CRICKET

CLV

By LIAM DURKIN

 

THIS is why you should never read too much into season previews.

Players you are told either aren’t playing or who clubs haven’t heart from suddenly rock up, much as they did at the weekend.

Cricket Latrobe Valley made a start for Round 2 after the opening weekend was washed out.

Inclement weather still played havoc, with a couple of games decided on DLS and some lower grade matches abandoned.

While early days, the number of players appearing as ‘Fill in’ on PlayHQ might be an early cause for concern.

Clubs across Gippsland appear light on for numbers, and will be hoping they pick up in coming weeks.

Three of four Division 5 games were forfeited in the neighbouring Warragul District Cricket Association at the weekend, while Hallora’s Third XI was virtually made up of players from Blackbridge Cricket Club. Blackbridge, based at Rythdale, offers winter cricket and monthly social matches for many local players.

Gippsland Goannas Over 50s veterans also won their match at the weekend via forfeit.

 

Premier A

NEWLY promoted Imperials got its Premier A campaign off to a promising start, defeating Centrals in a competitive match at Apex Park.

Chasing 177, the visitors won with two wickets in the shed.

A host of double digit scores helped Imperials, led by Ryan Morley at the top (27), Tylah Donoghue in the lower order (27) and Todd Mann in typically no-nonsense fashion, smashing an unbeaten 33 off 32 balls from number nine.

For someone who says he hates batting, he has a pretty good record (having scored multiple A Grade tons).

Centrals captain Tye Hourigan had earlier top-scored with 75, while Lachlan Speairs dug in for 48 off 123 rocks.

Marc Fenech did as he has done for countless years, hooping the new ball around, and took three top order wickets for the Lions.

MORWELL technically won on Duckworth Lewis Stern, although the match against Churchill would have been decided in regulation time anyway.

Posting 5/175 at Andrews Park West, the Cobras were given a ‘revised’ total of just two runs and two overs less (48).

It mattered little, after the Cobras were bundled out for 116.

Only Jordan Higham with 32 made an impression, after Brendan Brincat (3/24) and Tim Ford (3/29) did the damage up top.

Usual one day dasher Kris Fortuin showed his adaptability with the stick for Morwell, batting the entire innings to make an unbeaten 61.

IF you’ve got Jordy Gilmore batting five, you’re going to take some beating.

Ex Students easily defeated Toongabbie by more than 100 runs.

The Sharks put up 9/258 on Roger Reis Oval, with Gilmore (71), Mitch Harris (61), Andrew Matthews (38 not out) and Matt Dyke (26) all contributing.

Rams veteran Tom Shippen sent down 10 overs, returning figures of 3/40 (to think of the number of overs that man has bowled in his time).

A few starts punctuated the Toongabbie response, but in the end, they were dismissed for 131.

Gayashan Munasinghe made 33, yet his teammates had little answers for the collective effort so synonymous with Ex Students in the field.

Harris (3/51), Adam Brady (2/13) and the star of last season’s Premier B final, Fletcher Graham (2/13) took seven wickets between them.

IN Kaney we trust.

On a day when the rest of the order struggled to hit off the square, Noah Kane delivered arguably the best innings of his career.

The Moe wicket-keeper scored 91 off 100 balls batting at number six, taking the Lions to 231 against league heavyweights Glengarry on their home deck.

Kane hit 10 fours and two sixes, partnering with Callum Grant (30) in a 112 run partnership for the fifth wicket.

The Magpies were later bowled out for 205, with Kane again a thorn in their side, collecting four catches.

Sam Marks (41), Jay Francis (36) and Brandon Mayberry (30) all made scores of note, yet dual wickets from Ritvik Mahajan (2/4), Grant (2/7), Ben McCarthy (2/28) and new Moe captain Matt Hibbs (2/40) gave the visitors impetus.

While Glengarry was without Nat Freitag, there is absolutely no guarantee he would have made the 26-run difference the game was decided by.

Anyone who has played cricket for long enough will have seen even the absolute best players go out cheaply.

 

A Grade

THESE blokes have more runs and wickets than most of their teammates have had hot food dinners.

Latrobe legend Anthony Bloomfield and his counterpart, Dale Banks of Mirboo North, wound back the clock at the weekend.

Bloomfield struck 90 not out off just 51 balls against Gormandale at Stoddart Oval, in a team total of 4/246.

The Tigers very nearly won however, given a target of 99 to get in 20.1 overs on DLS.

Ultimately, Gormandale closed at 3/90 after putting up a grand chase.

Connor Bettsworth’s 36 and Cal Polo’s 30 not out contributed significantly.

Bloomfield’s son Jacob ensured his dad didn’t get all the glory, snagging 3/38 with the ball.

The Sharks also found runs from Ed Hopper (46), Rhys Noble (36) and Ronnie Chokununga (48), who suited up despite most believing he wouldn’t play this season.

(Bloomfield recently returned from national duty. Full story in next week’s paper).

BANKS took 4/15, all unassisted, in the Tigers’ nine wicket win over Rovers.

Mirboo North chased a meagre total of 101 inside 25 overs, thanks to Frankie Ingram (41 not out) and Jed Alexander (29).

Compounding the issue for Rovers was the fact the home team actually got away to a solid start, after Liam Little and Tyler Pearce (34) put on 55 for the first wicket.

That being said, the run rate barely hovered above 2.5, so the Tigers wouldn’t have felt much, if any, pressure.

God Banksy would have a lot of wickets.

LUKE Payton again stood out on the batting card for Willow Grove.

His 68 (nine fours, one six) wasn’t enough against Raiders, who won by seven wickets at Yinnar Turf.

Raiders chased 145 inside 30 overs, with new recruit Keenan Hughes smacking an unbeaten 58 off 43 balls (three sixes).

Akila Silva also joined in the fun, making 31 not out off 38, after Rob Webber set things up with 27 against the new ball.

DON’T think CATS will be in A Grade too much longer with this team.

The boys from Traralgon South, with the inclusions of Josh Keyhoe (Moe), Dane Fawcett (Neerim) and Jamie Cochrane (not retired as it turns out), ran past Traralgon West at Jack Canavan.

The Eagles were knocked over for 122, although Alfie Peck (38) and Matt Griffiths (36) offered some resistance.

Having a Test match bowler in your line-up does help however, and Tinanshe Panyangara snared 4/2 from just 20 balls.

Keyhoe (41) and skipper Nathan Harrap (a patient 29 not out) then guided CATS over the line.