By David Nagel
WGCA LOWER GRADES
REVIEW – ROUND 5 (DAY ONE)
B GRADE
Nothing should come easy when the top-two teams collide and that was exactly the case when Merinda Park (7/179cc) and Kooweerup matched motors at Donnelly Reserve on Saturday.
The Cobras have been the most dominant team in the WGCA this season and can move two games clear of the pack with victory.
And the Demons, well they’re the Cobras’ biggest challengers and can tie things up at the top if they can hunt down the 180 runs required this weekend.
What a see-sawing battle we saw on day one.
Ayden Mills (4/48 off 20) gave the Demons the dream start, removing Craig Robertson (3) and Bo Hellman (0) cheaply, before Lester Betreen (2) was run out to leave the Cobras in all sorts at 3/27.
But a stubborn partnership between Chris Smith (53) and skipper Jass Dhaliwal (76 not out) rectified the situation, to the point where the Cobras were on top at 3/97.
But the tireless work of Arie Hazendonk (1/40 off 28) finally paid off, trapping Smith in front to force another change in momentum.
Dhaliwal watched three more of his team-mates depart the scene before finding an able ally in Gurpreet Goraya (25 not out). From a dangerous 7/131 the pair put their heads down, unable to take too many risks but producing enough good shots to keep the inks running in the scorebook.
Dhaliwal played a predominantly patient innings, but his six fours and two sixes give an insight into his manner.
Expect a cracking finish when this one resumes on day two.
Officer (9/242) flexed its muscles against Carlisle Park, setting the Vikings a really tough chase at Heatherbrae.
The Bullants’ top order did exactly what it’s supposed to do – make runs – with Tom Marks (79), Tony Smith (33) and Riley Clark (38) all in the thick of the action. Darren Kneebone (21) also played well through the middle overs, while Vikram Karwal (16) and Dean Perrow (12 not out) kept things ticking over at the end.
Manjeet Sandhu (3/70 off 19) took bowling honours for the Vikings, while Harinderjit Brar (2/40) and Nick Macdonald (2/24) also took key wickets at key times – Macdonald taking the two main scalps of Marks and Clark.
Emerald (9/257) looks set to take its win-loss record into the positive after two solid middle-order partnerships gave it the upper hand over Pakenham at Toomuc Reserve.
Openers Lachlan Crnogorac (23) and Michael Hoban (17) did well to see off the new ball before Koby Grass (4/57 off 16) and Les Jones (4/61) led a Lions revival – the game evenly balanced at 3/62.
But a 69-run partnership between Sam Stapleton (52) and Ian Crosher (71) provided a platform, one built on nicely as Crosher and James Burke (37) delivered a 93-run union for the fifth wicket.
The Lions did well to limit the damage late in the day but will have to bat their socks off if they wish to climb from the bottom of the table.
And a top knock from skipper Bill Loudon (69) has seen Devon Meadows (9/188) post a competitive score on its trip to Upper Beaconsfield.
Loudon shared a 60-run partnership with fellow opener Spencer Churchill (24) and a 33-run stand with Luke Hamilton (20) before the Panthers crashed in their middle order. They lost 4/2 at one stage before Michael Addison (31 not out) and Brett Irvine (15) set about repairing the damage.
The Maroons shared the load beautifully all day, with Nick Meyers (4/59 off 20) taking the honours – followed closely by Chris Howard (2/19 off 11) and Chad McDonald (2/41 off 19).
C GRADE
Only two batsmen could make their way into the 40s on Saturday as bowlers kept things tight in a tough opening to the Round 5 battles.
Fortunately for Catani (9/189), it was two players who proudly wear its colours – Riley McDonald (49) and George Zekic (41) – who put their best foot forward against Pakenham Upper/Toomuc on the weekend.
The experienced Zekic and up-and-coming McDonald made a solid stand through the middle order to quell a Yabbies attack that found its line and length early. Brad McDonald (22) was the only other batsman to really dig his heels in as Chris Vernal (2/30) and Jake Abel (2/16) made life difficult for the hosts.
The Yabbies really need to win this one to keep their faint finals hopes alive.
Cranbourne Meadows (0/8) has the destiny of the 12 points in its own hands after its bowlers clearly had the better of Officer (163) at Starling Road.
The Rebels sit at the summit of the competition and when you look at their bowling figures from the weekend you can see why. Twin trump-cards Iftikhar Ahmad (4/30) and Maqbool Laiq (3/26) both bowled 13 overs apiece, and bowled five maidens each in a display that the Bullants found hard to handle.
The home side had its starters, with Daryl Hargreaves (39), Darcy Taylor (30), Jayson Dryden (23) and Colin Parnall (20) all making runs, but had no-one kick on to a decent score. Atta Basit (1/26 off 12) and Sarabjeet Singh (1/28 off 10) bowled under-rated spells for the Rebels.
Three-late wickets have reinvigorated Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll’s (114) hopes after its batsmen failed dismally against Cardinia (3/33) at Spencer Street on Saturday.
Things weren’t looking too bad for the Gooners after Russ Jackson (34) and Bryce Thomas (22) had turned around a dodgy start – but things fell apart in a hurry.
The home side had no answer to the running of the Bulls, with Grant Ansalde (1/47 off 20) being the rock that Matt Celima (2/12), Luke Merrett (2/13), Tyler Oates (2/14) and Jye Remy (2/21) could build their spells around. Ansalde bowled tight and his team-mates reaped the rewards.
The Bulls had 18 overs to face before stumps, and their reply started in horrific fashion with Luke Hill (2/18 off 7) claiming the wickets of Remy (0) and Evan Webster (2) with just three runs on the board.
Adam Hobson (17) looked dangerous, but Brenton Huyskens (1/5 off 4) removed him to give this one a much more even feel by day’s end.
And Clyde (4/26) also finds itself in a spot of bother as it looks to chase down a modest total set by the home side Lang Lang (89) on Saturday.
The Cougars were cock-a-hoop after 53 overs as Zac Shepard (3/17) and Ross Elston (2/4) cashed in on the earlier great work of Kidman Johnstone (2/15 off 14) and Stuart Williams (2/28 off 15). But the smiles were wiped from their faces somewhat as a fired up Jo Dalgleish (3/7 off 7) let fire with the turbo-boosters.
Dalgleish will need to reproduce his day-one heroics for the Swampies to be a chance and with Ricky Caddell (1/16 off 6) by his side – who knows what the future might hold!
D GRADE
A huge collision took place between the top four teams on Saturday and, after day one, we are still none the wiser as to whom the eventual victors may be.
Third-placed Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (0/27) would appear to have the upper hand over second-placed Merinda Park (186) after an absorbing opening day on the Goon’s number-two ground.
The home side has a real advantage on the smallish surroundings, with years of experience in setting fields to protect the tiny boundaries square of the wicket.
Both teams had periods of play where they could consider themselves on top, but it was the Marygoons ability to nip any potential match-winning partnership in the bud that gave them the day one honours.
The Cobras had six batsmen get starts, with Paul Humphrey (16), Dion Olszewski (19), Jason Viney (14) and skipper Russ Jenkin (13) hitting double-figures, with Marty Donaldson (60) and Scott Strang (50 not out) kicking on to make fine half centuries.
Donaldson and Strang put on the best partnership of the day, a 42-run stand that saw the scores level out at 7/156.
Stephen Minahan (1/27) broke the stand, claiming the crucial wicket of Donaldson, but it was the class of Chase Saunders (4/66) and Anthony Watton (3/10 off 7.5) that held the home side in good stead throughout the course of the afternoon.
Alan Downes (12 not out) and Scott Campbell (8 not out) saw the Marygoons through to stumps, now requiring a further 160 runs with 10 wickets left under the tin shed.
Kooweerup (191) looks well on its way to retaining the number-one ranking in the competition despite a wasteful display with the willow against Carlisle Park (2/25) at Barry Simon Reserve.
The Demons’ top order all did the hard work, with Hayden Watson (34), Troy Ryan (21), Tom (24) and Chris Cottrell (22) and skipper Dan Tannahill (25) making useful starts – but all went falling when it was time to cash in.
Graeme Caig (21) and Darcy O’Hehir (17) also made some inroads in the lower order, but the Vikings fought hard to stay in the contest.
Lee Wolfe (4/41 off 18) and Malan Weththasinghe (3/73 off 18) were sensational for the Vikings, while Navdeep (2/28) and Deepak Singh (1/13) also made useful contributions. The Vikings were rocked however in reply, losing the wickets of Ekansh Bhambhani (2) and Stephen Godfrey (2) in a crucial seven-over start to their innings.
Tom Cottrell (1/24 off 4) and Will Selleck (1/1 off 3) will look to continue their momentum when play resumes this Saturday.
And Pakenham (0/18) has staked its claim for a top-four position after a dominant day one against SFX Old Collegians (132).
With the league’s leading wicket-taker John Hutchinson (1/14 off 17) bowling tidily but without much luck, the Lions were forced to test their depth a little with the ball. And they found a couple of likely types too, with junior player Jayden Forsyth (4/42 off 15) and Brad Luka (3/14 off 11.1) stepping up to the plate to complete the rout in the 57th over.
The X-Men’s innings was built around the hard and tireless work of their skipper Mansoor Ahmad (62), who walked to the crease with his side in trouble at 3/17 and departed with the score on 7/123.
Dave Hyland (9 not out) and Aidan Hay (3 not out) then made sure there were no nasty surprises for the Lions in the 10-over survival mission before stumps.
Tooradin players can enjoy Derby and Stakes days due to having the Round 5 bye.
E GRADE
Bottom-placed Pakenham Upper/Toomuc (6/233) has used Melbourne Cup weekend to throw the form guide out the window and lay down a serious challenge to top-of-the table Cranbourne Meadows on Saturday.
The Yabbies are winless after four rounds while the Rebels are yet to taste defeat, giving this one the look of a one-sided contest heading in – but it was anything but!
Openers John Miller (56) and Joseph Baum (14) gave an indication of what was to come before the Rebels struck back, and struck back hard. Roger Cotterell (1/23) and Ricky Mitchell (1/44) took wickets, and Hayden Roberts (3) was run out to leave the Yabbies in a spot of bother at three down.
But enter Mark Johnson (94 not out), who joined Miller for a stunning partnership before leading the Yabbies through to the completion of their 70 overs.
Johnson found great support from the likes of John Baker (17) and Stuart Langley (16) in the latter overs, but fell just six runs short of a well-deserved century. Johnson’s inning has thrown down the gauntlet to the Rebels, who will need to be at their absolute best on Derby day.
Devon Meadows (2/31) has worked its way into a powerful position against Emerald (93) after Peter and Paul stole the show at Junction Village.
Living-legend Peter Zauner (4/36 off 17) was at his brilliant best for the Panthers, proving hard to score against but at the same time looking dangerous – hasn’t that been familiar over the years.
Zauner and Paul Borg (4/17 off 11) had too much ammunition for the Bombers who had Bryce Rodwell (10) as their only player into double figures. But the Bombers can thank the Panthers for one thing – their top score – after the home side conceded a whopping 32 extras.
Jordan Robinson (2/13) struck two early blows for the Bombers, but Mark Hosking (4 not out) and Eddie Gebar (10 not out) seemed to have things back on track for the panthers by the close of play.
Gembrook, unfortunately, had to forfeit its clash against Officer.
And no scores are available for the game between Catani and Upper Beaconsfield.
F GRADE
Making a brilliant century would have been the last thing on the mind of Ross Hopwood (107 not out) as he made his way to the crease with Cranbourne Meadows (6/193) in trouble at 2/18 against Officer on Saturday.
The Rebels skipper was coming off three-consecutive ducks and was about to face Greg Henderson (1/22 off 17) who was coming off a career-best 12-wicket haul in round four.
It was sort of like David versus Goliath in some respects!
But Hopwood showed true character to play a fantastic innings, one which included 13 fours and five sixes, to dig both he and his team out of the doldrums.
Hopwood shared two crucial partnerships, the first a 53-run stand with Bryce Memery (21), before seeing things out with an unbeaten 75-run union with junior player Brodie Matthews (21 not out).
Cooper Pursell (2/52 off 24) had a great battle with Hopwood, while Paul Simon (2/13) was the other Bullant to chime in with a multiple figure in the wickets column.
Nyora (3/228) has sent a timely reminder of its talents with a terrific team-batting performance against top-team Clyde at the Hillcrest Christian College.
The Maroons were ultra-steady throughout, with a 50-run partnership their lowest stand for the day.
The headline stealers were Peter Gillian (63 not out) and Dylan Ford (61) – who both posted valuable half centuries – but the efforts of Glen Burns (36), Jake Henry (20) and Keith Maclure (14 not out) should also be acknowledged for the fifth-placed Maroons.
The Cougars had some steady bowlers throughout the course of the afternoon, none better than Kyle Brooke (1/32 off 14) who bowled gamely, while Clayton Blair (1/16) and Ron Kane (1/22) also tasted success.
Pakenham has the bye while Merinda Park felt the pain of Melbourne Cup weekend and was forced to forfeit its match against Carlisle Park Vikings.
G GRADE
Talk about a mixed bag – G Grade had it all on the weekend with some brilliant bowling, some powerful batting, and a game that dramatically changed complexion late in the day.
The brilliant bowling performance of the day came from Devon Meadows (1/134) opener Rob Worsteling (6/29 off 17) who cut a swathe through the defences of Cranbourne Meadows (57) at the Lyndhurst Secondary College.
Worsteling and Neil Baker (4/28 off 16.3) bowled wonderfully in tandem, rolling the Rebels in the 34th over. Michael Scholz (18) and Chris Sullivan (18) tried their best to repel the onslaught, but Worsteling and Baker were unstoppable in the end.
The Panthers then showed there were no gremlins in the pitch, belting the Rebels around in a clinical 36-over jaunt. Mick Hawkins (52) was the star for the Panthers with the bat, while Adam Hamilton (42 not out) will look to kick on when things resume this Saturday.
Pakenham (5/335) rolled out the big guns as it took command of its clash against Catani at Toomuc Reserve.
One of the cleanest hitters in the history of the WGCA, Mick Torney (75 retired not out), smacked three fours and five sixes over the ropes as he and skipper Rod Downes (69 retired not out) put on a free-flowing clinic.
Bevan Tukerangi (77), Brenton Dore (24) and Peter Carr (23) set things up for the Lions, with Tukerangi belting eight boundaries and two sixes in his impressive knock.
Torney and Downes gave the Cats some respite late in the day, retiring to allow Zac Downes (12 not out) and Hiren Patel (14 not out) to see things through to the end.
Ryan Smith (1/47) and Thomas Cairns (0/41) never stopped trying for the Cats – both bowling 14 overs.
And a late revival has seen Clyde (181) take the upper hand in its clash against Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (4/30) at the Hillcrest Christian College number two ground.
The Cougars looked set for a massive total with Joel Driver (61) and Justin Gagalowicz (30) doing as they pleased, before Neville Ackermann (6/53 off 17) brought the Marygoons back into the contest.
Ackermann bowled a terrific spell, receiving great support from Rajnil Singh (3/46 off 19) to cut the Cougars down in just 51 overs.
The Goon looked well placed at 1/21 in reply, but three late wickets have the Cougars on top heading into day two. Michael Cloney (2/1 off 3) was the late-shining star for the Cougars, while Coby Hodgson (1/7) and Gagalowicz (1/3) played vital roles in the comeback.
