By David Nagel
Tooradin opener Luke Townsend provided the highlight of CCCA Lower Grades on Saturday taking seven wickets in the Seagulls B Grade clash against Emerald (256) at Chandler Reserve.
It was the second big bag in three games for Townsend who claimed the impressive figures of 6/14 off 18 overs against Upper Beaconsfield in round five.
Townsend was forced to work hard for his wickets on Saturday with Dylan Roche (26), John Hughes (30) and Mitchell Thomas (32) leading the Bombers to 2/109.
But Townsend and Tim Huguenin would soon have their say, snaring five wickets for just 20 runs through the middle order to leave the Bombers in trouble at 7/120.
The home side rallied however, with a fine knock from number-six Ian Crosher (52) and lower-order runs from Brian Thomas (43 not out) and Noah Van Haren (31) leading the Bombers to a very competitive score.
Elsewhere in B Grade, Clyde’s Shane Webster (5/57) jagged a nice handful of wickets to keep the bottom-placed Cougars in the hunt against second-placed Officer (8/261), while four poles from Lachlan Taylor have Pakenham (1/32) well placed for victory over Pakenham Upper/Toomuc (163).
And a fine spell of bowling from Tyler Astle (4/44) has seventh-placed Upper Beaconsfield (1/16) on the front foot against ladder leaders Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (174).
In A Grade, four wickets to Ryan Little (4/32) and a slashing knock from Travis Welsh (71 not out) have locked away first innings points for Cardinia (4/110) against top-of-the-ladder Tooradin (100).
At Toomuc Reserve, five wickets each to Jack Melbourne (5/30) and Marcus Martini (5/56) have propelled Pakenham (5/111) to a dominant day one over Kooweerup (87), while Clyde’s Tristan Walton (5/38) and Merinda Park openers Hayden Cleland (74) and Pawan Thind (53) had a stirring tussle at Tony Way Reserve.
The Cobras ended with 214, with Walton’s Cougars 0/4 off five overs in reply.
And Devon Meadows (6/114) is just 18 runs away from victory after Mitchell Kleinig (5/46) and Mick Floyd (4/16) rolled Cranbourne Meadows (131) for a modest total at Lawson Poole Reserve.
Kleinig (26 not out) will resume the battle this week, with Floyd, Billy Loudon, Lucas Brown and Tom Rowe still to bat.
Most of the remaining action happened in C Grade this week, with three big half centuries and three five-wicket hauls.
Yasuntha Gamalath (88) was the top-scorer in lower grades this week, helping Melbourne Sixers (236) to a ripping C Grade score against Devon Meadows, while Adam Newstead (68) and Dean Lyddy (5/42) were the stars in a great battle between Merinda Park (225) and Carlisle Park (1/10) at Tony Way.
Jye Shaw-Remy (5/23) was the undoubted star as Cardinia (5/61) bowled Kooweerup (129) out cheaply at the Kooweerup High School, although the Bulls still have some work to do after Indiana Boswell (4/27) bowled the Demons back into contention late on day one.
And James Quinn (5/46) has done it again for Officer (1/10), taking five wickets to give the Bullants the march on Kerala Strikers (188) at Rob Porter Reserve.
Ajeesh Kaithamattam (69) was equally as impressive for the Strikers.
Other notable performances this week came from Addison Tucker (4/11) for Pakenham Upper/Toomuc in D Grade, while Pakenham (5/169) D Grade skipper David Searle (4/16) continued his fabulous form against Officer (72).
Leg-spinner Searle has now taken 4/66, 5/14, 2/21, 4/41 and 4/16 in his last five visits to the crease.
That’s 19 wickets for 158 at an average of 8.32.
CCCA LOWER GRADES – 50S AND THREE FA’S
BATTING
Yasuntha Gamalath Melbourne Sixers C 88
Hayden Cleland Merinda Park A 74
Travis Welsh Cardinia A 71*
Adam Newstead Merinda Park C 68
Ajeesh Kaithamattam Kerala Strikers C 66
Sumit Sharma NNG/Maryknoll B 59
Vishva Vimalarathna Melbourne Sixers One-Day 59
Steve Insall Pakenham A 56
Pawan Thind Merinda Park A 53
Kanwaljit Handa Cranbourne Meadows A 52
Ian Crosher Emerald B 52
Senula Wijesekara Officer B 51*
Raja Ahmed PUT B 50
Peter Zauner Devon Meadows E 50*
BOWLING
Luke Townsend Tooradin B 7/80
Jye Shaw-Remy Cardinia C 5/23
Jack Melbourne Pakenham A 5/30
Tristan Walton Clyde A 5/38
Dean Lyddy Carlisle Park C 5/42
Mitchell Kleinig Devon Meadows A 5/46
James Quinn Officer C 5/46
Marcus Martini Pakenham A 5/56
Shane Webster Clyde B 5/57
Addison Tucker PUT D 4/11
Mick Floyd Devon Meadows A 4/16
David Searle Pakenham D 4/16
Hanish Manivannan Avenger Red One-Day 4/24
Indiana Boswell Kooweerup C 4/27
Ashley Embelton Clyde E 4/31
Ryan Little Cardinia A 4/32
Kale Lyne Devon Meadows C 4/34
Lachlan Taylor Pakenham B 4/41
Tyler Astle Upper Beaconsfield B 4/44
Lachlan O’Beirne Devon Meadows C 4/45
Craig Dodsworth Clyde E 4/62
Ranjith Vadakkumthanni Avengers One-Day 3/8
Shane Gittens Carlisle Park One-Day 3/9
Joel Anderson Kooweerup A 3/23
Brandon Mackie Cardinia C 3/23
Robert Worsteling Devon Meadows E 3/25
Gurpreet Singh Cranbourne Meadows A 3/30
Emmanuel Megee Officer C 3/34
