By Jarrod Potter
IT was a week for the bowlers in the other grades of the WGCA, with Trent Wheller (7/25), Jake Rosen (7/30) and Jack Hazendonk (7/40) tearing through their opposition’s line up. The batsmen of the other grades still fared well with Colin Burns (114), Justin Harris (106 not out) and Keiran Thoms (103) getting to the three-figure mark.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:B GRADE
Devon Meadows (195) set a tough chase for Kooweerup this weekend on the back of good scores from Shane Simpson (47) Luke Howard (43). The Demons managed to peg the Panthers down with effective bowling from Luke McMaster (3/55), Malada Basnayake (3/77) and Daniel Hawken (2/45). With Kooweerup out of finals contention, Devon Meadows needs to win to keep Pakenham Upper-Toomuc at bay.
That said, Pakenham Upper-Toomuc will need to chase down Pakenham (224) after Steve Dillon (49) and Scott Webster (38) set up the innings with a 60 run partnership before both fell with the Lions at 124. Out of the eight bowling options used by the Yabbies, Andrew Hilder (4/17) proved most effective as he picked up career best figures and cleaned up the PUT tail. Ben Jarred (2/64) was the other multiple wicket taker for PUT.
For a match spiralling out of control at 5/67, Merinda Park (9/241cc) resurrected itself against Emerald through a 90 run partnership between Adrian Slater (66) and Martin Donaldson (54). Slater kicked on with Grant Pearson (34) to add another 74 runs to push the Cobras from disaster to delight. Jason Burns (3/38) and Cam Williams (3/73) did the heavy lifting for the Bombers.
Beaconsfield (3/165) blew Officer (118) to continue the season of woe for the Bullants. After the first five batsmen contributed 12 combined, a rescue act from Nick Long (40) and Jye Healey (37) brought some respect to the total. Ben Martin (3/15) and Jarrod Williams (3/32) were the most successful Tigers with the ball, before the batsmen took the rout to a new level, smashing 165 runs in short time. Don Kerslake (77 not out) has taken to the Officer bowlers with the most vigour.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:C GRADE
Clyde (6/231cc) put the screws to Beaconsfield, with four batsmen going past 30 for the Cougars. A presidential effort from Shane Webster (45) led the way for Clyde as he put on a 94 run opening partnership with Ross Elston (44). Keifer Peries (41) and Ethan McLean (39) joined the party with the Cougars setting a monumental chase for Beaconsfield this weekend. Kyle Wills (2/24) and Nathan Bruneau (2/35) was the multiple wicket takers for Beaconsfield.
Dylan Sutton’s unbeaten 81 helped set up Tooradin (7/283cc) against Catani, with the young Seagull teeing up a 71 run partnership with Adam Richmond (55) and 86 runs with Darren Mantel (39). It was all set up by Peter Stone (32) and Jarred Thompson (46) making 76 for the opening stand for Tooradin. Clint Fulton (3/71) was the most successful Blue with the ball.
Justin Harris (106 not out) knocked up his first century of the year as Pakenham Upper-Toomuc (8/263dec) set about taking an outright win over Cranbourne Meadows (2/18). Vince Pecora (3/22) and Steve Bird (3/88) exacted the most damage for the Yabbies. In response, PUT is 2/18, with Nick Strong (5 not out) still at the crease.
Cardinia (65 and 0/27) collapsed surprisingly against Lyndhurst Vikings (69). Cardinia succumbed under the pressure of Chris Slater (4/25) and Paul Gray (4/40). The response from the Vikings was just as disastrous. Lyndhurst fell across the line one run ahead after Trent Wheller (7/25) assumed the burden of responsibility for the Bulls. The second innings for Cardinia fared a more promising endeavour, going to stumps with all 10 wickets in hand.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:D GRADE
Nyora (60) failed to gain traction against Emerald (8/177dec), who sent the Blues in at Worrell Reserve. Jake Rosen rattled the pegs all day, picking up 7/30 as Emerald skittled Nyora in 24.3 overs. The response from Emerald was just as explosive, with the Bombers smashing anything that went near them as they looked to declare. Kieran Thoms hit his first century (103) in WGCA with Emerald batsmen falling around him. With the runs in the bag and a 117 run lead, Emerald declared at stumps to set up a hard day’s worth of fighting for Nyora to avoid an innings defeat.
Lang Lang (76) and St Francis Xavier (6/40) played a game of ‘who can lose more wickets faster’. Matt Swift (5/24) was the chief destroyer of Lang Lang, before the roles reversed and Wally Brenner (3/9) stepped up for Lang Lang to rattle the St Francis batsmen and set up a challenging morning for both sides coming up.
Beaconsfield’s Matt McBride (5/24) ripped the heart out of Merinda Park (128). Stumbling through their first five wickets, the resilient effort came from John Cuthbertson (35) and Darren Smith (21), who steadied the Cobras and pushed them towards a defendable total. Brendan Ewart (2/19) was the other multiple wicket taker for the Tigers.
Upper Beaconsfield (8/164cc) fought through a middle order collapse to set up a tough chase for Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll this weekend. From a promising start following a 42 run opening stand between Shannon Bergman (25) and Jaret Drake (35) leading into a 55 run second wicket stand between Drake and Nathan Dooley (19), the collapse began in earnest as the Maroons fell from 1/99 to 7/114. Peter Astle (25 not out) played a captain’s innings with support from Haydyn Dooley (11) to get Upper Beaconsfield to a defendable total. (No Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll results available.)
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:E GRADE
Clyde’s Jack Hazendonk (7/40) joined the party of seven wicket-takers this week with a demolition of Tooradin (100). Hazendonk tore shreds from all parts of the Seagulls’ order, with two wickets falling at 13, before a rebuild from Michael Freeman (23) and Peter O’Hare (31) developed 56 for the third wicket. They would both fall soon and after Freeman’s dismissal at 4/86, the next six wickets would fall for 14 runs. Ron Kane (2/11) was the other multiple wicket taker. The response from Clyde was tepid, losing 4/28 in the 24 overs before stumps. Greg Bethune (2/1) and Ross Simpson (2/3) were miserly in defending a modest score.
Colin Burns (114) was unstoppable for Emerald (8/323cc) as the Bombers piled on the runs against Beaconsfield. Burns struck a fluent century with good assistance from Paul Reilly (60) and Keiran Burns (38). Beaconsfield used nine bowlers to attempt to stem the runs, but nothing worked as Emerald cruised past 300. Nathan Mitchell (2/31) was the best of the bowlers.
Officer (9/259) smashed around Kooweerup. Geoff Miller (3/34) and Peter Scicluna (2/78) were the best of the Kooweerup bowlers. (No Officer results available.)
John Barrow (56 not out) and Jake Abel (42) saved Pakenham Upper-Toomuc (162) from complete disaster against Pakenham (0/0). Gary Sewell (5/17) crossed off five Yabbies but the Lions couldn’t dismiss Barrow who held up the tail to get PUT to 162.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:F GRADE
Officer (8/228dec) set the tempo against Beaconsfield (96) and set up an outright victory on the back of Adam Sims (41) and Aaron Wood (58 and 4/12). The Sims-Wood partnership reaped 82 runs before Wayne Holden (4/75 and 46) started cleaning up on both sides of the bat. Holden couldn’t find enough help in the batting, as the eight-man Beaconsfield side was bowled for 96.
Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll (107) was bowled by the miserly Jaryd Harley (3/13) and Matt Davidson (3/16) to get Devon Meadows (1/63) most of the way towards a first innings victory. Luke Daniels (30 not out) fared the best for the Panthers with the bat.
David Searle (5/18) and Peter Shea (4/43) tore Clyde (109) from the crease against Pakenham. (1/108). The Lions’ pair of Dennis Porter (52 not out) and Neil Tomkins (41) did most of the work towards gaining first innings points before Tomkins was dismissed just before the close of play. Porter smashed nine fours and six sixes in a whirlwind innings as Pakenham finished at 1/108 from 20 overs.
Craig Glassborrow (40) and Gerard Healy (24 not out) did the heavy lifting for Merinda Park (136), but it’s an uphill battle to stay in the match as Gembrook (1/69) pegged back half the required total before stumps. Martin Williams (4/46) was the best of the Gembrook bowlers. Brookers’ openers Anthony Williams (32 not out) and Kurt Reiner (24) put together 42 for the first dig before Reiner was dismissed.
