By RUSSELL BENNETT and JARROD POTTER
WEST GIPPSLAND CRICKET ASSOCIATION – ROUND 2 REVIEW
TOORADIN recorded its first win of the Premier season off the back of an impressive showing by young all-rounder Dylan Sutton at the Tooradin Recreation Reserve.
The home side won the toss and elected to bat against Merinda Park but was restricted to just 6/147 from its 40 overs.
Star all-rounders, skipper Tom Hussey (20) and his predecessor Aaron Avery (18), each got starts but couldn’t convert them into big scores.
But Sutton, batting at number three, looked super impressive in his 42 and the final partnership of the Seagulls innings – between Michael Ralph (19 not out) and Ash Adams (24 not out) ultimately proved all the difference.
The Cobras started promisingly in their reply but, much like Tooradin, a host of their recognised batsmen struggled to convert on their starts – including openers Daniel McCalman (17) and Chris Smith (29), and Andrew Martin (18).
Skipper Danny Diwell (42) loomed as a potential match-winner but he became the second of a five-wicket haul from the man of the moment Sutton (5/27).
His dismissal was part of a collapse that saw the Cobras lose their final six wickets for just 27 runs to be all out for 123 in the 36th over.
The Seagulls will travel to Berwick’s Haileybury campus this week for an intriguing battle against Emerald.
DISTRICT
Shannon Marum might just be in love with Endeavour Hills.
How else can his run of form there be described – smashing a whopping 231 average in the suburb in the last three seasons?
In his last few Endeavour Hills-based innings, the Cranbourne Meadows (5/238cc) “see ball, hit ball” specialist flayed 149 not out in a D Grade match in 2013/14, 43 in the 2012/13 Sub-District grand final and on Saturday his finest yet… a power-packed 79 against Lyndhurst Vikings (176) to take the match away from the home side.
After copping their whacks from the Vikings in last season’s District semi-final, the Rebels – with far less in the arsenal than last year – showed they won’t be a pushover this season despite their outs list.
After the early going was forged by John Emery (34) and Shaun Matthews (19) the rope-clearing Marum-Brent Murdoch (58 not out) partnership formed and worryingly for the Vikings – they went to work.
It wasn’t Murdoch early though as Marum went about collecting cherries and thumped the Vikings to all parts.
Marum raced to 50 and smashed past it with a six.
They would hit eight sixes and 14 boundaries between them as both raced into the 50s.
Marum’s century charge was only halted through one swipe too many as Greg Benoit (1/42) found the stumps.
Murdoch kept the pace up with Mathew Smith (13 not out) in the dying overs to set a titanic total for the Vikings to chase.
The Vikings were set a run-a-ball challenge to win and fell well short as Emery (4/27) performed with the ball to keep any Lyndhurst attack under wraps.
Mark Henry (30) led the charge to make amends for a couple of dropped catches in the Meadows’ innings – including a dolly from Murdoch that he grassed and ran off his foot for four.
The Vikings could not reel in the Rebels’ tally, leaving Cranbourne Meadows as the only unbeaten side in District Division this season and sitting comfortably atop the ladder.
