WGCA Premier Division match of the round – round 11

By David Nagel
TOORADIN (6/203cc) gained a lot more than just 12 points when it defeated Kooweerup (174) in the West Gippsland Cricket Premier Division match of the round at Tooradin on Sunday.
The Seagulls gained belief, respect, a top-three spot on the ladder and a captain back to his best form as it took home the Ron Ingram Shield in a gripping contest against the Demons.
The Seagulls were a disconsolate group eight days previous as they sat in the visitors rooms at Pakenham’s Toomuc Reserve, shattered at a last-over loss that had serious repercussions to its finals aspirations.
Fast forward to Sunday however and the Seagulls had redemption, a point not lost on skipper Aaron Avery (62 not out and 2/22) after he had just led his team to victory and a stirring rendition of its theme song straight after the match.
“Unbelievable, last week we were down in the dumps and this week we feel on top of the world,” a satisfied Avery said.
“We sat down during the week and knew it was a massive game, a few results went our way yesterday (Saturday) so it was just great to get the win.”
Avery won the toss and decided to put the score on the board with Tom Hussey (49) and Brenton Adams (10) the first contributors. Hussey summed up a slow out-field and hit a lot of balls through the air while Adams looked rock-solid.
Koowee’s Ron Bright Jnr (1/29) and Adam McMaster (0/32) opened the bowling but didn’t look threatening until Bright Jnr deceived Adams with a slower ball – which he hit straight to Demons’ skipper Travis Canavan at cover.
Callum O’Hare (60) joined Hussey and the pair put on a solid but unspectacular 56-run stand before Hussey did what looked inevitable and hit a catch to make the score 2/85. Jay Wilson (13) and Brad Sauer (3) came and went quickly which left Avery striding to the crease with his team on 4/114, having just lost 3/29.
The Demons were hardly shaking in their boots either with Avery having 125 runs beside his name at an average of 13.88. But right from the start he hit the ball superbly and put on 61 with O’Hare who once again set the foundation for a competitive score.
Shane Dole (1/49 off eight) bowled economically for seven overs but Avery took to the spinner in the 39th over, taking 23 from it, including three towering sixes which not only wrecked Dole’s figures but the roof of the Tooradin Sports Club as well.
What looked like a 175-180 score for most of the innings was suddenly 203, the Seagulls’ same score as eight days earlier … spooky! Chris O’Hara (2/33 off eight) was the only multiple wicket taker for the Demons.
As expected the Demons’ run-chase started at a fast clip with Michael Giles (54) dominating a 29-run opening stand with Chris O’Hara (8). Shane Dole (32) came to the crease after O’Hara was left short of his ground and at 1/90 the Demons were well placed and ahead of the required rate.
Ash Adams (2/35 off eight) then changed the course of the match by having Giles caught behind by Hussey after the left-hander skied a ball when attempting to hit his ninth boundary. Getting rid of one of the competition’s danger-men seemed to lift the home side to a new level.
In the 19th over a collision between Adams and Matt Davey (10) threatened to get out of hand but was well handled by umpire Daryl Williams. The incident happened in the middle of a tight spell of bowling by the Seagulls, which put Koowee under the pump in its first down-to-the-wire run-chase of the season.
Brenton Adams (1/28 off eight) and Avery bowled well in partnership with Adams who got his man when he clean bowled Davey. From 3/118 the Demons crawled to 5/131 in a seven over stretch that pushed the run-rate above seven runs per over.
O’Hare (3/28 off six) and Avery then combined to take the last five wickets for just 18 runs with Canavan (21) the only one of those to show any resistance. The Demons lost their last nine wickets for 84 runs.
Avery was happy with his team’s fight-back in the field.
“Yeah, the way we pegged them back was pleasing, they got off to a flyer but we spoke about taking the pace off the ball to Dooffy (Giles) and it seemed to work. I thought Brenton (Adams) bowled really well,” he said.
Tooradin take on fifth-placed Beaconsfield next week while the second-placed Demons take on top-of-the-table Cardinia.