CRICKET – CRICKET LATROBE VALLEY – LIAM DURKIN

 

Premier A Grade

COLES picked a good week to have Gatorades on sale for $2 each.

The first ‘real hot’ day of the season greeted players in Cricket Latrobe Valley Premier A at the weekend.

Players took to the field in 30 degree heat as Round 11 came to a close.

 

HE just has that match-winning ability.

A devastating all-round performance from Keenan Hughes delivered Toongabbie a much-needed victory.

After a few underwhelming weeks, the Rams charged back to life, beating CATS in fairly comprehensive fashion.

To say Hughes was the difference would be accurate, if also equally understated.

He made 82 out of 182 on Day 1, and finished with figures of 8/38 on Day 2.

Hughes took Toongabbie to first innings points, sending down 17 overs in the first innings, as CATS were bundled out for 105.

The left arm quick found support from Tom Hood, who took the other two wickets, but unfortunately for him, his efforts went largely unnoticed.

CATS appeared on track to bite away at the total, getting to 2/60 before the innings quickly capitulated.

Hughes cleaned up the tail expertly well, taking the last three wickets without conceding a run.

With a lead of 77, the Rams went the tonk in their second dig in order to set up an outright.

The second innings saw runs flow, and Toongabbie declared with the score reading 4/174 after 34 overs.

Hughes was again in the runs, making 24 not out off 29 balls, coming in after Tim Dunn and Sean Pickles had done the damage up top.

The pair put on 105 for the second wicket, with Pickles making an innings-high 59 and Dunn 56 off 64 balls.

By now the lead was above 250, however, time was running out for the Rams to take 10 wickets.

In the end, they could only manage one, as CATS got to 17 overs at 1/51.

CATS skipper Jamie Cochrane made 30 in a rare highlight for the visiting side.

The performance from Hughes added another dot point to his sporting highlights package, which includes nine goals for Yallourn Yallourn North in the 2022 North Gippsland Football-Netball League Grand Final.

His new club, Cowwarr FNC will surely be hoping some of the magic rubs off this winter.

 

GLENGARRY got the job done against Ex Students.

In what may be a preview of the Grand Final, the Magpies won a see-sawing battle.

With Day 1 affected by rain, Ex Students concluded they needed as much time as possible to bowl Glengarry out, and so sportingly declared with 117 on the board.

The chase was not as straightforward as it seemed for the Magpies, who slumped to 4/29 at Fred King Oval.

Veteran seamer Adam Brady took the first three wickets to fall, knocking over Al Jenkin, Nat Freitag and Sam Marks.

Ex Students carried this momentum, and had victory in sight when Glengarry fell to 6/41.
Needing a partnership, the Magpies found one from Cam Graham and Ben Marks, who took the score past the first innings total.

Marks made 51 and Graham 46, seeing not only their side to victory, but seeing off time which would have given Ex Students the chance to bat again.

Glengarry was 6/135 after 43.3 overs when it was decided there was no point playing on.
Brady took 3/32 across eight overs.

Despite the result, Ex Students may take a great deal of confidence out of what transpired, considering Glengarry arguably had the better of conditions.

The Magpies bowled under grey skies on Day 1, and batted in a blazing sun on Day 2.

 

AS if having one seamer from Rawson wasn’t enough.

Morwell found bulk wickets from a new face, with Tim Ford running rampant at Keegan Street.

Ford decimated the Moe line-up, taking 8/21 across 23.3 miserly overs, as the Tigers recorded a comprehensive 112 run victory.

Chasing 216, the Lions were never in the hunt, and were rolled for 104.

Ford started by taking the first five wickets to fall, leaving Moe 5/41, from which stage there was no recovery.

This paved the way for Ross Whelpdale to come on and add to the Lion’s misery, and he chipped in with a couple of scalps.

Ford however was granted the opportunity to finish as he had started, and he knocked over the last three batsmen for a combined total of two, making for one very productive afternoon.

The carnage saw Ford grab five unassisted wickets, in a performance that had the Morwell historian working overtime.

In the wash-up, Ford now holds the following records for one of the oldest cricket clubs in Gippsland:
– Best Morwell bowling figures since Steve Esler took all 10 in B Grade against Thorpdale in 2014;
– Best bowling figures for Morwell First XI since Wayne Mills’ 8/19 against Yinnar in 1990;
– Best bowling figures for Morwell against Moe since Robin Auchterlonie’s 8/17 in the 1958 – A Grade Grand Final, and;
– The third-best bowling figures by a Morwell bowler of all time against Moe.

Ford’s efforts not only entered the record books, but allowed Morwell to add another inscription on the Centenary Cup, played for between the two teams.

The medium pacer has been a key acquisition to the Tigers this season, and looks set to end the regular season with at least 30 wickets to his name.

Oh by the way, Benn Zomer also scored 46 not out in this game.

 

RAIDERS got what they needed, but not necessarily what they wanted.

The team from Yinnar had little trouble winning on first innings, but missed the outright by one wicket against Churchill.

 

MIRBOO NORTH had the bye.

 

The Cricket Latrobe Valley women’s competition will host a marquee event tomorrow night (Thursday, February 8) in support of the McGrath Foundation.

A Pink Stumps Round is scheduled, with games taking place concurrently at the Jack Cananvan Complex.

Matches commence at 5.30pm, with special presentations to be made later in the evening from various community groups.

 

A Grade

ROVERS continued on their run-scoring ways in Cricket Latrobe Valley A Grade.

Day 1 of Round 12 left games in fairly predictive positions as to how teams will be approaching the return this weekend.

As they have for most of the season, Rovers put up a 250-plus total.

The boys from Duncan Cameron made the short trip to Jack Canavan to take on Traralgon West, where they proceeded to make 278.

Dougal Williams was again in the runs, and fell just nine runs short of a century, while brother Ewan was also productive, scoring 70.

Both fell to leg-spinner Adam Thow, who was workmanlike in his efforts, and finished with figures of 6/84.

The Eagles used eight bowlers during the day, and had it not been for Thow, they could have easily had a much more daunting chase on their hands.

Fellow club stalwart Ben Edebohls sent down 16 overs, and picked up 2/39, but unfortunately for Traralgon West, the runs just kept flowing.

Tyler Pearce made 32 opening the batting, before falling hit wicket of all dismissals.

Rovers faced 80.2 overs, and due to the over rate being fairly brisk, got a crack at Traralgon West for 10 overs before stumps.

The Eagles survived with little issue, and will return this week at 0/17.

Under competition rules, the home side can have 90 overs if it is good enough to bat out the day.

 

GORMANDALE needs just 16 runs to win on first innings.

The Tigers are 5/109 chasing 125 against Willow Grove at Moe Racecourse.

While the situation appears straightforward, Gormandale could find themselves in a precarious position if they lose a few early wickets.

The Wolves elected to bat first at their adopted home ground.

Callum Polo made a welcome return to the side, and responded with a patient 58 off 135 balls.

He found support from Luke Payton, who was his naturally aggressive self with 34 off 37.

The Englishman dealt mainly in boundaries, smashing five fours to the rope.

The rest of the card failed to contribute, with a paltry 11 runs from batsmen five to 11. Of the last six batsmen, four made ducks.

Nat Campbell sent half the team packing, taking 5/15 off 14 economic overs.

The return of Campbell, bowling leg spin and providing another sound bat, has been identified as a key reason Gormandale has enjoyed a meteoric rise since Christmas.

Fellow spinner Yohan Soyza and captain Matt Hibbs also chipped in with two wickets each.

Gormandale probably lost a few more wickets than they would have liked, but by the same  token, would have likely had an outright in mind from the start, meaning more aggressive strokeplay leading to a higher chance of wickets.

The Wolves were able to capitalise on this, especially Liam Cumiskey, who had the locks flowing in his 3/22 off nine overs.

Soyza steadied the Gormandale ship, making 44, as did Dylan Freitag.

Freitag will resume Day 2 on 31 not out and will be joined by someone with the same name – with Dylan Keyloe for company.

 

IMPERIALS could have an early day this weekend.

The team from Catterick Crescent are 2/237, having already gone well past Latrobe, who were bundled out for 75.

With a lead of 162, Imperials can probably declare as soon as Day 2 starts, put the Sharks back in, and be done before tea.

Imperials fancied their chances bowling first on Day 1 at Catterick, and with good reason as it turned out.

Wickets fell at regular intervals, as the home side only used four bowlers.

Dilshan Thilakarathne took 2/8 off 10 overs, while Todd Mann filled his boots with 6/21.

Imperials racked up the runs after they’d finished bowling.

James Skingle had his perfect day, remaining not out on 125.

Dilshan scored a half-century for good measure, while skipper Ryan Morley made 48, donging three sixes in the process.

In slightly better news for Latrobe, two of their longest serving players celebrated significant milestones in the lower grades.

Tim Cranwell and Steve Grover both played their 450th games in B and C Grade respectively.

The pair have been stalwarts of local cricket, both enjoying stellar careers.

 

CENTRALS had the bye.