CRICKET
CLV
By LIAM DURKIN
WASTED Saturdays.
Much as those who play cricket love the sport, all could have probably thought of better things to do at the weekend.
A frustrating stop-start day saw some games go ahead in Round 5 of Cricket Latrobe Valley.
The league made the decision to press on amid annoyingly on-off showers, forcing players to either wait around or get on the super sopper.
Heavy rainfall just after 10am left some grounds saturated however, and no Day 1 play was possible.
The more northern areas of Glengarry and Toongabbie did not suffer as much. Close to 40 overs were played at Fred King Oval in Premier A, while more than 60 were bowled at Roger Reis Oval in A Grade.
Ted Summerton Reserve showed just how well it drains (not to mention the benefit of a $10m ground redevelopment), with close to 60 overs completed.
Here is where it gets a little bit tricky however.
Given that some games got a start and some didn’t, CLV by laws will now come into effect for Day 2.
Consulting said laws, both Premier A and A Grade will continue as two dayers.
The reason?
According to By Law 13.2.2: “If no points result has been obtained in a particular A Grade division on the first day, and in three or more matches, fewer than 30 completed overs have been bowled for that division, the round will be rescheduled as a one day match”.
Premier A did not see any points achieved, but had more than 30 overs bowled in two of the four matches, therefore cancelling the possibility of this week becoming a one dayer.
The same is not entirely true for A Grade, where only one match (Toongabbie versus Willow Grove) was played.
That game however had a completed innings.
As the very next by law says: “By Law 13.2.2 will not apply if at least one match in that particular grade has one completed innings or reaches the minimum 85 completed overs”.
This is all dependent on whether or not play actually goes ahead of course.
With rain forecast all of this week, Round 5 could well go down as the biggest waste of time in league history, with the exception of teams that used to bat past the total in Central Gippsland one dayers.
Trying to explain cricket to someone new to the sport is hard enough. Trying to explain a league’s by laws to those who play the game can be even more complicated.
Just to show how much cricket can torment its players – there is even a by law that automatically strips achievement through no player fault.
As it states: “If a match is rescheduled as a one day match, all individual and team statistics achieved on the first day will become invalid”.
So, in theory, you could play the best innings or bowl the best spell of your life and not have it officially count in the records.
When is cricket good?
Greg Chappell probably though similar when he made three consecutive tons in World Series Cricket against the West Indies at their peak.
MOE was skittled for 106 against Raiders in Premier A.
The team from Yinnar had no hesitation injecting the Lions under grey skies, and worked its way through the order after some early resistance.
Moe is currently a side very much dependant on its top five, and once most of them were back in the Ted Summerton sheds, Raiders were able to take regular poles.
The Lions got to 1/51, before one wicket became multiple.
Raiders only used three bowlers, and all proved effective.
Will Robertson took over from Keenan Hughes as the chief destroyer with 5/47 off 22 overs.
The pair bowled virtually unchanged across more than 40 overs, with Hughes chiming in with 3/39 off 23. Spinner George Cheshire picked up 2/6.
Raiders lost a wicket before stumps, and will resume at 1/9.
_________________________________________________
NAT Freitag is going to have to do something special here.
The Glengarry superstar is unbeaten on 29, but only has one batting partner left against Ex Students.
The Sharks meanwhile are on the cusp of making this Saturday a very long one for the home side.
Ex Students has Glengarry 9/57, after making full use of conditions bowling first at the weekend.
Jimmy Pryde found plenty of grip and took 4/7, working in tandem with Lee Stockdale (2/10).
With the odds heavily in favour of the Sharks, it is looking as though Freitag will need to play a Ben Stokes-like innings alongside Number 11 Jordan Cochrane playing the role of Jack Leach.
THE matches between Imperials and Rovers (at Catterick Crescent) and Morwell and Churchill (at Keegan Street) did not get a start.
It was a similar story in A Grade.
Centrals and Mirboo North waited around at Apex Park before calling it a day. Latrobe and Traralgon West did not get on at Peter Siddle, nor did CATS and Gormandale at John Black Oval.
_________________________________________________
TOONGABBIE is 0/21 chasing 122 against Willow Grove.
The home side made the unsurprising decision to bowl first, and took wickets at regular intervals.
Willow Grove got to 36 without loss, but then fell away completely.
Dane Fawcett saved the side from total embarrassment with 37.
Wickets were shared among the Rams.
Gayashan Munasinghe took 4/35, Jai Hazelman 3/17 and Nathan Farley 2/17.
Toongabbie veteran Tom Shippen took the biggest wicket – that of Willow Grove captain Luke Payton.
Shippen showed exactly how much experience counts for, conceding just 10 runs in 12 overs.
Advantage is all with the Rams heading into Day 2, where one suspects they’ll bat until saying “we’ll have a look” closer to tea.
