A POOR batting performance cost Upper Beaconsfield Bgrade side a grandfinal spot and a chance to play Agrade when lost the semifinal to Nyora by 45 runs at the weekend.
The main destroyer was Nyora’s Kevin Toogood who took six wickets.
Nyora won the toss and batted and began steadily with a sound partnership losing its first wicket at 26 to an Aaron Gray thunder bolt.
The Saints batted slowly as they progressed towards the tea break, but a couple of quick wickets sent a shiver through the team.
Upper Beaconsfield’s key leg spinner, Scott Pitcher, wove a web around many of the batsmen, but luck seemed to desert him as the ball seemed to fall between fielders and catches just eluded outstretched hands.
Nevertheless Upper Beaconsfield took a much tighter grip on the game as Nyora struggled in the face of tight bowling from Marcus Gehling who plucked two quick victims, and the visitors plunged to four down at tea.
Soon after the break Pitcher had one batsman play all over a wellflighted legspinner and the opposition plunged even further into crisis to be five down.
At 6/78, the Maroons were right on top and applying the screws, however the grip was loosened somewhat and a partnership of 40 frustrated.
At 9/145, the end looked ominous, but an even more frustrating lastwicket partnership provided Nyora with a total of 180 and a tally to defend.
No one envisaged the wreckage that Nyora’s Kelvin Toogood would create.
David Taylor snicked leftarmer Toogood low to third slip, Dan Brennan played with hard hands at an away swinger from Fairweather to edge behind, Luke Pitcher played all over a fullpitched delivery soon after striding to the crease and the Maroons were 3/5.
Soon after English recruit Richie Goodenough was adjudged lbw for eight then after looking comfortable David Mitchell misjudged the line of an offcutter.
The team then plummeted to 6/26 as Scott Pitcher also misjudged a full delivery to be bowled neck and crop.
From that point it seemed that the match would be all over before tea.
Dave Ardley (28) and Glen Kilburn crafted a handy partnership, but Ardley went the way of Goodenough when he was in command of the situation.
After Marcus Gehling also departed, Kilburn and Matt Scanlan added more than 40 runs for the ninth wicket.
Glen Kilburn appeared unlucky to fall lbw on 48 when the score reached 8/135 within 45 runs of a grandfinal place.
Aaron Gray became Kelvin Toogood’s sixth victim as the stumps were again shattered for the third time during the day.
UNDER 13
The club congratulated Tony Joyce and his under13 team that pulled off a great victory in the semifinal against Beaconsfield Blitz.
The boys batted first and reached 8/133 from their allotted overs mainly due to an excellent knock from Matt Buntine (25 retired) and some cameos from Jake Cameron, Jackson Hogan as well as Jayden Joyce, but the rest of the team pitched in too.
In response Beacy Blitz was all out for 72 with Matt Buntine taking a wicket as well as effecting a runout, along with Jayden Joyce and the remaining bowlers.
Lewis Bond also had a memorable match again.
The team will meet Beaconsfield’s other under13 team in the grand final starting next Saturday.
