By Jonty Ralphsmith and Marcus Uhe
A GRADE
A Jye Shaw-Remy five-wicket haul has helped Cardinia defend 204 against Clyde at Gunton Oval on Sunday.
The openers dug deep early in the day without doing much scoreboard impact, with three reasonably quick wickets bringing the Bulls back into the contest.
But Nick Miles came in at five and brought intent that the innings to that point lacked, his 75 off 96 taking the game deep.
Clyde was in a position where it just needed to bat out the overs to likely pass Cardinia’s score, but Shaw-Remy’s entrance into the attack immediately shifted the momentum back towards Cardinia.
In a nine-over spell, he was able to claim five consecutive wickets including both set batters.
Shaw-Remy claimed Zac Sheppard in his second over after starting with a maiden.
Four more followed, Clyde losing 5/30 in that period to go from 3/138 to 8/168 as scoring, in between occasional boundaries, became difficult.
At Tooradin, the hosts successfully defended 189 against Merinda Park thanks to an inspired spell from Shane Somers.
After the Cobras did the work early to get the shine off the new ball, Somers came in and tore apart the middle order, his six scalps all top eight batters.
Somers finished with figures of 6/31 off 17 in the 36-run win.
Elsewhere, Kooweerup was too good for Cranbourne Meadows and half-centuries to Nathan Kleinig and Mick Floyd wasn’t enough for Devon Meadows in a 149-run loss to Pakenham.
B GRADE
Much like in A Grade, Tooradin found a way to defend just 190 in its match against Emerald, despite the hosts getting off to a warm start.
Owen Johnstone and Tom Rodgers combined for seven wickets to stifle Emerald, with their merciless display late in the day effectively snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
After the top five got Emerald within touching distance, the bottom-six batters combined for only 29 as the Rodgers/Johnstone duo proved lethal.
After a series of cameos, stalwart John Simpson played a match-winning unbeaten 64-run hand for Clyde in its five-wicket win over Upper Beaconsfield.
Officer’s Wayne Duke made the Bullants chase look easy against Carlisle Park while Pakenham cruised to Melbourne Sixers’ target of 116 at Toomuc Oval.
C GRADE
Aidan Nooy has led Cardinia to a tight win over Devon Meadows, backing up his 73 opening the batting with five wickets in the Panthers’ tense run chase.
After setting 261, the Bulls held on for a 21-run win.
Tom Jewell was holding the Devon Meadows innings together until he was undone by Nooy, which was part of a chain of five wickets for an emerging talent who bowled his team back into the game.
After leaving the lower-order reeling, he combined with Robi Nooy to effect a run-out before a Lachie Boswell wicket finished it off for the visitors.
Elsewhere, a Dale Cranston century effectively single-handedly won the game for Lang Lang against Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll.
Coming in at seven with the innings in tatters as the Swamp Tigers pursued 196 for victory, he cracked a quickfire 113.
The next highest score was 17.
The game was Cranston’s first in C Grade this season after being a staple of the Lang Lang District team.
Alfie Howat’s four wickets helped Pakenham Upper Toomuc bowl Kooweerup out for 98 after Mitch Mibus helped them set 323 last week.
Dylan Aluthwatta was the glue of Officer’s low-scoring run-chase with 65 as the Bullants successfully navigated their way past 113.
D GRADE
A six-wicket haul from Merinda Park’s Brenton Huyskens played a major role in the Cobras’ 125-run win over Pakenham.
Huyskens’ six consecutive poles single-handedly reduced the Lions from 2/50 to 8/76, Pakenham bowled out for 132 in 41 overs.
David Auld top scored for Pakenham with 42, while Huyskens finished with bowling figures of 6/30.
Tooradin fell agonisingly short of Clyde’s total of 223 at Rutter Park, reaching 9/222 at the close of play.
Shaun Tongue (60) and Matthew Simpson (14) began the chase with a 74-run stand but the remainder of the batting line up couldn’t back up their work as the Seagulls fell to 6/95.
Chevy Simpson and Jeremy Bodley launched a counter attack late in the innings but the damage had already been done, overs expiring with the Seagulls one run in arrears.
Ross Elston took four wickets in Clyde’s defence.
Pakenham Upper Toomuc survived some wobbles from its batting line-up to chase Emerald’s target of 191 with two wickets in hand.
Dilpreet Singh and Shadab Anwar steered the chase to safety, in a 25-run ninth-wicket partnership.
Officer’s respectable batting performance would have had them in the hunt against most sides, but 350 was always going to be a big ask, the Bullants rolled for 205 against Melbourne Sixers.
E GRADE
Pakenham’s Brett Oldfield proved that lightning can strike twice in the same place, completing a pair of six-wicket hauls against Merinda Park in the Lions’ wild one-run win.
Oldfield took 6/24 in the first innings as the Cobras were rolled for just 42 to give Pakenham a 75-run lead.
A quick-fire 72, in just 11 overs, thanks to Adam Roseby’s – five-six, one-four – 41, saw Pakenham set Merinda Park 147 for an improbable victory.
Opening batter Johnee Cuthbertson made an unbeaten 100, but Oldfield showed that his six-wicket haul in the first innings was no fluke, repeating the dose in the second innings with 6/51.
The Cobras reached 8/146 in the second innings, one run short of the target.
Kerala Strikers had no such troubles, smashing their way to a three-wicket win over Pakenham Upper Toomuc.
The Strikers reached 251 in the 47th over at a dashing clip of 5.34 runs per over.
Kooweerup suffered three collapses in the one innings against Officer Green, losing 3/0, 3/8 and 4/5 to be bowled out for 111 in a 130-run loss.
Elsewhere, Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll chased Cardinia’s 124 successfully for the loss of six wickets, while Devon Meadows cruised to a six-wicket win over Officer Gold.
