By David Nagel
Two players in their mid-20s – determined Bulls at heart – have led their beloved Cardinia (5/206) to victory in the round-two clash against Merinda Park (131) at Gunton Oval on Saturday.
Travis Wheller (105) crunched the second century of his promising Premier Division career, before Josh Browne (8-3-21-5) took five consecutive wickets to squish the poised Cobras back into their basket after the break.
After being asked to bat by Mat Campbell; Wheller and Alex Nooy (41) put on a 105-run opening stand…26 runs more than what the whole team made against Kooweerup last week.
Nooy was solid more than spectacular, but a Wheller six over mid-on – in the 15th over – gave an indication of what was to come.
When Nooy tucked Tyson Bertrand behind square for a single, off the last ball before tea, the Bulls were 0-88 and had reached a rock-solid position to launch.
Wheller brought up his 50 with a glorious cover drive in the 22nd over, before losing Nooy in the next…who thought a reverse sweep was a good way to capitalise on a great start!
Dan McCalman (8-1-35-2) rattled Nooy’s stumps, but couldn’t rattle Wheller…who continued to march on.
He worked through a flat patch before tea, and cramps and illness after the break, to reach his 100 with a magnificent clip over the square-leg fence for six.
Lefty Dan Salvato (19) shared a 63-run stand with Wheller to push the Bulls past the important 200-run barrier.
Raveen Kadirahettiarachchi (6-0-30-3) returned the best figures for the Cobras…but was soon part of a Browne demolition job!
Josh Grogan (4-0-19-1) made the early breakthrough, before Browne went to work – claiming wickets in five consecutive overs.
Rumesh Ranasinghe (10), Kadirahettiarachchi (5) and McCalman (3) were first to go, and when Browne hung-on to a caught-and-bowled chance of Cambell Bryan (2) …the Cobras were 5/40.
Browne then put the icing on the cake in his next over, having Harkamal Singh (6) caught by Matt Welsh for six to leave the visitors in disarray at 6/43.
Solid resistance from Liam Bertrand (60 not out) and Campbell (19) failed to camouflage the brittle nature of the batting.
Bulls’ skipper Dean Henwood (4-0-29-2) took the last two wickets to fall to join Browne on the multiple wicket-taking list.
Wheller said the plan between he and Nooy was pretty simple after being sent in to bat.
“Everything went well, we just wanted to bat as long as we could together and build a platform…because that’s something we’ve been struggling with for probably the last four years, if not longer, with our batting,” Wheller explained.
“We just wanted to set the tone, and not just build something for the day, but for the rest of the season as well.”
The 25-year-old hit a flat patch in the 40s; losing his impeccable timing from earlier in his innings.
In days gone by…this would have spelt the end.
“I was struggling to find the middle of the bat, and usually that’s when I get frustrated and throw the kitchen sink at it and get out,” he said.
“But I was pretty hungry and I was timing the ball well before that, so it felt like the day to really dig in and make it count with a big score.
“The blokes down the other end were telling me it was my day and to not throw it away…that really helped as well.
“I’m at the point now; been playing senior cricket for 10 years, where I need to start making consistent runs.”
Wheller played his first Premier Division game in 2014/15, and apart from a century against Pakenham, and five other half-centuries, has failed to deliver on his promise.
The all-rounder is a wonderful off-spinner, so contributes heavily with the ball, but has made it a focus to become more consistent with the willow in hand.
“I just don’t want to be content and satisfied with making 30s and 40s now, like I was when I was younger,” he said.
“When you’re younger you think you’ve done a job, but as you get older and more mature you realise you haven’t really done a job at all.
“The job of a top-order batter is to get a start and go on and get a big score,”
Wheller said that while his expectations have grown, he was determined to just enjoy his cricket more this summer.
“I haven’t put any extra pressure on myself; my main goal is to just enjoy myself with the boys, to play a hard brand of cricket and enjoy those days with a lot of blokes that have grown up together,” he said.
“We want to play positive, aggressive cricket, back each other in, and the rest will take care of itself.
“But we just want to enjoy the season…because what’s the point if you’re not enjoying your cricket.”
Wheller said Nooy was one of the key drivers in getting him to think differently about his game.
“Alex has taken me aside, the same as Matty Welsh, and told us that we need big seasons from you two blokes especially,” he said.
“It comes to a point where you can’t keep saying ‘we’re young blokes coming through’…we need to start making runs; big runs, and really contributing to the team.
“20s and 30s aren’t good enough anymore…we need to get to 50 and then start thinking bigger than that again.”
Wheller reflects fondly on Saturday’s knock, but knows the proof will be in the pudding over the coming weeks.
“It’s right up there with the best innings I’ve played; just being able to work through the pain barrier; I was cramping and I was crook, so it was pretty satisfying to stick it out and not throw things away,” he said.
“I’ve proven I can do it now, so now the challenge is to do it each week and make a contribution to the team and not be satisfied with one good score.”
Wheller was also excited for Browne, a star bowler for the Bulls in their second XI team over the last few years…and now an important piece of the Premier Division landscape.
“He’s always been a star bowler in our twos, and is taking his opportunity with both hands,” he said.
“Joshy Grogan will better for a full season in the ones, and hopefully Matty Welsh can get his bowling back to where it was when we won the flag and we can put a pretty good bowling attack out there.
“Morteza (Ali) has probably snuck under the radar a bit, he will bowl a lot of overs this year, but hopefully the quicks can do the damage and we just tidy things up.”
The Bulls head to Pakenham this Saturday, before completing the weekend double-header by hosting Carlisle Park at Gunton Oval.
CCCA PREMIER RESULTS – ROUND 2
Kooweerup 5/169 (chasing) def Clyde 8/167.
Cardinia 5/206 (defending) def Merinda Park 131.
Carlisle Park 146 def by Devon Meadows 3/225 (defending).
Tooradin 6/162 (chasing) def Pakenham 7/159.
LADDER
Tooradin 2 wins, Kooweerup 2, Devon Meadows 1, Cardinia 1, Pakenham 1, Merinda Park 1, Clyde 0, Carlisle Park 0.
FIXTURES
ROUND 3
SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER
Devon Meadows v Tooradin, Pakenham v Cardinia, Merinda Park v Kooweerup, Clyde v Carlisle Park.
ROUND 4
SUNDAY 22 OCTOBER
Devon Meadows v Kooweerup, Pakenham v Merinda Park, Tooradin v Clyde, Cardinia v Carlisle Park.
