By Tyler Lewis
WGCA DISTRICT DIVISION
REVIEW – ROUND 2
Officer (9/197) claimed its first scalp of the season on Saturday over Clyde (8/125).
The Bullants were moving smoothly before losing 2/0 at one stage, but a superb knock from Chathura Imbulagoda (61) brought his side to an outstanding total, while Joel Avard claimed 3/41 and Matt Bayliss 2/40.
In reply, the Cougars’ scorecard was boosted by a brilliant half-century to number nine, Bayliss (51).
Leigh Boyle (3/17 from eight) and Adam Reid (3/28 from eight) did the brunt of the damage with the ball for the Bullants.
Pakenham Upper/Toomuc (6/154) defended its total with ease when it ran through the Carlisle Park Vikings (10/93).
The top seven for the Yabbies all reached double figures in a dominant team display before Ben McLeod ran riot with the ball (4/26 from seven).
All-rounder James Giertz was the best-performed Viking with 25 runs with the bat and 1/16 off eight with the ball.
Upper Beaconsfield, meanwhile, didn’t need the full 40 overs to claim victory in a mammoth run chase against Emerald on the speedy confines of Chandler Reserve.
The Bombers set a whopping total of 9/222, courtesy of an almost run a ball 99 from Trent Rolfs, who was dismissed agonisingly short of his ton when he was caught behind by Cooper Shipp off Maroons skipper Daniel Brennan.
Upper Beaconsfield got off to a flying start in its chase, which was led by Will Haines who belted 61 from 55 deliveries including nine fours and three sixes.
But when he departed at 2/111, the job was only half-done.
Imesh Jayasekara (45), Scott Pitcher (31) and Jayden Joyce (35 not out) impressively combined to get the job done for the Maroons in the 38th over.
WGCA SUB-DISTRICT DIVISION
REVIEW – ROUND 2
Officer (188) suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of Pakenham (6/190) in an enthralling Round 2 contest.
Despite conceding almost 200, the Bullants successfully reeled in the Lions from being 0/131 after impressive knocks from openers Jackson Myers (78) and Dene North (60).
Steve Pursell led the way with the ball with 2/29, while Nick McLennan reeled in his wayward performance of last week with a much tidier bowling display, finishing with the figures 0/17 from five overs, including just the one extra this time around.
In reply, Wayne Duke (42) led the way with another top-scoring performance but it wasn’t enough to chase down the total – with the Bullants bowled out in the final over just three runs short of victory.
Cranbourne Meadows climbed into the top four, courtesy of superb run chase led by opener Jasmeet Virdi (75).
Jarred Thompson led the way for Tooradin with 49 while Sibghat Ullah claimed 3/21.
In the run-chase Virdi blasted a half-century but wasn’t alone with fellow opener Satinderpreet Singh recording an important 34, while Thompson capped off a fine all-around individual game with 2/30 and Brad Butler claimed 3/41.
Kooweerup (8/214), meanwhile, remained undefeated – comfortably beating the still winless Merinda Park (7/159).
The Demons got off to a flying start with both openers Paul Bright (47) and Brannon Harrison (61) making significant scores.
It took until the century stand was up before Bright fell, but by then the platform had already been set.
In the Cobras’ chase, Glen Ward (51) made a good fist of it with a swashbuckling half-century, including six fours and a maximum, but the Demons kept taking wickets at key stages, led by Ron Bright Jr (2/22), Jai Lewis (2/30), and Steve Dillon (2/31).
In one of the closer matches of the round, Cardinia suffered an agonising defeat to the still-undefeated Lang Lang on Sunday.
The hard-hitting Brad Remy got the Bulls off to a flying start with 52, while his opening partner Pat Nolen recorded a hard-fought 71.
Reaching 9/183 and with a settled bowling line-up, the Bulls were in prime position for victory.
But a superb knock at the top of the order from Niran Warnakula (65) proved to be Cardinia’s undoing.
Dwayne Doig performed with the ball once again with the figures of 1/18 from eight overs, but his side remains searching for the elusive first victory in the seconds.
Mokhtar Jahan and Josh Browne were the Bulls’ multiple wicket-takers with 2/14 and 2/31 respectively.
Cardinia president Luke Turner said the Bulls’ Sub-District competition entry was a hard-thought decision by him and his committee, but added it will still test his club during the season.
“We had the conversation as a committee, because we obviously played in the granny last year with District,” he said.
“The league just rang us and said ‘It is going to be hard, we are going to be one short in the District’.
“We thought it is still our twos, so it won’t be as strong as everyone else’s ones so we thought we would just go back down.
“In saying that, it is still decent cricket. Watching the game yesterday, Lang Lang play beautiful cricket, it will be hard, it won’t be easy.
“I always like to say we are the underdogs, there is still some decent cricketers in the comp if you look at the results – but when your team is led by Dwayne Doig there is a lot of talent floating in it.
“We have some young blokes coming back, if you look at our ones side, 10 of them played junior cricket with us so if we have some juniors coming through and they learn from ‘Doigy’ they are learning from the best.”
