BOTH of Lang Lang’s senior sides will be chasing more than 200 runs for victory on Saturday.
With strong batting line-ups, both are confident of victory.
C GRADE
Playing Officer away, Lang Lang lost the toss and was asked to bowl and will be chasing 215 for a win.
Young speedster Alan Jenkins dismissed the Officer opener Tucker in the first over and followed up in his fourth over when he sent Cooper back to the pavilion with wicketkeeper Sean Hassett taking both catches.
Lang Lang held the ascendancy, but dropped catches proved costly as the Swamp Tigers failed to capitalise on the good start by having Officer two wickets down for only eight runs.
A 54-run stand for the third wicket was ended when Kurt Nestor had Brent Pullen caught behind off his glove and at the tea break Officer was 3/71 off 34 overs.
With the score on 96, Brian Christensen took a smart catch at slip off the bowling of Nestor, but then a dangerous partnership developed for the fifth wicket.
With the Officer score on 157, veteran Stephen Bethune found the edge of Peter Quinn’s bat to give Hassett his fourth catch behind and 23 runs later Cameron Chasemore got the wicket of Boon after a regulation catch by Scott Hogan.
Big hitting by the Officer tail end helped by some dropped catches pushed the opposition score in excess of 200 and with the score on 211 Brian Christensen effected a run-out after some brilliant fielding.
One run later Jenkins got his fourth wicket, getting rid of two batsmen in his final over.
After 70 overs Officer had made 9/214.
D GRADE
Playing Merinda Park at home, Lang Lang bowled first and initially found a wicket hard to get, with the openers putting on 70 runs.
This was ended when newcomer Ash Turner took a catch off the bowling of Tony Riley.
With only 21 more runs added, Riley had two more wickets after Aaron Creasey took two good catches to see the opposition 3/97 at tea.
Young swing bowler Sean Lambie got the fourth wicket for Lang Lang when he uprooted the stumps of Clarke to have Merinda Park at 4/140.
A 75-run stand for the fifth wicket was ended when Alan Dowson took a smart catch off the bowling of Shane Ridgway.
With the score on 231, Ridgway took two wickets in consecutive balls and after 70 overs the Merinda Park innings closed on this score.
UNDER 16
Lang Lang was just beaten by the strong Cardinia side.
Defending 123, the opposition made 134 with Matt Orchard being the best of the bowlers taking 3/24, with a wicket each to Bodie Brown, Sam Jenkins and Aaron Creasey.
The other two wickets to fall were run-outs, the result of some brilliant fielding.
UNDER 14
Lang Lang-Nyora was beaten outright by Catani as the opposition made 137 with Jake Orchard and Jordan Poynton being the pick of the bowlers getting two wickets each.
