By Ian Ferguson
A TIMELY outright result over Pakenham has all but cemented the Nyora’s Bgrade team a finals’ spot.
The Lions were shot out for 153 in their first innings and succumbed for 169 after batting again.
A plucky innings of 79 from Eddie Duiker and 46 from P. Southwell prolonged the final result, but Nyora’s bowlers maintained the upper hand.
Nick Fairbank took 5/62 from 21.4 overs in Pakenham’s first innings, Matt Hendry 3/48 from 11 overs in the second dig, while Kevin Toogood returned match figures of 4/60 from 21 overs.
Upper Beaconsfield obtained a vital win at Bass where the combination team of KilcundaBass lost by a disappointing 113 runs after totalling 142.
Ross Smith top scored with 40 and the visitors reached 2/72 in their second innings.
Top team Nar Nar GoonMaryknoll withstood a spirited challenge at Beaconsfield before prevailing by 17 runs.
Goon captain Matt Lownds scored 51 and Alan Downes 40 before an excellent eighthwicket partnership of nearly 70 runs between Sean Somers and Daniel Glen steered the visitors to victory.
Somers finished with 51 and Glen with 36 while the Tigers’ J. Williams bowled well, collecting 5/86 from 19 overs.
An excellent score of 129 from skipper Shane White and a wellcompiled 91 from Paul McCutcheon enabled Cranbourne Meadows to crush PUT by 163 runs.
White smashed 24 boundaries in his century and the Rebels’ resounding victory was their best performance for many weeks.
Cardinia won a highscoring game against Tooradin by 45 runs.
The Seagulls’ Kane Latham only offered one chance when he achieved his highest score of 96, while Ryan Kitchin and Matt Adlam each captured three wickets in the Bulls’ attack.
Emerald failed by 30 runs to match Merinda Park’s total of 220 after it scored a patient 190 for the day
James Litterbach top scored with 56, while Tim Sproule contributed 36.
The Cobras’ most venomous bowler was Pat Graham (4/60 from 17.1 overs), while Gareth Duff snared 3/10 from his five overs.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:C GRADE
Catani threatened to end the winning run of the top team Lang Lang before play started, but the Blues were not on song and lost by 78 runs after totalling 155.
P. Bailey top scored for Catani with 43, while young Swamp Tiger Aaron Creasey captured 3/16 from ten overs for the host team.
Rick Light scored a blazing 107, Chris Bright 87 and Brett Hobson 51 when Kooweerup totalled a mammoth 7/380 against Clyde.
This strong batting display provided the Demons with a resounding 118run victory. Grant Tuckwell and Peter O’Hare both captured three wickets for the Cougars.
Tiger veteran Mick McMahon scored a whirlwind 88 (an innings that included five sixes and seven fours), when Beaconsfield defeated neighbouring Upper Beaconsfield by 59 runs.
John Scales (41 notout) and Malcolm Bell (31) also scored valuable runs, while the Maroons’ best bowler was Chris Smith who collected 3/36 from 14 overs.
Devon Meadows won a tight contest by eight runs against Pakenham after the Lions were dismissed for 231. Daryl Williams and Brenton Huyskens both scored 30s, while association secretary Lincoln Hepburn captured 3/60 from 16 overs for the Panthers.
Gembrook produced an impressive batting performance against Nar Nar GoonMaryknoll whom it defeated in the second last over of the day. Andrew Williams (76), and Dean Allcott (66) both scored valuable runs for the victorious Brookers.
The Lyndhurst Vikings prevailed by 79 runs against Officer after the Bullants were dismissed for a creditable 237. Peter Quinn top scored with 62 and Tony Smith reached 41 for the Bullants, while Kellie Shields (4/39 from 13 overs) was the Vikings’ chief destroyer.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:D GRADE
Two teams recorded resounding outright victories.
Merinda Park easily obtained maximum points against archrivals Cranbourne Meadows that only managed totals of 38 and 107 in response to the Cobras’ commanding score of 6/333.
Glenn Pearson gained the superb figures of 8/7 from 11.1 overs in the first dig, while John Proctor snapped up 4/18 from eight overs when the Rebels batted a second time.
Cardinia also won outright against Clyde that was dismissed for 88 and 91 on Saturday.
Ricky Campbell, T. Welsh and Darren Aurisch were the leading wicket takers when the Bulls seized maximum points.
PUT also grasped an easy victory, prevailing by 163 runs against Nyora. Brett Maddock (4/12 off nine overs) and Adrian Grey (4/34 from 14 overs) were the Yabbie wreckers.
Pakenham won its encounter against Emerald by 33 runs, while Nar Nar GoonMaryknoll easily accounted for KilcundaBass by 113 runs. Goon bowler Simon Lewis returned the outstanding match bowling figures of 6/37 from 17 overs.
Beaconsfield accounted for Tooradin by 55 runs, despite an excellent allround performance from the Seagulls’ Rob Eakins who captured 3/39 from 22 frugal overs before scoring 42 notout in Tooradin’s second innings.
Steve Grindy returned the memorable match bowling figures of 7/61 from 18 overs for the Tigers.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:E GRADE
Gembrook overcame the Lyndhurst Vikings by 45 runs after scoring 8/189. Darcy Johnstone (54) and Jay Berryman (31) were the Brookers’ main run scorers.
Merinda Park enjoyed a crushing 200run victory over Kooweerup that was bundled out for 177.
C. Couch scored 41 for the Demons, but the super star of the game was the Cobras’ Rob Strang who captured the outstanding figures of 7/101 from 20 overs.
Beaconsfield prevailed by 24 runs in an interesting match at Lang Lang. D. Quinn top scored for the Swamp Tigers with 38.
PUT just missed out on an outright victory against Devon Meadows and had to be satisfied with a 97run win.
C. Arthur top scored for the Yabbies with 64, while the Panthers’ Luke Howard and Brett Vance, as well as PUT’s Rob Phillips and Tom Carey, all captured three wickets in the match.
Cardinia also enjoyed easy success, winning by 128 runs against Officer.
Matt Masin top scored for the Bulls with 54, D. Rotteveel scored 40 for Officer and Cardinia bowlers Chris Lemmon and Brad Snooks both captured three wickets.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:F GRADE
Only one run was not a six or a four when Catani’s Jamie Lehman scored an undefeated 51 against Pakenham.
His orgy of boundaries included five sixes and five fours.
The Devon Meadows duo of Glenn Fairbrother and M. Dappas also reached the Fgrade retirement score of 50.
Two bowlers achieved bags of four wickets with Kooweerup’s Phil Thompson taking 4/17 from two overs, while Andrew Tibballs from Devon Meadows snared 4/30 from six overs.
