By Justin Schwarze
In a rain effected weekend, Blake Terlaak’s incredible spell in A Grade made up for the fact there was minimal action across the lower grades of the Casey Cardinia Cricket Association.
Terlaak bowled one of the innings of the summer for Cardinia, tearing through the Merinda Park lineup with outstanding figures of 8/33.
“It’s awesome,” Terlaak reflected.
“I’m usually happy to take two or three with me and just doing my job, but it was kind of surreal to take a big number like that.
“To get clapped off by my teammates is a really cool feeling.”
In the spell, he bowled 17 overs and only allowed 33 runs, posting an impressive economy rate of 1.94.
The Cobras were bowled out for just 70 and posted four ducks in their stand.
“That’s my main goal, that’s my style of bowling, is to be patient and try to keep the scoring down,” Terlaak said.
“I would say bowling stump to stump was my main goal.
“The ball sort of stopped moving pretty quick after it got wet so there was no movement out there.
“I was bowling straight at the stumps, yorkers, just trying to take everything away from the batters.”
Reflecting on the haul was difficult to describe for Terlaak.
His highest bag before Saturday this season was three, despite being a very consistent wicket-taker.
“It’s an unusual feeling,” he admitted.
“I figured if they were going to try and defend, I can just try to hit the stumps and try forcing an error, but I didn’t see it happening like that, that’s for sure.
“To get rewards for bowling in good areas long enough was great.”
In the innings, one particular pole stood out from the rest.
It was also a favourite of wicketkeeper Jordan Healey’s, when Terlaak edged off left-hander Paul Filippone with Healey right at the stumps.
“He (Healey) did say I was bowling so slow, that’s why he came up to the stumps,” Terlaak chuckled.
“I wanted him back to the left hander, because I usually get a couple of nicks off a left hander, but for him to be up at the stumps and take that, that was fantastic.”
Terlaak has played a major role in one of the most formidable bowling lineups in the entire association.
Alongside Trent Wheller, Ryan Little and Sahin Ayres, the Bulls have boasted one of the most dominant bowling attacks, with all four bowlers inside the top 20 for total wickets this season.
“Our bowling lineup is fantastic, we’ve got great depth,” Terlaak said.
“Ryan has just taken so many wickets with his patience and his relentlessness to keep being patient and try to make batters make a mistake.
“I think we’re one of the best bowling teams in the comp, which is a reason why we’re doing so well this season.
“We’re confident in our bowlers to defend anything that we put on the board.”
In the chase, Brandon Mackie turned around and made 53 for the Bulls when they took the bat, before Paxon Smith and Harwinder Bhullar took four wickets each for Merinda Park.
Cardinia sit top of the table with just one round to go after day two.
Elsewhere, Pakenham had multiple contributors on their way to posting 291, led by 63 from lefty Steve Insall.
After Brett Reid and Josh Spittal took four wickets each to hold Tooradin to 123, an onslaught in the final eight overs of the day turned the game on its head.
Clyde lost four wickets, being all ducks, as they sit 4/12 at stumps.
Kooweerup won via forfeit against Cranbourne Meadows.
B Grade didn’t see much play, with multiple matchups being washed out by rain.
In the one game that saw balls bowled, Pakenham opening pair Anthony Ponweera and Jackson Myers both notched half centuries en route to their side posting 9/212 after 70 overs.
A pair of matches had action in C Grade, with Officer bringing up 9/212 against Merinda Park as Darren Kneebone and Jack Plunkett both contributed with near 50s.
Chris Williams took 4/44 in retaliation for the Cobras.
Numbers galore at Rythdale Oval saw Kerala Strikers reach 9/271 thanks to a wonderful century from Jerin Joy and 76 from Jimmy Augustine.
Legendary spinner Dwayne Doig claimed five wickets for Cardinia and Lachie Boswell bagged four.
Similarly to B Grade, only two teams took to the field Saturday in D Grade, with Meaul Karunaratna taking five wickets, helping Merinda Park bowl Officer out for 250.
A 50 from Liam Kezik for Pakenham in E Grade guided the Lions to 9/216 against Melbourne Sixers.
A major six-wicket haul from Peter Zauner paired with four from Robert Worsteling enabled Devon Meadows to bowl out Carlisle Park for 97.
When the Panthers went into bat, they cruised past the total with Chris Lyne scoring 57.
The duo of Ray Perkins and Ash Jones took all 10 Officer wickets for Cardinia, as each bowler took five.
They kept the Bullants to just 58, before Jones took the bat and made a half century, leaving Cardinia seeking an outright result on day two.
