By David Nagel
TWO teams that started the year off, brimming with finals confidence, cross-town rivals Upper Beaconsfield and Beaconsfield, clash at Stoney Creek Road this Saturday for the unfulfilling title of “best team outside the four”.
A horror stretch of four consecutive losses for both teams, at different stages of the season, killed off their top four chances, and have condemned the two to being March onlookers. Reigning premiers Beaconsfield started the season off in hangover mode.
Rounds one to four came and went quickly and without success for the Tigers, who were then forced into playing catch-up, which to their credit they did quite well. Losses in rounds 12 and 13 to Tooradin and Cardinia finally ended a brave revival.
The success story for the Tigers has been 18-year-old all-rounder Jordy Andrews who, with 352 runs and 15 wickets, has stamped his imprint on the competition and looms as a big danger for the Maroons this week. Troy McDermott is another youngster with talent, but the gap between his best and worst needs to narrow, while evergreens Brad Miles and Jason Dodd will be looking for a big finish to their seasons.
Upper Beaconsfield started the season well, winning three of its first four matches, but have since won two of its last nine which doesn’t add-up in any finals equation. The Maroons one-run loss to Pakenham Upper-Toomuc in round 11 must still give skipper Scott Pitcher the odd sleepless night.
An early-season burst of brilliance from gun-recruit Shawn Flegler lit up the competition, but as his star has started to wane so to has the Maroons form. Daniel Brennan and John Simpson have also had solid campaigns, but they two failed to fire during the Maroons losing streak. Xavier Gargan took four wickets in his side’s demoralising loss to Pakenham last week, so is one the Tigers will have to watch.
The game of cricket has a great history of irony, and it wouldn’t surprise to see Pitcher, who has been well down on his output of recent seasons, take a bag and lead his team to victory in a game that means nothing.
It’s hard to see the Maroons bouncing back, however, and the Tigers will finish “the best team outside the four”.
PUT v OFFICER
OFFICER stands on deck and waves goodbye to the Premier Division cricket family at Pakenham Upper-Toomuc this Saturday well aware its vessel needs a major overhaul if it’s to survive more rough seas ahead in District Division.
The Bullants’ season really has sunk to new lows in recent times, with only its brave captain, talented first-mate and loyal deckhand staying on-course as their team floats along aimlessly. Brett Reid, Ollie Brown and Peter Quinn deserve medals for the way they’ve tried to stave off wave after wave off opposition attacks this season, but even they’ve shown signs of being battle weary in recent times.
Brown, in particular, has let a stellar season drift away, but if he drops anchor and settles in for the fight, the visitors might have a chance against a Yabbies outfit that hasn’t fared much better.
Apart from their round one win over the Bullants and a thrilling one-run win over Upper Beaconsfield in round 11, the Yabbies have had nothing to cheer about. Individual brilliance from Chris Smith, who sits inside the top five in both batting and bowling, hasn’t translated into victories with the gun all-rounders best four scores of 87, 95, 110 and 135 all being part of Yabbies’ defeats. Jamie Somers has had a solid second half of the season with the bat and young spinner Luke Gunton looks a likely prospect. Skipper Darren Warne has had a frustrating season with eight scores in double figures, but only his round three century going beyond the mid-thirties. It would be terrific for Brown, Reid and Quinn to taste success, but that will take contributions from other Bullants and that just doesn’t look like happening at the moment.
It’s the Yabbies to sink the Bullants once again.
