BOTH Lang Lang senior sides won their respective games on the weekend, with the Sub-District team grabbing a top-four spot for the first time this season.
Among the many highlights for the Swamp Tigers were half century-plus innings from Sean Hassett in Sub-District and Michael Paez in F-grade.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:SUB-DISTRICT
St Francis Xavier Old Collegians (SFX) won the toss and elected to bat and it took Lang Lang a while to get the initial breakthrough.
This came in the 12th over when Ian Creasey took a splendid catch off the bowling of Steve Douglas with the score on 44.
Only six runs later Brian Christensen took a sharp catch off the bowling of Glen Easton to send Warn back to the pavilion.
A damaging partnership of 45 was ended for the third wicket when Ross Douglas held a good catch off the bowling of Nic Beale and 14 runs later Gareth Andrews effected a run-out to send the opener David Hill back into the rooms.
With the score on 110, Beale claimed his second wicket after deceiving Greening with a flipper, resulting in Sean Hassett taking a nice stumping.
Lang Lang got its sixth wicket when Ian Creasey comprehensively bowled Quieros with the score on 127 and with no addition to the score, Christensen and Easton combined again to dismiss Leigh Otten.
Lang Lang got no more wickets and after 45 overs the opposition had made 7/154, but the Swamp Tiger players all knew that a win was a must as it would put them in the four.
After the break, Lang Lang’s innings started disastrously with Gareth Andrews out without scoring in the first over and with the score on 15 Nic Beale was adjudged lbw and was out for 10.
Lang Lang desperately needed a big partnership and it came about when Ross Douglas joined the opener Sean Hassett at the crease.
With these two batsmen playing some attacking cricket, they put on a stand of 57 for the third wicket that ended when Douglas was clean bowled for 22.
With no addition to the score, Adam Dowson was dismissed by Otten to see Lang Lang at 4/73 at the halfway mark of its quota of overs.
Nineteen runs were put on for the fifth wicket that ended when Ian Creasey was caught and the opposition held the ascendancy when five runs later Steve Douglas was dismissed, also without scoring, to have Lang Lang struggling at 6/96.
Exciting youngster Rick Caddell joined his coach at the crease intent on swinging the game back into Lang Lang’s favour and this they did, putting on 36 runs in only six overs.
Hassett and Caddell played attacking cricket with the coach bringing up his half century with a late cut that raced to the boundary.
With Lang Lang on 132, the seventh wicket fell when Caddell was out caught after making 18.
Lang Lang still needed in excess of 20 runs with eight overs left.
This did not seem to concern the new batsman Brian Christensen.
Along with Hassett, he treated the bowling with contempt and passed the required total without losing another wicket to see Lang Lang make 7/167 with Christensen 12 not-out and Hassett, the veteran of the team, making a superb 85 not-out, batting for the entire innings.
This was a gritty and determined win for Lang Lang that will give the team confidence for the rest of the season.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:F GRADE
Lang Lang played Pakenham Upper-Toomuc (PUT) at home and after winning the toss elected to bat, and after its allotted 40 overs made 7/159.
Michael Paez led the way with a brilliant innings of 72, with 40 runs coming in boundaries and clearing the fence on two occasions.
Wally Brenner, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, wound back the clock with an attacking innings of 34 not-out.
The Lang Lang bowlers were on top early, with Wayne Atta and Nic Virtue both bowling well with Atta taking 2/8 off eight overs and Virtue 1/4 off his eight overs, with good support coming from Wally Brenner (two wickets) and Peter Kelly who got one.
The other wicket to fall was a run-out effected by Greg McMillan, who combined with Scott Renden, and after 40 overs PUT made 7/88.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:UNDER 13
Lang Lang was chasing 142 for victory, but put in a bad performance with the bat only making 55.
Mark Yanz and Jackson Tribuzi both top scored with nine and Dillon Diehl did very well opening the batting.
In making seven he batted in excess of 24 overs in a determined display, while wickets fell around him.
Lang Lang batted again and made 3/36 with captain Mark Yanz 26 not-out.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:CLUB NOTES
All players, seniors, juniors, mums and dads are asked not to forget the Christmas party on Saturday, 19 December.
It will be a fun night with cricket under lights and giveaways for the kids.
