CRICKET
CRICKET LATROBE VALLEY
By LIAM DURKIN and BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
Premier A Grade
Glengarry def Centrals
“STANDARD was better in our day”.
Future historians may look back on the Cricket Latrobe Valley Premier A semi-final between Glengarry and Centrals and question anyone from Gen Y or Gen Z who makes such a claim.
In a scorecard generally only found in pre-World War 1 times when batsmen were armed with fenceposts and matches were played in cow paddocks, the Magpies somehow got through to the Grand Final after being knocked over for just 85 in their first innings.
Had Glengarry been playing anyone other than Centrals, the game at Fred King Oval may well have seen the team batting second get the runs two or three down at most.
As it turned out, the Lions, notorious for batting horror shows in finals, sunk to even greater depths on Day 1, and were bowled out for a mere 24.
The carnage count returned some grim figures.
It was Centrals’ lowest ever score, ‘beating’ their record of 29.
The Lions had one foot in the door to the Grand Final by tea last Saturday, and were out on the gutter by knockoff.
Centrals’ decision to bowl first appeared justified, and when left arm swinger Marc Fenech walked off with figures of 7/35, all looked to be going according to plan.
Tyron Gamage also took 2/28, but was to later become a victim in Nat Freitag’s hat-trick.
Either Centrals can’t bat or Freitag is really, really, really good at cricket, because he ended with the insane figures of 8/7 off 8.2 overs.
Looking at some of the dismissals, it would be fair to say both.
Yes it is difficult facing a new ball, especially from a left armer coming from an unfamiliar angle, but when the top four all get clean bowled, there must be some technical issues at play.
As a top order batsmen, especially an opener, you should have a tight enough defence to not get bowled.
A total of seven Centrals players were either bowled or lbw, as things completely unravelled.
Some batsmen looked like total deer in the headlights, leaving balls hitting halfway up off stump (it’s a bold strategy Cotton).
Much as this writer is cursed for his low strike rate, it was disappointing as a neutral to see no application at the crease given there was a grand final at stake. At least dig in for 10 overs and wear a few if you have to.
Cam Graham took two of the first three wickets to fall, before Freitag took the rest. The number 24 came back to haunt the Lions, as the Magpies batted for 24 overs to stumps, and were 2/67 overnight.
The Magpies may have been tempting fate, as it is understood one player had already booked out all of next week for his premiership celebrations, but they were possibly saved by Sunday’s rain, which washed out all play and saw Glengarry through to the decider, having won on first innings.
Ex Students v Morwell – Abandoned (Ex Students progress)
NO need to block out this time.
Amid all the commotion further north, the match at Terry Hunter Oval was played in total contrast.
Ex Students did what Ex Students do best – partnerships and patience.
The Sharks needed just batting partnerships last Saturday given Sunday’s rain, and qualified for the Grand Final as the highest ranked team.
Ex Students responded to the challenge of being asked to have a hit by Morwell, and posted 6/222 across 85 overs.
Jimmy Pryde lived up to his reputation as ‘Mr March’, making 50 at the top of the order.
The skipper combined with Matt Dyke, who made 44 in a near-century opening stand.
Runs also came from some familiar names in Lee Stockdale (38), Jackson McMahon (32) and the ever-reliable Rick Battista (29 not out).
Most batsmen struck between 40-50, the perfect approach for two day cricket.
Tim Ford bowled very well for the Tigers, and couldn’t have done much more, taking 4/64 off 35 overs, which included 15 maidens.
Morwell tried eight bowlers in an attempt to create more breakthroughs, but couldn’t quite find all 10 scalps.
Their fate was taken out of their hands by Sunday, as no play was possible.
How cruel this game can be – Morwell missed finishing above Ex Students on the ladder by one point, and consequently missed the Grand Final as a result.
How bizarre it can also be – Ex Students have now qualified for consecutive grand finals without winning a semi.
A Grade
RUNS can come at any point, even if it’s only in the last few precious weeks.
Semi-final action ran at the weekend in Cricket Latrobe Valley A Grade, with only one of the top two from the regular season able to light that spark from the rest of the season and capture victory.
Rain last Sunday meant the game between Imperials and Rovers ended in a draw, landing the former in the Grand Final as the highest ranked team.
Latrobe meanwhile featured in one of the biggest upsets in recent times, taking down minor premier Churchill.
Latrobe def Churchill
SCRAPING into finals in the last week of the regular season, Latrobe would have been given little chance to reach a Grand Final, let alone get past Churchill in the process.
Well, the Sharks did what only one team had done all season (Rovers in Round 5), defeating the Cobras at Andrews Park West during the most crucial stage of the season possible.
Winning the toss on Saturday, Churchill elected to bat.
The Cobras featured as the most dominant side all season long, crossing the 200-run mark six times over the course of the year and routinely getting to their target with relative ease and in little time.
Things looked testy for Churchill after Brae Kelly was exited within his first 15 balls for just one, having been one of his side’s most reliable contributors throughout the season, averaging 52 in his previous five matches.
Trouble continued for the Cobras as Ric Velardi’s day ended before it had even started off the back of Latrobe’s Salman Rasool (already his second wicket for the match within the first 10 overs). Opener Matthew Harvey was then ousted by Jacob Bloomfield just two balls later.
Out of sorts and in a position rarely seen throughout the season, Stephen Warr arrived at the crease and couldn’t change his side’s fortune, making just two before being taken by Bloomfield for his second wicket.
Captain Ryan Ayres began to provide some life for the Cobras alongside Ben Kearns with a 32-run partnership, before Kearns (18) was done by Cameron Freshwater.
Ayres exited for 25, and then John Keighran was taken by Freshwater.
Ross Whelpdale (17) was the only other player of significance for the Cobras before he was stumped by Cody Mackay, ending Churchill’s stand producing a measly total of 98.
Freshwater took 3/18, Rasool 2/20 and Jacob Bloomfield 2/14.
Now armed with the faith to slay the giant, Latrobe readied to chase.
Openers Jamie Coltman (42) and Sam Wilson (39) began with a 69-run partnership, as the Cobras looked out of sorts from the get go, producing five extras in the first three overs of the innings.
Anthony Bloomfield would be the deciding factor for Latrobe, making 47 not out on route to the Sharks surprise upset.
Latrobe was 4/175 at stumps on Day 1 with a lead of 77 when Churchill conceded defeat.
Imperials def Rovers
ONE more game left in them.
Imperials made their second straight Grand Final, again at the expense of Rovers.
Batting first, Imperials looked to work themselves into the match, with Tom Starkey and Dilshan Thilakarathne exiting early with little to show for it. Captain Ryan Morley produced 20 with four boundaries before being taken by Ewan Williams.
Flipping the game on its head, James Skingle arrived and tallied an unbeaten 69 run stand which gave Imperials the necessary energy to keep pushing forward at Catterick Crescent.
Todd Mann (22) and a plethora of others in the backend of the order were also the difference in seeing Imperials make 171.
Williams took 4/42 and Simon Duff 4/55 for Rovers.
Rovers wouldn’t get the start they hoped for with the bat, as opener Oliver Grant exited for a duck after 10 balls – lbw to Mann, and Tyler Pearce (11) doing only slightly better.
Williams tried to get the ball rolling with 20 not out, but rain Day 2 denied him the chance to add to his total.
Mann took 2/13 with seven maidens on Day 1.
Premier B Grade (Semi Finals): Ex Students 2/77 (A Jaensch 47) def Jeeralang-Boolarra 9/75 (L Panwar 3/3, M Warne 2/10, C Potalej 2/22); Glengarry 154 (P Henry 35, A Newton 27, A Hodson 26, M Powell 5/14) def Thorpdale 152 (M Powell 40, K O’Connell 32, C Millsom 28, P Henry 4/10, G Waack-Hawkins 2/18, T Duncan 2/30).
B Grade (Semi Finals): Moe 115 (M Johnstone 40, L Pollard 3/16) def Centrals 92 (J Atkinson 4/28, D Farmer 2/11, R Blunt 2/29); Raiders 7/169 (K Arora 35, A Joshy 27, R Sidhu 26, J Anderson 3/30, L Hegarty 2/21) def Imperials 5/168 (R Williams 63*, T Paulet 32, N Sandhu 2/23).
Premier C Grade (Semi Finals): Ex Students 7/286 (P Richards 121, S Thomson 55, J Robertson 28, A Degennaro 3/41) def Mirboo North 119 (P Banks 32, A Ferguson 4/31, M Bentley 4/35); Moe 8/155 (R Semmens 40, S Murphy 38, G Edwards 32*, B Wall 2/19, D Veale 2/24, B Hood 2/32) def Toongabbie 97 (F Manduci 3/12, T Oakley 2/13, J Pickering 2/15).
C Grade (Semi Finals): Churchill 9/168 (R Harrington 32*, S Wernham 32, C Dekaste 31, B Jones 29, T Allen 2/27, B Atkinson 2/51) def Latrobe 6/166 (R Lawson-Pepper 107, S Wernham 2/19, S Tobin 2/36); Rawson 8/167 (J Cargill 37, M Williams 29, C Stanton 5/33) def Jeeralang-Boolarra 124 (A Baker 47, J Cecil 28*, N Spark 26, J Wiseman 3/22, M Metcalfe 2/14, O Brouwer 2/17, M Williams 2/21).
GRAND FINALS FIXTURE
Premier A Grade: Glengarry vs Ex Students
Saturday, March 22 – Sunday, March 23
Keegan Street, Morwell – 11am start
A Grade: Imperials vs Latrobe
Saturday, March 22 – Sunday, March 23
Peter Siddle Oval, Maryvale – 11am start
Premier B Grade: Ex Students vs Glengarry
Saturday, March 22
Morwell Rec – 11.30am start
B Grade: Moe vs Raiders
Saturday, March 22
Yinnar Turf – 11.30am start
Premier C Grade: Ex Students vs Moe
Saturday, March 22
Yinnar Rec – 11.30am start
C Grade: Churchill vs Rawson
Saturday, March 22
Maryvale No 2 – 11.30am start
