CRICKET
CLV
By LIAM DURKIN
VICTORIA’S wild weather again played havoc with local cricket.
With Gippsland sandwiched between bushfires in the north and flash flooding in the south, the result saw heavy rain fall last Friday night before Round 10 of Cricket Latrobe Valley.
The rain was enough to leave a couple of games abandoned, continuing what has been a frustrating and equally bizarre season.
Granted there is always a few washouts a season, there has barely been a dry month in 2025/26 so far.
(There has seemed to be more washouts since COVID, maybe there is something in that?)
The situation may also play havoc with aggregates, and eventual winners may have noticeably lower returns than the norm.
People may look at club honour boards in years’ to come and think the standard wasn’t overly strong, without realising there was in fact just half as many games played.
It will admittedly be farcical at the current rate, with some clubs on track to have blokes win aggregates with 200 runs and 15 wickets.
Morwell 7/218 def Ex Students 9/216
FIRST time’s a charm.
Morwell secured its maiden victory over Ex Students at First XI level.
Another team was added to the list (surely the most comprehensive in local cricket existence) at the weekend, after the Tigers defeated the Sharks by three wickets following a Blake Mills masterclass.
The left hander compiled what is surely his best knock for the club, scoring an unbeaten 104 against the league-leaders.
He capped it off by hitting the winning runs, shortly after tucking two off his hip to reach triple figures.
Perhaps most tellingly, he celebrating the winning runs more than his hundred, making an arc toward his jubilant teammates amid claps and cries of “come on”.
Travelling to Terry Hunter Oval, the visitors decided to bowl first, and made use of the overcast conditions, reducing Ex Students to 2/7 early.
A few partnerships formed around the Stockdale brothers from there, with Lee scoring 54 and Michael 67 to take the total to 9/216 after the 50 over allotment.
Skipper Jimmy Pryde made a counter-attacking 30 off 27 balls, coming in down the order at eight.
All six Morwell bowlers used took wickets. Spinner Ross Whelpdale took the two key wickets of Lee Stockdale and Rick Battista once set.
The Tigers took the chase right to the penultimate over, but had Mills there at the end to see the team over the line.
He received support from skipper Blair Clymo (39) and veteran Mark Cukier (25).
Ex Students were somewhat uncharacteristic, sending down 22 extras, but that should not detract from Morwell’s performance, nor the fact Mills struck at close to 90 (seven fours, three sixes).
Pryde (3/34) and Michael Stockdale (2/33) were multiple wicket-takers for the Sharks.
Moe 2/98 def Centrals 10/97
A WIN for Moe and surely huge concerns for Centrals.
How the Traralgon Lions could do with Nuwan Pradeep (the former Sri Lankan international played a few games for the club last season).
Centrals were routed by eight wickets at Burrage, after folding for just 97.
Moe lost just two wickets chasing the total, capping off a special day for the club hosting its first-ever Indigenous round.
Players from both teams walked through a smoking ceremony pregame, as acknowledgements were made.
Centrals could hardly blame the pitch (which historically had a home team advantage due to low bounce) after electing to bat first on Saturday.
The visitors were 2/5 after some ordinary shots saw one opener back away to a length ball and another play a dirty hack across the line to get out lbw.
Centrals captain Tye Hourigan had little choice but to dig in, and scored 38 off 104 balls.
The lighter blue Lions at least saw out 46 overs, meaning the party pies and sausage rolls had a chance to cook through.
Moe bowled well as a unit, with wickets shared. Spinners Callum Grant and Anu Anubhav took five between them.
Moe chased the win and the bonus point, getting both before winning beers were consumed.
Rob Phoenix played the percentages as always, making 44 off 88 in the maroon clads.
He hit just three boundaries, demonstrating a valuable lesson.
The win keeps Moe in finals contention and all but condemns Centrals to relegation.
How quickly things can change – Centrals looked for all money like making the grand final last season after rolling Glengarry for 85 in the semi. Now they haven’t won a game this season.
Churchill 4/102 def Traralgon Imperials 10/100
CHURCHILL might just be peaking at the right time.
The Cobras backed up winning the T20 final on Friday night by smashing Imperials by six wickets.
Imps were second on the ladder heading into the match, but were perhaps given a reality check that night after being skittled for just 100 at Catterick Crescent.
Double figure scores from the top three Imperials’ batsmen told the story, after the home side elected to have a hit.
Churchill’s bowlers executed well, and were able to control things under defensive one day batting.
Steve Warr took 2/9, John Keighran 2/12 and Chris Williams 2/19.
Keighran and another familiar Churchill name in Ben Kearns then got most of the runs, remaining not out on 33 and 27.
Todd Mann finished with 2/11 off his 10 overs, while Charlie Pilling snared 2/28.
The audio picked up someone saying “three certainties in life” before Mann snicked off Jordan Higham at first slip.
Glengarry v Toongabbie – ABANDONED
THE match between Glengarry and Toongabbie did not get a start.
Damp conditions at Fred King Oval left the ground unplayable.
The draw might spell the end for the Magpies’ finals chances, as they are now eight points off Churchill in fourth.
The bigger story might be Glengarry possibly fighting relegation.
While it is long odds, Glengarry is six points adrift of seventh-placed Toongabbie with four games to go.
From playing in five consecutive grand finals to potentially getting relegated – how good’s cricket.
A Grade
Mirboo North 9/232 def Willow Grove 10/1668
THAT’S more like the Mirboo North people know.
The Tigers snapped an indifferent run of form to blitz Willow Grove by 64 runs in A Grade.
Batting first at Willow Grove Rec, the visitors made the home side pay for sending them in, chalking up 9/232.
Zach Hollis top-scored with 57, followed by George Fairbairn (37), Frankie Ingram (35), Linc Chila (34) and Nila Thillekarathna (32).
The Walsh brothers, Darcy and Logan, took a pair of wickets each for the Wolves, along with Nathan Wheildon.
Ingram and Will Lawrey then did the damage with the new ball, reducing Willow Grove to 3/27.
Ingram took the big wicket of Luke Payton cheaply, although the Wolves found runs from Adam Forth (who?) with a sublime innings.
Forth batted through the carnage, to end the 168 innings on 93 not out off 111 balls, running out of partners for what would have been a memorable century.
Lawrey (3/27) and Ingram (3/39) set the platform for Dale Banks to clean up with his leg spin.
Banks took 3/28, clean bowling the two Walsh boys and Hamish Phoenix, whose dad Banks played in premierships with.
Despite their fates, the three youngsters would have surely taken some notes on how to play quality spin dealing with one of the best to ever do it.
Mirboo North is still last on the ladder, 12 points behind fourth and finals.
They couldn’t could they?
Rovers 1/121 def CATS 9/120
ARE Rovers really good or CATS not as good as everyone thinks?
A nine wicket win would suggest the former.
Rovers completely dismantled the team from Traralgon South – on their home turf no less, chasing 120 one down.
CATS won the toss and batted, but struggled under a sustained bowling effort that saw all six bowlers used take wickets.
Mitch Leslie was the pick with 3/21, although Simon Duff and Liam Little deserve a mention, going for less than 20 runs across their 10 over spells.
CATS leader Nathan Harrup had to bat through most of the 50 overs for an unbeaten 55 off 150 rocks.
Rovers secured a win and a bonus point, after chasing the total in less than 25 overs.
Ewan Williams fell just five runs short of a ton, but his effort single-handedly won the match.
He struck 12 fours and four sixes in a 76-ball 95, that was every bit 95 made rather than 100 lost.
Rovers are now four points clear on top of the ladder, and surely daring to dream.
Traralgon West 3/142 def Gormandale 10/141
TRARALGON WEST in the top two – who honestly would have thought?
The Eagles defeated Gormandale by seven wickets – which given history of a previous generation, would have been very sweet to any long time ‘Westies’.
Chasing 141 at Stoddart Oval, the visitors kept things interestingly enough, eventually crossing in during the 46th over.
The Tigers possibly denied themselves a few runs, after Campbell Peavey (43) and Connor Bettsworth (29) were dismissed against the run of play.
Ben Fleming (3/26) continued his wicket-taking ways, backing up the efforts of Connor Hughes with the new ball (3/16) and Alfie Peck (2/23).
Matt Griffiths played the opening anchor roll, scoring 48 off 100 balls, while Josh Monacella played a similar hand in the middle order with 45 red off 107.
Raiders 7/179 def Latrobe 9/177
RAIDERS are starting to come good.
Except that they bowled 44 extras.
The team from Yinnar defeated Latrobe by three wickets at home after chasing 178.
Taking the punt to bowl first, the home side went through 50 overs, which became 56.1 following a startling display of inaccuracy as 37 wides were recorded.
Finn Mahoney was the main offender with 14, while beanpole quick Harrison McColl had his radar off, sending down nine.
Moments of madness were intertwined with moments of brilliance however, with the top five Latrobe bats all returning single digit scores.
Sharks skipper Steven Freshwater made 35 and Ronnie Chokununga 31 until adjudged lbw by Mick Higgins.
These Yinnar blokes just never fully retire.
The man known as ‘Juice’ took 3/32, Keenan Hughes 2/24 and George Cheshire 2/27.
Raiders captain Liam Maynard again took matters into his own hands, scoring an unbeaten 67 to see the team to safety in the third-last over.
Cheshire helped out with 28.
The home side was seemingly swimming at 1/59 and 4/130 before things pivoted thanks to none other than Anthony Bloomfield.
Bowling for the first time at Shark level this season, he took 2/30 off nine overs with his left arm seamers.
Opening quick Rhys Noble also took 2/41.
