Below and right: Pakenham UpperToomuc bowler Darren Warne goes up with an appeal, supported by wicket keeper Luke Willis and the Yabbie slips cordon in Saturday’s clash with Catani. Warne was the pick of the Yabbies bowlers taking 563.By Ian Ferguson
CATANI increased its slim chances of final action by gaining a first innings result over Pakenham UpperToomuc (PUT) on the opening day of round 10.
In other West Gippsland Cricket Association (WGCA) senior fixtures, Tooradin scored a competitive 9/257 against Clyde, Emerald is still well in the contest against Devon Meadows, and Pakenham holds the advantage over Merinda Park.
Honours were shared on day one in the vital clash between Officer and Kooweerup, while Cardinia scored a commanding 251 against Beaconsfield on Sunday in the Brian Van Den Berghe memorial match.
Catani showed its interest in an outright result after winning the toss when host skipper Nic Close invited PUT to bat first.
Stubborn hands of 33 and 20 from the Yabbies captain Darren Warne and hardhitting John Wallin provided early hope for the visitors, but with only one other player reaching double figures their final total of 94 was disappointing.
Owen Fitzpatrick’s figures of 3/32 from nine overs were pleasing for the Blues’ supporters, with the other wickets shared evenly among the other three bowlers.
Catani then reaped the benefit from its excellent performance in the field by racing to a total of 219 in the last 40.4 overs of play.
Lionel Sexton warmed up for Country Week with a blazing innings of 98 which included 17 fours and a six, while Close scored a rapid 42.
Warne showed his allround capabilities by taking 5/63 from 15 overs, while Rob Borlase captured 3/39 from 10.4 overs.
The Blues will press strongly for outright points next week to keep their finals dreams alive.
Kooweerup had no hesitation in batting first at Officer, and when the Demons cruised to 3/106 shortly before the tea interval they held the advantage.
However two quick wickets before the break altered the flow of the game and the Bullants swarmed back into the contest.
Many batsmen contributed to Kooweerup’s final tally of 214, but no individual went on to amass a big score.
Steve Johnson, Trent Cochrane and Carl McGregor contributed 30s, while Matthew Bright, Chris McConnell and Matt Damon were dismissed in the 20s.
Shawn Marchetti and Andrew Tucker each snapped up two vital wickets for Officer, while offspinner Clint Williams snared 3/14 from 6.5 overs.
McGregor dismissed Chris Savage in the final 11 overs of the day, and Officer resumes its run chase next week on 1/14.
An interesting finish is likely in this game with the final result crucial for Kooweerup’s finals chances.
Tooradin reached the tally of 9/257 against a persistent Clyde bowling attack on Saturday in a game that remains fairly evenly poised.
Most of the Seagulls’ top order batsmen produced useful scores on a tricky twopaced wicket with captaincoach Trevor Johnstone (64) and Chris Hughes (49) leading the way.
Opener Sean Baker and number five batsman Brenton Adams each scored 30s, while Grant Kernot contributed a useful 28.
The Cougar bowlers, however, persisted well in the sweltering heat and managed to take the final five wickets for only 39 runs.
Dan Waite, with 4/50 from 14 overs, was the leading wickettaker while Callum O’Hare and Shane Webster each collected two wickets.
An interesting finish beckons this week if Clyde’s leading batsmen perform well on the turf surface.
Emerald showed its desire to avoid relegation with a spirited first day performance against Devon Meadows.
The Bombers went on the attack from the outset by surprisingly choosing to take to the field first after winning the toss, but the squadron of bowlers performed well to shoot down the visiting Panthers for 210.
At one stage Devon Meadows was crumbling on 5/29, but determined batting from the lower order enabled the team to post a respectable score.
Wicketkeeper Peter O’Brien contributed a gallant 56 batting at number 10, while Matt Davidson, Daniel Steet, Doug Louden and Mick Aughtie all scored in the 20s.
Aaron Cameron (3/58 from 20 overs) was the Bombers’ main strike weapon, while Andrew Ferrier and Cameron Williams both collected two wickets.
Emerald advanced to 16 without loss in the last five overs of play, and a close finish appears likely on Saturday.
Merinda Park had no hesitation batting first in hot conditions after winning the toss at the Toomuc Reserve, but it was Pakenham’s bowlers who warmed to the task.
The Cobras struggled to score a moderate 181, despite a gritty performance from the consistent Brett Armitage, who remained undefeated on 46, and opener Peter Jessop, who scored 58.
The improving Dale Haggar was the pride of the Lions’ attack.
Haggar captured 4/49 from 13 overs while newcomer Lahiru Anthony gained 3/45 from a marathon 25.3 overs.
Promising Chris Chilcott collected a wicket and conceded no runs in his first over in Agrade cricket, and he also ran out Cobras’ opener John Atwell with a direct hit.
Wicketkeeper Daryl Rooks also set a fine example in the field by gloving three catches, the Lions performing well in trying conditions.
However in the final nine overs of the day, opener Alan Ruddell fell for 12 and Pakenham will resume its moderate run chase on 1/22.
A series of useful partnerships enabled Cardinia to score a competitive 251 against Beaconsfield.
The early loss of run machine and captain Mark Cooper, who was bowled by a Gus Patti full toss, appeared to be a major setback, but some important partnerships put the Bulls back on course.
John Nooy and Troy Da Rose shared a 89run stand for the third wicket, and Da Rose and Jamie Glen then continued the home side’s steady progress.
At the end of the innings Troy Da Rose topscored with 70, while young Bulls opener Nooy scored 47.
A valuable and undefeated late order contribution of 30 runs from Adam Hobson completed a satisfactory day for the home side, and the Bulls’ score of 251 will be hard to match.
Tiger allrounder Ryan O’Connor bowled well to capture 3/65 from 17 overs while Patti and Ray Cook each collected two wickets.
