WEST GIPPSLAND WOMBATS
It was a beautiful sunny day at Inverloch on Tuesday 23 January when the West Gippsland Wombats Over 70s played the Glen Waverley Hawks on a well-prepared turf pitch.
Wombats’ skipper John Moore won the toss and elected to bat first.
Fred Debono and Graham Davey opened the batting and had a partnership of 50 runs in 10 overs before Davey 14 (30) retired.
Then 10 runs later Debono 30 (30) retired.
Keith Houghton 11 (10) was bowled by Winston Deprazer and this was the start of a devastation bowling spell as he claimed another two wickets in three overs.
He had Dallas Wyatt 11 (15) stumped by Keith Longridge and then bowled Andrew Smith 14 (30) to make the score 3/87 in the 20th over.
Pieter Loos 31 (30) and Russell Ferguson17 (30) both retired before the Wombats lost their fourth wicket.
The wicket fell with the score on 133 in the 29th over when Mike Newton 13 (24) was bowled by Pat Dougherty.
The score had reached 173 before the Wombats lost another two wickets with both batters out bowled first ball.
Jim Gregory fell to Bryan Hancock and John Moore by Peter Henrys.
After 40 overs the Wombats had scored 183 for the loss of six wickets.
The not out batters were Brendon Thomas 26 (29) and Graham Davey 17 (39).
Hawks Bowling: Winston Deprazer 6-3/18, Peter Henrys 8-1/30, Bryan Hancock 6-1/22, Pat Dougherty 5-1/26, David Hancock 5-0/28, Bruce Hotton 4-0/19, Keith Longridge 3-0/13, Chris Stock 1-0/8 & Siva Kamagasundaram 2-0/8.
The openers for the Hawks had an unbeaten partnership of 28 in 10 overs by the time they both retired; Bryan Hancock 22 (30) and Keith Longridge 4 (30).
David Hancock was the first wicket to fall for a golden duck when he was LBW to Fred Debono.
The score had reached 41 by the 14th over when the Hawks lost two wickets for one run.
Peter Henrys 4 (8) was bowled by Fred Debono and the Hawks’ captain Rob Redmond 1 (3) was LBW to Graham Davey’s bowling.
Pat Dougherty 16 (27) was then stumped by Russell Ferguson off the bowling of Andrew Smith.
With the score on 69 in the 26th over the Hawks lost three wickets.
Bruce Hotton 4 (24) bowled by Keith Houghton; Ian McLeod 0 (2) was run out by Fred Debono and Kevin Brown 0 (3) was bowled by Mike Newton.
Winston Deprazer 5 (15) became Newton’s second victim when he was bowled, before Siva Kamagasundaram and Derek Braidner added some respectability to the score with a 26-run partnership before Braidner 23 (30) retired.
In the 38th over Mike Newton claimed two wickets when he bowled Kamagasundaram 4 (16) and then trapped Keith Longridge 5 (31) LBW; who was the 10th wicket to fall and the Hawks had made 109.
Bryan Hancock played beautifully and was not out 25 (33).
Some excellent bowling and fielding saw the Wombats win by 74 runs, using all 10 bowlers that were able to bowl:
Man of the Match Mike Newton bowled five overs, two maidens, and took four wickets for eight runs.
Wombats Bowling: Fred Debono 4-2/15, Keith Houghton 3-1/6, Graham Davey 5-1/16, Andrew Smith 4-1/11, Jim Gregory 4-0/11, Pieter Loos 4-0/10, Dallas Wyatt 3-0/5, Brendon Thomas 4-0/5, Russell Ferguson 2-0/13.
It was an excellent team win by the West Gippsland Wombats, who next take on the mighty Gippsland Goannas at Toongabbie.
-John Moore-
