Pakenham Upper-Toomuc skipper Darren Warne plays through the off-side in his team’s win over Upper Beaconsfield on Saturday.
By David Nagel
BEACONSFIELD (8/195cc) made it five wins from its last six starts and kept its finals hopes alive when it gave Pakenham (105) a good old fashioned touch-up at Perc Allison Oval on Saturday.
The Tigers were sent in to bat with Matt O’Connor (32) and Brad Miles (42) holding the top order together while Troy McDermott (40) played a blinder through the middle to late overs. Some lusty hitting with the wind behind him made the Beaconsfield hill a dangerous place to be.
Tim Vrevc (16 not out) and Will Cousins (16) added valuable late order runs for the Tiges who were assisted by some butter-fingered Lions’ fielders. Ben Maroney (3/25) and Dom Paynter (2/37) were the pick of the trundlers.
In reply the Lions resembled the stricken Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia; they lost Maroney (6) early and from there on in looked like a ship without a rudder. Collapses of 3/2 at the top, 3/5 in the middle and 3/1 at the end summed up a dismal day for the Lions. Ben Miller (28) and Paynter (21) played the only knocks of note.
McDermott (4/28) capped off a great day and almost claimed a hat-trick on his way to four wickets while young outswinger Callan Tout (2/31) and the experienced Jason Dodd (2/16) were impressive with the new rock.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:
UPPER BEACONSFIELD V PAKENHAM UPPER-TOOMUC
EARLY season contenders Upper Beaconsfield (145) have forgotten how to win in recent times and that trend continued when it was beaten in a last-ball thriller by the visiting Pakenham Upper-Toomuc (8/146cc).
The Maroons needed two runs to win off the last ball with skipper Scott Pitcher (19) on strike and Yabbie Chris Smith (3/12) at the end of his run up. Smith bowled a yorker; Pitcher kept it out but was run-out to give the jubilant Yabbies its first win since round one against Officer.
Smith was the pick of the bowlers while Luke Gunton (2/20) continued his solid recent form. The Maroons suffered again from lack of conversion at the top of the order and it was left to Pitcher and David Taylor (27) to almost steal the victory. John Simpson (22) was the only player in the top seven to pass 20.
Earlier in the day the Yabbies recovered from the shock of a Smith (0) diamond-duck to post a decent score. Jamie Somers (57) and Pat Garvey (24) led the way with the wooden blade while Country Week rep Daniel Brennan (3/31) was the Maroons’ best performer. Xavier Gargan (2/20) and Pitcher (2/22) weren’t too shabby either.
Shawn Flegler’s commitment with the Melbourne Stars is now complete and the Maroons will welcome him back with open arms in its now unlikely push for a finals birth.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:CARDINIA V OFFICER
CARDINIA (4/178cc) made a successful return to its recovered home ground, the E Gunton Reserve, when it stomped all over a relapsing Officer (67) on Saturday.
The visiting Bullants have shown signs of improvement in recent times but that was all proven to be a big charade as they folded against the new ladder leaders.
Cardinia won the toss and took guard and once again it was Neil Barfuss (56) who led the way for the Bulls. He and skipper Mark Cooper (29) saw off the new nut before Danny Diwell (47) continued his return to form with an exact duplicate of his round 10 effort against Pakenham Upper-Toomuc.
Junior player Caleb Boswell (11 not out) then got a free education from the experienced Ben Darose (21 not out) as the two steered the Bulls to a winning score.
The Bulls defence of its score was never in doubt with Mark Weeding (3/21), Brayden Browne (2/12) and Craig Boswell (2/20) all celebrating more than once. The younger Boswell, Caleb (1/5), also claimed a wicket as the Bulls fine tuned for its one-two clash with Kooweerup this week.
