Too easy for Seagulls

Daniel McCalman took a wicket and top-scored with 54 for the Cobras on Saturday. 175983 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

By Russell Bennett

WGCA PREMIER DIVISION
REVIEW – ROUND 7
Tooradin has flexed its muscle against Premier grade newcomers Clyde with an imposing display of top-order batting dominance that dispatched the finals aspirant Cougars by 10 wickets at Lineham Oval.
After winning the toss and batting, John Simpson’s side got off to a rocky start, with opener Brett Reid bowled by Brayden Browne (1/22) for just three at 1/4.
Batting at number three, Simpson (36) then steadied with Dave Denton (20) in a 54-run stand before Russell Lehman struck to remove the latter.
Gavin Britt displayed his usual array of expansive shots through the middle-order to top score with 72 before he was the final wicket to fall at 7/169 in the Cougars’ 40 overs. Young Bailey Lownds was the star with the ball for the Gulls, claiming 4/31.
But it was with the willow that Tooradin put together an astonishing display of match-winning top-order hitting that made the rest of the Premier tier stand up and take notice.
Clyde is currently in the midst of a particularly brutal stretch of games in which they’ve been fixtured against Pakenham, Kooweerup, and Tooradin from Rounds 5 to 7 before the schedule reverses starting this week and from Rounds 8 to 10 they face – in order – Tooradin, Kooweerup, and Pakenham.
Not only is it a season-defining stretch, it’s a cruel test against the Premier division’s benchmark sides – the quality of which simply doesn’t exist in the Cougars’ former District division.
While 170 would be a match-winning score in many 40-over contests, Tooradin’s openers simply obliterated it in a shade over 27 overs on Saturday – winning by 10 wickets and finishing on 0/171.
Gulls champion Tom Hussey was at his dominant best with a superb display of clean hitting in notching his second ton of the season to date and lifting his 2017/18 average above 60.
Anything too short from the Clyde bowlers was quickly dispatched to the fence square of the wicket, and often over it – including the shot that brought up his century. Hussey’s opening partner Russell Lehman recorded an unbeaten half-century of his own in support, but this day belonged to the Gulls’ keeper-batsman.
Emerald, meanwhile, has climbed above Merinda Park in the battle to stave off relegation after the two sides fought out a nail-biter at Donnelly Reserve.
Since finishing sixth (with two wins) in its first season in the Premier grade in 2013/14, Emerald has finished seventh every year and just narrowly avoided relegation back to District.
They’re on the path to repeating that effort again this season following Saturday’s result.
Batting first, the Bombers reached 6/141 from the 40 overs with Trent Rolfs (36 not out) and keeper-batsman Mitch Thomas (34) stoic in the middle-order. Mitch’s namesake from Merinda Park – their own Mitch Thomas – snared 2/26 while Brendan Fairlam (2/28) was the innings’ other multiple wicket-taker.
The Cobras started strongly in their reply but from 1/51 soon slid to 6/72 as the likes of Rolfs (3/25) took hold of the middle-order.
Sadly for the home side it was an all-too familiar story with impressive opening batsman Daniel McCalman playing a lone-hand with the willow. With his 54 he was the only Cobras batsman to pass 20, with extras responsible for another 28 runs. When he fell at 9/124 the home side needed an unlikely match-winning stand from the final wicket but it wasn’t to be with Fairlam run-out, restricting Merinda Park to 135.
The Bombers are now a win clear of the Cobras but with an almost identical percentage. A victory to Merinda Park in the reverse fixture this Saturday at Chandler Reserve would see the Cobras leapfrog the Bombers yet again.
At Toomuc Reserve, irresponsible shot selection from a host of Bulls batsmen prevented Cardinia from capitalising on a strong start against Pakenham.
Against his former side, Ben Parrott showed plenty of real application in an impressive, confidence-building half-century but too many of his team mates played rash shots that cost them their wickets.
Parrott and skipper Alex Nooy put on a 66-run stand for the first wicket and at one stage the Bulls were 2/118 off 27 overs, yet they were rolled for just 160 at the start of the 38th.
A pair of spectacular catches – one by wicket-keeper Rob Elston sprinting backward of square to remove Ricky Campbell, and another by skipper Dom Paynter running back with the flight to remove Matt Welsh – were two of the highlights of the innings, but most Bulls wickets were lost to regrettable shots.
Troy McDermott finished with 4/17 from 3.2 overs and at one stage was on a hat-trick, while Chris Smith (3/26) was the other multiple wicket-taker – including bowling Alex Nooy with his first ball of the game.
Pakenham stumbled early in its reply and was sitting on 2/37 when Jason Williams joined young gun Zac Chaplin at the crease, but the two put on a superb 126-run stand to steer the Lions home towards the end of the 36th over. The pair showcased a wide array of shots against everything the Bulls attack could muster and both thoroughly deserved their unbeaten half-centuries – 55 not out to Chaplin, and 67 not out to an in-form Williams.
In the remaining game of the round at Upper Beaconsfield, Mark Cooper’s Kooweerup side had all the answers for the Maroons.
Bathiya Perera’s outfit was dismissed for just 143 in a shade under 39 overs with Jess Mathers claiming 3/27 to take his season tally to 24, and skipper Mark Cooper (2/13) and Ayden Mills (2/23) taking two wickets apiece.
In their reply, the Demons lost opener Chris O’Hara without scoring – falling LBW to Kyle Gibbs at 1/0 – but they quickly recovered thanks to a commanding 100-run stand between Cooper (67 not out) and Chris Bright (42). Kooweerup ultimately won by seven wickets – finishing on 3/144 in the 34th over.
At the midway point of the season, the Demons sit atop the Premier ladder – four points clear of the Seagulls. The Lions and Bulls currently make up the other two top-four positions and would be warm favourites to retain their positions moving forward.

TEAM P W L D PTS %
Kooweerup 7 6 1 0 88 2.39
Tooradin 7 7 0 0 84 1.76
Pakenham 7 5 2 0 68 1.36
Cardinia 7 3 4 0 44 0.94
Upper Beaconsfield 7 3 4 0 36 0.94
Clyde 7 3 4 0 36 0.83
Emerald 7 1 6 0 12 0.53
Merinda Park 7 0 7 0 0 0.52