BERWICK’S turfone side continued its deadly dominance with an authoritative outright win against Narre Warren on day two of their clash on Saturday.
Resuming on 1/90 with first innings points all ready sewn up, not out batsmen Gavin Wills and Steve Carr continued the onslaught on the Narre Warren bowlers.
Carr, enjoying his best innings of the season, was dismissed on 49 with the score on 115.
Wills continued on his merry way as he was joined by Alex Roberts who was setting a rapid pace and was out for 84 with Berwick in a commanding position at 3/177.
Roberts was gone the next over for a well compiled 30, including one towering six, Dave Hampton nudging a few around, while at the other end Rowan Nancarrow plundered four, six, four in his first three balls. Nancarrow’s 15 not out came off just five balls, giving the Berwick plenty of momentum when it declared its innings closed on 201, a lead of 116.
Narre Warren followed with an impotent batting display, crashing to be all out for 78 in its second innings, sundries topping the score sheet.
The Bears victory was led by the superstar of the competition so far this season, Ash Henry, Will Carr doing an equal amount of damage.
The pair took the new ball, sparing little time before taking the first wicket on 12 and imposing relentless pressure on each pair that approached the wicket.
Carr finished with the classy figures of 4/13 and Henry had an involvement in two calamitous run outs to go with his 4/30.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:TURF TWO
Chasing 161 set by Hampton Park last week, Berwick was presented with a surprisingly grassy wicket, but ground out a composed win with a contribution from all ten batsmen.
Paul Gramc was in blistering form with 21 on the board in the thirteenth over before he became wicket number two.
Berwick looked steady at 2/42 but then Hayden Stanton went for 16.
Simon Cornell and captain Rob Chilver then teamed up for a grinding 61run fourthwicket partnership.
Cornell hit 36 and Chilver was his usual unyielding self, with touches of brilliance throughout his innings, seven fours and one six. He was cruising along after he brought up his 50, unfortunately suffering a blow to his big toe and being forced from the ground, allowing the middle order to take the reigns.
Brad Pinal and Adam Kruger both showed glimpses of their peak form and James Wilcock showed that he could handle himself at this level with the bat. Michael Wallace and Jason Taylor remained not out as Berwick’s innings came to a compulsory closure with 203 runs on the board and a sweet victory theirs to enjoy.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:A GRADE
Berwick’s strong total of 264 set the scene for an interesting battle on day two, with Narre Warren keen to show why it was last season’s synthetic premiers.
Jim Smith captured the first wicket for the Bears with an offcutter thunderbolt that crashed into the stumps of the opening batsmen, 124 the score.
Skipper Brad James threw a surprise packet with offspinner Leigh Otten taking the ball at first change, helping to slow the run rate while also claiming a wicket thanks to an sharp stumping from Matt Olver.
Andrew Jenner (2/30 off five) held onto a return catch and Matt Crosby continues to prove that he is worthy of promotion to the turf grades, making a mess of the middle order with 4/40 from 14.
Crosby claimed the vital wicket of opposition captain and former Berwick turfone premiership player Ben Charles with an inswinging yorker and put the Bears in a matchwinning position as Narre Warren crashed to 9/157, still 107 runs in arrears.
Michael Dalzotto claimed the second of his wickets, the tenth falling on 209.
Berwick has started the season well with four wins after its substitution from turf last year.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:B GRADE
A disappointing result for Berwick with too little runs on the board, its score of 165 not proving a very difficult target for Narre Warren.
Aidrian Mills was the pick of the bowlers in his first senior game finishing with 2/37 off 13 overs, Ray Henry worked his usual magic tricks also with two wickets, but Berwick went down by six wickets.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:C GRADE
With firstinnings points secured, Berwick didn’t waste any time setting up an imposing lead, moving from 3/110 to 5/225 declared in just 16 overs.
Andy Peters (32) and Matt O’Donoghue (45) , but it was Geoff Willcock who dominated proceedings with a captivating not out 105.
It was Willcock’s second century for the club in two years, this one almost launching Berwick into an outright win. He smashed 17 fours and four sixes in his knock, giving Berwick a 153run lead over Marantha Methodist as it went into its second dig.
Nicholas Shannon, Andrew Rattle, Simon Craig, Josh Holden and Andy Peters all took a wicket and Dean Holden snared 2/5 from six.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:D GRADE
With a 60run firstinnings deficit Berwick made a game of it by putting itself 63 runs in the black thanks largely to a dashing 60 from Neville Stone.
Kevin Phillips got 26 and Berwick’s total of 123 forced Hampton Park to work hard for its maximum points.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:TWENTY20
Berwick met a firedup Buckley Ridges fresh from an outright defeat in the longer version of the game, this quarter final clash in the inaugural DDCA Twenty20 match offering plenty of entertainment.
Berwick had little trouble chasing down the 160 set by Buckley, Dave Hampton the main man with 60, Alex Roberts backing him up in a matchwinning opening stand.
On Tuesday night Berwick hosted Noble Park in the Cricket Victoria Twenty20 challenge, coming away with a win in the last over, chasing down 117 in front of a large crowd.
