Gregor MacTaggart
MORWELL goes into the Christmas/New Year break as the Latrobe Valley District Cricket
League’s top side after a convincing 72-run win against Trafalgar at Morwell Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
But the day did not look like going that way for the Tigers early doors, who slumped to 3/7 after being sent into bat by the visitors.
Morwell’s top three batsmen were dismissed for ducks, including former Trafalgar player
Blair Clymo, up against his former side for the first time.
Despite a breezy 21 from Mark Cukier, Morwell found themselves at 6/46 after Aydan Connolly dismissed Blake Mills.
That brought Brendan Brincat to the wicket where he joined Tigers skipper Jordan Campbell.
The pair wrested control of the contest from Trafalgar’s grip with a 83-run partnership,
highlighted by a towering six from the cavalier blade of Brincat.
Campbell top-scored with a patient 44 and Brincat contributed a very handy 34, while late
cameos from Lachlan Day and Travis Pickering lifted Morwell to 172.
Spearhead Jackson Noonan, who did most of the early damage for Trafalgar, finished with the impressive figures of 5/28 from his 10 overs, while Connolly (2/32) was the other multiple wickettaker.
Trafalgar’s innings started much like Morwell’s, with the two openers Aiden George (2) and Liam White (0) sent packing early doors.
Rhys Holdsworth held the Ships’ innings together with a solid 39, but Morwell kept striking at the other end.
Brincat (2/16) and Dylan Day (4/23) were the pick of the Tigers bowlers as Trafalgar was bowled out in 38 overs for 100.
It was the second successive four-wicket haul at A Grade level for the underrated Day, who took his season’s record to 13 wickets at 5.08.
CHURCHILL enjoyed an early mark after demolishing Traralgon West by seven wickets.
Having won the toss, the Eagles elected to bat, but found themselves bowled out in the 48th over for a moderate total of 83.
Opener Hayden Kimpton battled hard for his 30, while Ihraam Zafar (16) and Luke Phillips (13no) provided cameos.
Five of the six bowlers used by Churchill took wickets, headlined by John Keighran (3/19).
Ryan Harvey (2/6) and Matt Harvey (2/17) also impressed for the Cobras.
Churchill wasted little time in the chase, running down Traralgon West’s total in 15.5 overs.
Opener Ryan Wilk top-scored with 28 and Brendan Mason hit 22 from 10 deliveries, a knock which included one four and two big sixes.
Nick Duncan (19 not out) guided the Cobras to victory.
CATS scored a comfortable six-wicket win against Centrals at John Black Oval.
The Lions were in some trouble at 6/53, but a lower-order rearguard lifted the visitors to a
competitive total of 185.
Lachlan Patterson smashed seven fours and a six in an entertaining knock of 48, his best at A Grade level.
Bryce Williamson, fresh from a century against CATS in B Grade the previous week, continued that batting form with 39, which featured two sixes.
Ben Doble chipped in with unbeaten 34, also
hitting two towering sixes.
Ben Julin was the pick of the CATS bowlers
with 5/26.
Having taken the last two wickets of the Centrals innings, Jamie Cochrane’s great match continued when he had the willow in hand.
The CATS opener set the tone for victory with a stylish 87 from 104 deliveries, which included 10 fours and three sixes.
He shared a 98-run partnership with Julin, which lifted CATS from 2/49 to within sight of victory.
Cochrane’s departure opened the door for Rory Hare (11no) and Dylan Keyhoe (20no) to finish the job with 86 balls to spare.
JOEL Mitchell’s five-wicket haul helped Moe to a 26-run win against Latrobe at Ted Summerton Reserve.
The Lions posted 176 batting first, thanks primarily to the efforts of captain Pat Spiteri, who top-scored with 48 and a fine 41 from Troy Oakley.
Navin Gomez (3/28) continues to impress for the Sharks and Benn Zomer also collected three wickets.
Anu Meenakshi led the Latrobe response with 39, but Mitchell, who had earlier scored 24, produced the decisive spell of the match.
He tore through the Sharks’ middle-order to return the figures of 5/24 from his 10 overs.
At 9/106, the game looked dead and buried in Moe’s favour, but Jamie Brierley (26 not out) and Adam Duncan (15) provided some late fireworks with a 44-run partnership which ended when Duncan was caught by Andrew Philip off the bowling of Ash Savige.
RAIDERS defeated Jeeralang-Boolarra by four wickets at Yinnar Recreation Reserve.
The respective captains Ben Heath (JeeralangBoolarra) and Liam Maynard (Raiders) had a major say on the proceedings.
Heath scored a sparkling 68 and proved the backbone as Jeeralang-Boolarra finished 9/172
from its allotted 50 overs.
The Raiders attack shared the wickets around with Madura Perera (3/28) the most successful, while Harry McColl, Mick Higgins and Maynard each collected two wickets.
Despite slumping to 2/7 early, Raiders landed the points without too much of a hassle with Maynard the star.
The skipper hit six fours in his impressive unbeaten 84 and was ably supported by Mick
Higgins (25), Tim Hutchinson (20) and Burkeley Macfarlane (26).
Spinner Hasitha Hewawasam collected 2/19, while paceman Matt McGrath did the early
damage on the way to figures of 2/41.
Mirboo North had the bye.
The next round of LVDCL Premier A Grade action will be played on Saturday, January 8, 2022.
