WGCA Premier Division – round 14, day 1

CATANI lost three wickets in the last two overs of play against Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll on Saturday to give the Marygoons a huge advantage in the clash to avoid relegation from the Premier Division of the WGCA.
With rain causing havoc and delays in matches throughout the round, Catani was dismissed for 226 in the 66th over and must now bowl 80 overs this week at the Marygoons.
If the Blues had survived the final two overs of the match, they would have had to bowl only 66 overs, however, the loss of three wickets in the space of just eight balls will see Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll take the upper hand into this week.
Earlier, the Blues looked to be cruising at 3/163.
However, with the pressure of having to score quickly due to the rain, they lost key wickets to slump to 6/218 before finishing at 9/226, with Craig Stone’s absence meaning the side was dismissed at the fall of the ninth wicket.
Nic Close batted superbly for his side to score 71 from 136 balls, while supporting roles from George Zekic (39 runs) and Lionel Sexton (37 runs) ensured Catani posted a competitive total.
For Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll, under-17 bowler Tom Keily (2/7 from three overs) picked up the late wickets, while Daniel Glen also bowled well to take 2/30 from his 12 overs.
Kooweerup all but ended Tooradin’s slim chances of making the finals when it blasted 329 from 72 overs at Kooweerup Recreation Reserve.
However, while the Demons’ total is certainly formidable, it could have been significantly more, with the home side reaching 3/287 before Travis Canavan was dismissed for an excellent 111 runs.
From there, Kooweerup lost 7/43 to be eventually knocked over for 329, with the Seagulls reaching 0/6 at stumps from five overs.
Canavan’s innings was magnificent for his side, with the right-hander blasting 14 boundaries and a six, combining with Chris Bright (57 runs) for a 131-run partnership.
Tooradin’s Steven Hamill then showed his talent with the ball to take 5/66 from 17 overs, while Brenton Adams also bowled admirably to pick up four wickets.
At the main Pakenham Cricket Ground, Officer scored 7/220 from 70 overs in a rain-interrupted match against Beaconsfield.
An undefeated 54-run innings from Bullants’ batsman Shane White provided the foundation for the Officer total, while cameo innings from Ben Baxter (40 runs), Mick Torney (38 runs) and Colin Tucker (34 runs) pushed the total past 200.
For the Tigers, Jason Dodd produced a mammoth effort with the ball, sending down 27 overs to take 4/98 in a match that will see Beaconsfield avoid relegation if it is to pull off a successful chase this weekend.
Rain also played havoc in the match between Pakenham Upper-Toomuc and Cardinia, with only 45 overs being bowled at the Pakenham Upper Recreation Reserve.
After being sent in to bat by the Yabbies, Cardinia reached 3/136 from its 45 overs and will face a further 15 overs at the start of day two, before PUT has a 60-over run chase.
For the Bulls, opening duo Mark Cooper and John Nooy again showed their worth with a 109-run opening partnership, before Cooper was caught for a fine 58 runs, while Nooy remains not-out on 64 overnight.
Yabbies’ skipper Andrew Cooper was the best of the bowlers, sending down 13 overs to take 2/35.