PAKENHAM Upper-Toomuc beat a middle-order slump to post 224 in A grade against Cardinia.
A GRADE
The visitors Cardinia won the toss and opted to bowl.
Opener Jason Wingrove (5) went early, but resolute batting by Glenn Kilburn (63) and Luke Willis (49) added 78 for the second wicket. After quick wickets fell Shannon Price lifted the total with a hard-hitting 51.
Joel Gibson scored a useful 21 and 15-year-old Chris Smith (10) made a pleasing A-grade debut.
The Yabbies finished with 224 and when Cardinia’s innings began Ben Keane bowled the dangerous Doig to give the Yabbies fresh hope.
C GRADE
Pakenham Upper-Toomuc (third) played at Lang Lang (fourth) in a crunch match.
The hosts reached 0/40 before smart bowling and good fielding took its toll.
Chris Buckland (2/14 off 14 overs including seven maidens) was great and skipper John Fleming (2/21 from 12 overs) backed him up.
Two run outs ended the day and Lang Lang was all out for 153.
D GRADE
The Yabbies struggled against top side Pakenham, losing 3/12 quickly before youngsters Luke Gunton (31) and Alan McMahon (18) played the team back into the match.
Brett Maddock contributed 19 and PUT was all out for 99.
E GRADE
PUT (second) played at Pakenham (third) and found early wickets hard to come by. A second-wicket partnership of 80 pushed the Lions’ score to 1/107 before wily veteran John Bourke (1/30) got the breakthrough.
Damian Garth (4/51 from 23 overs) and Dave Merrigan (4/33) did most to restrict Pakenham’s total to 201.
F GRADE
Needing a win to stay in finals calculations, the Yabbies were quickly out of the match against Catani. The visitors belted 17 sixes and passed the PUT score of 209 with ease on the tiny ground.
UNDER 14
Ben Spicer and Aiden Nooy got a good start against Beaconsfield with a 39-run partnership.
But a middle-order collapse followed before Lewis O’Gorman (15), Tom Black, Tom Rullmann and Troy Plozza all helped the score to a competitive 131. Nooy top-scored with 36.
