IF you were at Toomuc Reserve on Saturday you could be forgiven for thinking the Alenson’s were celebrating their Christmas family day early.
In what is likely a first for the Emerald Cricket Club, the B grade Bombers had five Alenson’s playing the one match after father Chris was bumped up from the lower grades to play alongside his four sons, Mark, Andrew, Donald and David.
While the five Alenson’s combined for 33 runs, it was Cam Williams who stole the spotlight making an unbeaten 58 to guide Emerald to a first innings total of 207.
A game-saving innings by Daniel Fry has kept Pakenham Upper/Toomuc in with a slim chance against Beaconsfield at Pakenham Upper Recreation Reserve.
Fry, who is averaging 59 in the two-day format, produced a stunning lone-hand innings of 56 as the rest of the team collapsed to be all out for 107.
Aside from Fry, no batter made double figures, but a wicket late in the day by PUT’s Ben Jarred has the Yabbies optimistic of defending their total.
A patient 87-run partnership between Colin Moore (50) and Daniel Hawken (49) has put Kooweerup in a commanding position on day one of the two-dayer against Officer at Kooweerup Recreation Reserve.
Moore and Hawken were relatively unassisted during Koowee’s first innings but some heavy hitting towards the end propelled the Demons to a defendable total.
The match between Devon Meadows and Merinda Park will be played as a one-dayer as the ground at Junction Village Reserve was too wet to play on.
C GRADE
A SCINTILATING 209 opening-run partnership has C grade side Clyde looking at an outright victory ahead of its day two encounter against Cranbourne Meadows on Saturday.
Joel Avard is 137 not out after combining with Clyde captain Stuart Williams for an opening stand of 209 runs at Lineham Reserve.
According the treasurer and teammate Ross Elston the partnership is believed to be the highest partnership for Clyde’s second XI and the highest Clyde partnership since round 11 last year which Elston was involved in.
While Williams batted solidly for his 66, it was the free-scoring Avard, averaging a run a ball that got the scoreboard ticking.
After being dropped on 40, the 20-year-old raced to 50 and soon found himself on 64 as Elston began typing out a text to Avard’s father informing him of his son’s achievements.
The only problem for Elston was as he attempted to type Avard’s score the exciting junior hit a six, then another, then another.
By the end of the over, Avard had gone from 64 to 86 and finally Elston had time to finish the text.
Ironically, Avard’s father, Russell, who unfortunately could not make it to the ground to see his son, is a long-time legend of Cranbourne Meadows, the same team Joel was taking to the cleaners.
“It’s probably a good thing he (Russell) didn’t come because he wouldn’t know who to cheer for,” Avard said.
After nine sixes and 45 overs in the middle, stumps was called on Avard and now his captain faces a dilemma regarding what to do on Saturday – let the kid bat out to an even bigger score, or declare and chase the ever-important outright win.
With rain washing out some matches and not others, the extra eight points awarded to an outright victory has become crucial for teams looking to regain ground.
One such side is Cardinia who, at fifth position, is hoping to get 20 points from its clash with C-grade cellar-dwellers Catani.
After sending Catani in to bat, Cardinia’s Chris Remy (6/4) and Nathaniel Wade (4/14) removed the Catani side for 20 runs.
In response, Cardinia declared at 7/76 before taking a chunk out of Catani’s second innings to leave the Blues at 7/64 at the end of the day’s play.
Seven wickets by Beaconsfield’s Dylan Triffitt has the Tigers in the hunt against Tooradin at Akoonah Park.
With a one game lead over the third-placed Seagulls at stake, Triffitt took career-best figures of 7/51 that negated any inroads made by Adam Richmond (33) and Dylan Sutton (28).
After almost single-handedly removing the Seagulls for 147, tailender Triffitt will most likely be required to stick around with the bat as Beaconsfield finished at 5/70 when play was abandoned.
Pakenham Upper/Toomuc is confident it can do enough to chase down Lyndhurst Vikings’ first innings total of 125 at Pakenham Secondary College.
Paul Gray (44) was the foundation of the Vikings innings that fell away after lunch.
PUT’s Rob Phillips had an active day in the field taking 3/10 and bobbing up for two catches as well. At stumps, PUT is 0/8.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:D GRADE
WHAT appeared to be a run-of-the-mill week in D grade has turned into a week of potential upsets as the grade’s two unbeaten sides look odds-on to lose this Saturday while the only team still without a win is in a dominant position after day one.
Merinda Park will be out to secure outright points as it quickly gains on Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll in their D grade clash at Maryknoll Recreation Reserve.
In a serious turn up, the undefeated MaryGoons were bowled out for 70 by the fifth-placed Merinda Park before the Cobras piled on 53 runs for the loss of two wickets as stumps was called.
The undefeated Beaconsfield is also facing a similar situation as it tries to keep its winning streak alive against a gritty Emerald at Worrell Reserve.
Four Emerald bowlers each claimed two wickets as the Bombers bowled out D grade’s ladder leaders, the Tigers, for 97 runs.
Emerald was 1/20 at stumps.
Upper Beaconsfield’s Nathan Dooley and Peter Astle have given the Maroons every opportunity to take its first win of the season at Lakeside Oval.
Dooley (89) and Astle (43) combined for a 104-run stand as Lang Lang, led by Wally Brenner’s five wicket haul, eventually dismissed Upper Beaconsfield for 225 runs.
Saint Francis Xavier Old Collegians are in a strong position ahead of day two against Nyora at Nyora Recreation Reserve.
SFX’s Josh Collins took 6/26 as Nyora was bowled out for 116 before Collins returned with the bat for five overs to lead SFX to 0/24 at stumps.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:E GRADE
BOTTOM-RUNG Emerald, has registered West Gippsland’s fourth highest score for the weekend as the Bombers top order shredded Clyde’s bowling attack at Hillcrest Christian College.
Emerald will be hoping it can remove itself from the bottom of the ladder after openers Kieran Burns (42), Lachlan Gleeson (56), first drop Colin Burns (73) and number four batter Paul White (30) set the foundation for the Bombers’ innings of 259 that was only bettered by three other WGCA teams over the weekend.
Pakenham is out to make amends for last week’s two-wicket loss to Beaconsfield after it declared at 7/253 before stealing a wicket moments before stumps.
Lions captain Matt McCormick top scored with 67 not out before opting to declare to try and clinch a wicket heading into day two.
It worked a treat as Paul Hart, who earlier put on a 106-run partnership with Greg Interlandi, claimed a wicket maiden to leave the Tigers at 1/3 when stumps was called.
Pakenham Upper/Toomuc has already claimed first innings points over Kooweerup and is eyeing off an outright victory after passing Koowee’s first innings total of 47 with eight wickets left.
At stumps at Syme Road PUT is 7/99.
Officer has its back against the wall as attempts to defend its vulnerable first innings total of 70 at Rutter Park against Tooradin.
Ross Simpson once again starred for the Gulls, taking 4/9 as only Eric Buchler (20), Ken Reid (10) and Dylan Hayes (11) provided any real resistance.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:F GRADE
PAKENHAM is looking to trade-places with Gembrook on the F grade ladder after it made 279 at Nar Nar Goon Recreation Reserve.
Highlighted by Dennis Porter’s 80, Pakenham reached 279 as the Brookers’ bowlers failed to contain the agressive Lions middle order.
After nearly sealing a first innings victory without losing a wicket, Devon Meadows has turned its attention to securing an outright victory when it meets Officer for the second time on Saturday at Officer Recreation Reserve.
Devon Meadow’s Lincoln Hepburn took 4/24 as Officer was bowled out for 57 before Hepburn returned with the bat to make 18 not out as Devon declared at 4/120.
Led by Anthony Watton, Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll posted a defendable 8/151 against Merinda Park at Lyndhurst Secondary College.
Watton made 59 not out as the bottom-placed MaryGoons recorded their highest score of the year.
