Hopper helped out with 2/25, and then made 45 opening the batting.
Import Rhys Noble got 43 to his name, while Anthony Bloomfield saw the team to victory with 34 red.
Alfie Peck (3/45) and Connor Hughes (2/39) were the multiple wicket-takers for Traralgon West.
Raiders 5/270 def Mirboo North 8/180
POOR Mirboo North would have been cooking in their black one day kit.
The Tigers suffered a loss in 35 degree heat at home, going down to Raiders by the best part of 100 runs.
Raiders put up 5/270 batting first, with the top five all doing their job.
Runs came to Harvey Rogers-Collen (58), George Chesire (57), Tom Robertson (45), Harri McColl (37) and Liam Maynard (36).
George Fairbairn made a half-century in reply, and veteran Chris Anders finished on 38 not out, as Mirboo North closed at 8/180 after the 50 over allotment.
Raiders threw the ball around, giving 10 blokes a bowl.
Rogers-Collen grabbed 3/13 and Keenan Hughes 2/23.
