By RUSSELL BENNETT and JARROD POTTER
WEST GIPPSLAND CRICKET ASSOCIATION
PREMIER
WITH Tooradin at 7/103 at Berwick’s Haileybury campus, Emerald seemed well-and-truly in the driver’s seat.
But heroes come in all shapes and sizes and batting techniques, as the unconventional Ross Douglas proved.
When he got to the crease, he just seemed to get it – using the pace of the ball and the short boundaries to his advantage, rather than trying to hit the seam off it.
The results were spectacular – hitting three sixes in spinner Julian Scott’s final over – each delightful flicks over fine leg.
With Douglas down one end, Andrew Proctor was just as productive at the other – comfortably making his way to 32 before holing out to Jason Burns off Marsh.
Still with plenty of overs to go at 8/147, Tim Lenders (25 not out) threw caution to the wind and launched into a series of big shots of his own – his sensational mullet flowing like a superhero’s cape.
The Gulls ultimately reached 9/196 from their 40 overs and it looked like the Bombers had let them off the hook, but at 1/77 in their reply Hussey had his doubts.
Robbie Stewart (53) relished his newfound role as one-day opener and Julian Scott (24) and Darcy Hellriegel (23 not out) both got starts, but then for the most part Emerald’s batsmen stumbled when they needed to step up most – dismissed for 150 in the 35th over.
It wasn’t exactly a match for fans of quality top-order batting at Donnelly Reserve in the clash between Merinda Park and Upper Beaconsfield.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Chris Savage’s Maroons lost two early wickets – openers Taylor Joyce (5) and Julian Bayard (12) – and couldn’t fully recover.
Savage (36), in fact, was the only Upper Beac batsman to pass 20 as the side fell from 3/72 to be rolled for just 111 in the 39th over.
Birthday boy Jamie Smith was the pick of the Cobras’ attack with 3/20 from his eight overs, while Craig Boswell (2/20) Grant Pearson (2/27) took two apiece.
The Cobras were well and truly on the back foot for much of their reply – at one stage sitting on a precarious 4/36 from 22 overs before skipper Danny Diwell (34) and wicket-keeper batsman Anthony Craddock (31) got a move on.
The Maroons were sloppy in the field at stages, conceding needless runs through misfields, but the in-form Tommy Tyrrell (3/23) turned the match on its head – taking three wickets and playing a direct role in two late run-outs.
Just like that – the match had turned into a thriller. With the Cobras nine-wickets down with just one ball remaining, Tyrrell strayed down leg-side with a wide and an extra run and it was all over – 9/112.
In the other games of the round, Cardinia (8/184) won its grand final rematch with Kooweerup (130), and Pakenham (3/138) cruised home against Beaconsfield (137).
DISTRICT
MAKING fools of all who doubted them, the Rebels yelled their way to their third victory as Cranbourne Meadows (152) held off Devon Meadows (9/139).
Showing their top-billing in District isn’t just an early season fluke, the ladder leading Rebels had to fight back after a top-order collapse created by Matt Hutchinson (2/16) and Mick Floyd (2/29).
The Panthers’ opening duo proved difficult to get off the square as their 15.4 overs only went for 45 runs.
A middle-order revival from Brent Murdoch (30) and Tom Smith (41 not out) kept Cranbourne Meadows in the middle with Smith carrying on stabilising the tail-end effort.
Ben Hussey (2/42) aided the openers with a pair of scalps.
In reply Devon Meadows leaned on Darren O’Brien (66) to battle through the Rebels’ attack.
O’Brien was left marooned at the middle without any tangible support outside of captain Nathan Worsteling’s 13.
Any Rebel that stepped up to the stumps earned a wicket with John Emery (2/25) and Geoff Bradshaw (1/25) proved as effective as their opposite openers.
O’Brien’s wicket would fall to Bradshaw at 8/129 and spelled the end for the Panthers’ chasing chances.
In the other games of the round, Pakenham Upper-Toomuc (6/162 cc) destroyed the SFX Old Collegians (63), the Lyndhurst Vikings (9/189 cc) made light work of Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (117), and Clyde (6/168 cc) defeated Officer (7/131 cc).
