By RUSSELL BENNETT
WGCA Premier Division review – round 6
EMERALD v CARDINIA
THE Bombers will have to wait until this Saturday to bowl their first ball in anger at their new ‘home’ ground – Garfield’s Beswick Street Oval.
Emerald’s Premier side was already playing at a home away from home this season, due to the massive upgrade works taking place at their Chandler Reserve base.
The Bombers temporarily relocated to Cockatoo’s Mountain Reserve but have moved again – after the club’s junior ground, Worrell Reserve in the centre of Emerald, was deemed unfit for play. Confused? We are too.
Since the famous Worrell Reserve pine trees were removed, Cardinia Shire Council advised that its insurance would be unable to cover incidents from stray cricket balls ending up on Belgrave-Gembrook Road.
So, that left the majority of Emerald’s sides with no choice but to move to Mountain Reserve – moving the Premier boys along again.
It’s not the end of the world though – Worrell is expected to be back in action by Christmas, with the council set to erect a new fence at the reserve to act as a barrier. And, looking beyond the distance between Emerald and Garfield, the Bombers’ Premier side gets to play on arguably the best playing surface around.
None of this matters to Cardinia though – with the Bulls too busy focussing on converting promising starts with the bat into big scores.
The in-form pairing of Alex Nooy and Ricky Campbell have come into the side for the Emerald clash, following 97 and 102 not out – respectively – in the Bulls’ Round 5 Sub-District clash against Tooradin.
“They both really help our batting depth,” said Cardinia’s Premier grade wicket keeper-batsman Luke Turner.
“Ricky scores quick runs and there’s been a real focus on lifting our batting for the coming weeks.
“Guys need to go on with the 30s and 40s they’re making.”
Turner said the side was in a somewhat unfamiliar situation – with many of its class batsmen searching for that one big total.
MERINDA PARK v PAKENHAM
There’s a long-held view of Melbourne’s weather that if it has turned bad, just wait a minute and everything will be fine again.
That was essentially the situation facing Merinda Park and Pakenham for day one of their showdown at Donnelly Reserve on Saturday.
Despite the heavens opening up over grounds all over the district, the weather gods smiled on the Merinda Park base – with some morning rain doing little more than delaying the start of proceedings.
Pakenham won the toss and elected to bat – a wise move given the imposing form of star opener Chris Smith.
His purple patch continued on Saturday, adding another 77 to his season tally and bringing his average up to 89 per knock. But with the Lions at 7/168 at the close of play, he was the side’s only batsmen to pass 30.
Pakenham skipper Dom Paynter rued some of his side’s missed opportunities with the bat, but it was hardly all doom and gloom.
“We didn’t stand up with the bat quite how we wanted to, but I thought the boys steadied well towards the end (of the day’s play),” he said.
“We got off to a good start with Chris, Russ Lehman (27) and Bradey Welsh (20), and Boof (Jason Williams) just got a really good straight ball first-up and there wasn’t much he could do.”
Rather than Williams falling leg-before to Craig Boswell, Paynter (9) was more frustrated at his own dismissal – hitting a Shannon Mathers full toss straight to mid-wicket.
“It was a nothing sort of shot to be honest,” he said.
“It was pretty ordinary.”
Having faced 53 overs on day one, the Lions will bat for another seven to start day two before Merinda Park commences its chase.
Paynter said his side’s score was “about par”, adding: “It would have been good to push on, but you can’t expect to roll past these sides each week – particularly when you come up against the likes of Merinda Park.”
Jarrod Armitage continues to earn rave reviews from his peers around the league, with Paynter highlighting his performance with the ball again on Saturday.
“He bowled all day,” he said.
“He’s very fit, really consistent and just super accurate – he’s a class cricketer and he bowled really well.”
Armitage finished with 4/63 from 26.4 overs, while Shannon Mathers (2/28) was the other multiple wicket taker.
UPPER BEACONSFIELD v PAKENHAM UPPER-TOOMUC
The Maroons are well on track to record their first Premier win of season 2013-14, almost fittingly against the Yabbies – who broke their own hoodoo last week.
Pakenham Upper-Toomuc won the toss and elected to bat at Upper Beaconsfield Rec Reserve but could only reach 101 in 43 overs before rain eventually stopped play at around 4.45pm.
The Maroons had their super-economical attack to thank for keeping the Yabbies score down – with Jayden Joyce (3/22 from 11 overs) and Daniel Brennan (3/15 from six) leading the charge. Skipper John Simpson also played a valuable role, taking 2/18 in 10 overs.
“We bowled well but there are no rewards until this weekend,” Simpson said.
“Pakky Upper hit across the line a few times, but Jayden bowled with pace and swing.
“Along with Kyle Gibbs and Will Haines, he’s getting more of a chance in this game and he’s making the most of it.
That was our aim this year – seeing the guys from 18 to 20 step up.”
Opener Matt Hutson – one of those 20-year-olds – batted stoically for 70 overs against Tooradin in Round 5.
He will resume this Saturday on 18 – with Simpson (2) at the other end – as the Maroons continue their chase on 2/46.
“We need to get through the first 10 overs unscathed this week,” Simpson said.
“We just want that first win.
“Even though we haven’t won games, there have been some really good signs.
“This week we’re just focussing on trying to pass their score as few down as possible.”
KOOWEERUP v TOORADIN
The first day’s play was abandoned at Kooweerup Rec Reserve, with two league heavyweights – the Demons and Seagulls – now set to go head-to-head in a one-dayer this Saturday.
