Left: Berwick’s Ryan Crawford was as good with the bat as he was with the ball on Saturday, scoring 47 in a Turf One match against Springvale South.
BERWICK’S turfone side has given Springvale South a 196 run chase this week after a steady batting fightback on Saturday in the grandfinal replay at the Arch Brown Reserve.
Reigning premiers Berwick won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch with some juice in it after recent rain.
However its innings started in less than ideal circumstances, two wickets falling with just 11 on the board.
Gavan Wills and Alex Roberts put together a 56run partnership that brought the Bears back into the game.
Wills fell for 13 and Roberts powered on, his rapidly paced innings matched only marginally by Ashe Henry who carved 16 before he became victim numberfour.
Justin Stanton was the third Berwick batsmen to make his way into the teens, but with the score on 124, confusion between the wickets caused the runout of Roberts on 68.
When Stanton fell soon after, the signs were ominous for a sub200 score for Berwick.
Not even the pair of Rowan Nancarrow and Ryan Crawford could reproduce last year’s heroic premiershipwinning partnership, Berwick slumping to 9/157.
However a 55run partnership from Crawford with 47 and Brendan Lloyd 21 notout from just 24 balls gave the Bears a defendable total.
With five overs remaining the Berwick’s Will Carr struck with the first ball of the innings.
Springvale South is on 1/16.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:TURF TWO
Berwick took the early honours against Springvale South taking the first five wickets with just 60 runs on the board.
Captain Rob Chilver gave some young blood a great opportunity, Andrew Jenner (1/50 off eight) taking his first wicket in turf cricket and James Wilcock bowling first change.
It was the veterans in Darren Shepherd and Matt Lloyd who did the bulk of the early damage, Shepherd displaying swing both ways and Lloyd outdoing the Springvale South batsmen with pace, the pair taking three wickets a piece.
The sixth wicket was not easy to come by for the Bears, 67 runs being added before talented legspinner Michael Wallace opened his account.
His three wickets (3/42) helped Berwick close out the innings, Springvale South out for 227.
The Berwick batsmen were unable to back up their work of their bowling counterparts, collapsing to be in a disastrous position of 5/31 at the close of play.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:A GRADE
It was another imposing bowling performance by the undefeated Berwick, this time against Southern Pirates. It was led by young fast pace bowler Nick Shannon. In just his second game in the third senior side, he showed brilliant control of the swinging new ball and variety in his second spell, taking home a bag of six wickets.
He bowled in tandem with Jim Smith who went unchanged for 13 overs, 1/30 his reward.
Wayne Viney bowled with his usual guile, netting figures of 333 and helping turn the game at a crucial time, the Southern Pirate crashing from 2/96 to 6/105 at the tea break.
Shannon returned for his second spell and was unrelenting on the tail order, receiving some great support from his teammates with all but one of his six wickets caught.
Adam Kruger took an amazing four catches, including the final wicket where he plucked an unbelievable onehander while colliding with the keeper in pursuit of a skied ball at square leg.
The Bears skittled the Pirates shortly after the main break for 130.
Opener Brad Eagleton and Sam Curtis weren’t about to play the day out in dull fashion.
Curtis hammered seven fours before he was removed lbw for 41, Eagleton is notout on 15.
Berwick is 1/70.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:B GRADE
It was an efficient display by Berwick, conceding 192 for nine wickets on the lightening fast Edwin Flack reserve.
Berwick was in a strong position during the early stages, with Parkfield (3/63) failing to come to terms with the gifted attack of Steve Carle and Damien Quinlan.
A fourthwicket revival evened the ledger and saw the introduction of Smart and his partner Ray Henry into the lineup.
Smart claimed three wickets to boost Berwick’s hopes and Henry came in with the counter punch, leaving the opposition in his wake with a haul of five.
He slipped through the guard presenting Brett Hogan with an easy stumping and then toiling away to collect another four to put Berwick in the box seat.
An even day’s play ended, Steve Carle also finishing with 2/51.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:C GRADE
The Berwick bowling stocks battled hard on the small Lois Twohig oval, restricting Dandenong North to 221 all out.
Dean Holden did his best work with the new ball taking 2/52 and Geoff Wilcock and Stephen Tolley both managed one for the team’s collection.
Simon Craig once again proved too good for his opponents with 2/33 to add to what has been a busy individual season so far and Jeremy Lim didn’t disappoint in his first senior hit out at the club.
Will Chapman couldn’t be left out of the action with four wickets off 18.5 ravaging overs.
Berwick fought itself back from 6/190 to bundle Dandenong North all out for 220.
Berwick finished on 1/30 aiming at victory this week and cementing its position in the top four.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:D GRADE
Berwick’s firstinnings total of 115 against Cranbourne was short of what it would have liked.
Neville Stone did his usual stopgap job and Jim Koulas provided the weight of the work with an excellent 42.
However it was too little for the Bears, but they did manage two wickets, to see Cranbourne on 2/23.
