By DAVID NAGEL
WGCA LOWER GRADES
REVIEW – ROUND 13 (Day 2)
B GRADE
MERINDA Park, Kooweerup, Tooradin and Beaconsfield will battle it out for this year’s title after Gembrook’s finals hopes came to a crashing end on the weekend.
The Brookers were already in a world of hurt, resuming at 7/36, after rolling Merinda Park (97) cheaply on day one. They surrended with little fight as Dale Cunliffe (6/24) and Grant Person (3/10) added to already spectacular figures.
The top-of-the-table Cobras then rubbed salt into an already gaping wound, getting some much-appreciated batting practice ahead of what’s sure to be a be a finely-tuned premiership assault.
Brendan Notman (47) and Scott Kunziak (37) starred in the Cobras (9/159) second innings while Jeremy Everett (3/19) toiled hard for the Brookers.
Kooweerup (3/178) has booked itself a home final after claiming outright points against Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (40 and 66) at Garfield.
Demons’ skipper Wes Wright declared his innings closed overnight, leaving a 138-run lead and with 70 overs to roll the Goon for a second time. The home side did fight hard on day two, but the efforts of Ayden Mills (3/8 off 13), Sam Cole (2/5 off 11) and Hayden Watson (2/9) paid maximum dividends for the Demons in the end.
Mills and Nathan Voss (1/12) snared five wickets each for the match.
Tooradin (5/173) has leap-frogged Beaconsfield (9/122) into third place on the ladder after proving too strong for the Tigers in a one-day contest at Rutter Park.
Seagulls’ skipper Daniel Quinn won the toss and batted, a decision that looked wise after Luke Adams (40) and Shane Somers (33) batted beautifully through the first two-thirds of the innings. The dangerous Jay Wilson (46 not out) then put the icing on the cake for the Seagulls who then struck early with the ball after tea.
The home side had many fine contributors with the ball, with Quinn (1/23 off 8) and Adams (1/11 off 8) frugal, but the hard-earned rewards went to James Thompson (4/22) and Steve Birtchnell (3/33).
Devon Meadows (8/206) opener Corey Leslie (86) enjoyed the summer-heat as he guided the Panthers to victory over Upper Beaconsfield (195) at Glover Reserve.
The Panthers’ run-chase was built around a superb 77-run stand for the second wicket between Leslie and Jason Brzezowski (28), while Josh Beets (18) and Dean Lewis (21 not out) were also important to the cause. Shawn Hassall (3/64) and Andy McDonald (2/36) were best for the Maroons.
C GRADE
PAKENHAM Upper/Toomuc (7/199) is now likely to finish in the top-two after a brilliant Cale Popovits (80) half-century led the Yabbies to victory over Pakenham (195) at Toomuc Reserve.
The Yabbies now need to defeat seventh-placed Cranbourne Meadows in the final round to pinch a coveted home-final from either Officer or Pakenham, the incumbent top-two who meet at Starling Road this Saturday.
Popovits – who was brought to his knees at times by the extreme heat – took 100 balls to reach 30, but then blossomed after tea, smashing the tired Lions to all parts of their home ground.
Ben Clough (22) and Mark Johnson (19 not out) complimented Popovits superbly, while the experience of John Miller (37) was critical when things got tight in the dying stages. Rylan Dunn (2/16) and Fraser Selby (2/21) took two each for the Lions.
Tooradin (7/164) has snatched fourth place from Lyndhurst (160) after a lower-order revival against the Vikings at Barry Simon Reserve.
The Vikings – who started this contest 12 points clear of the Seagulls – could sniff a piece of the March-action as Muhammad Ajmal (3/38), Chris Slater (2/15) and Brendan McCarthy (2/59) combined to have the visitors on the back foot at 6/104. Leigh Frankhauser (39) and veteran Craig Spicer (16 not out) then turned things around for the Seagulls, claiming victory to back up the great work of Adam Jacobs (30) and Matt Thompson (29) from earlier in the day.
Officer (7/150) is back on top of the ladder after its bowlers strangled the life out of Cardinia’s (9/112) batting line up at Rythdale.
Nic Simpson (52), Darren Kneebone (31) and Tony Smith (23) helped the Bullants to a competitive score before James Quinn (3/17 off 7) and Daniel Irvine (2/16 off 8) gave nothing away late in the day. James Watts (36), Jye Remy (25) and Michael Roach (2/29) were best for the sixth-placed Bulls.
Cranbourne Meadows (6/215) has wrenched itself from the bottom of the table after an impressive run-chase against Merinda Park (5/206).
The Cobras were making steady inroads into the Rebels’ batting line up before Wayne Mannix (60), Jeremy Ryan (66 not out) and Matt Keoylian (24) rescued the mission. Amreek Mann (2/21) and Mark Dipilla (2/23) were best for the Cobras.
D GRADE
NAR NAR GOON/Maryknoll (9/218 and 4/95dec) has emerged from a helter-skelter afternoons cricket against Clyde (128 and 106) smelling like roses after claiming outright victory over the Cougars at Hillcrest Christian College.
The Goon’s banking of 20 points sees them jump from fifth to fourth and basically eliminates Clyde and Merinda Park from what was a seven-team premiership race.
Both teams came out breathing fire on the weekend, the Cougars’ Jeremy Jakupi (63) helping himself to a half-century while Goon bowlers Shaun Ager (3/13) and Bryan Woodley (3/37) were intent on destruction.
The Goon then extended their 90-run first-innings lead by 95 in just 12 overs to give themselves 23 overs to roll the Cougars for a second time.
Thomas May (47) batted well for the Cougars but the combined efforts of Ager (3/4), Daniel Gentile (3/29) and Simon Rogers (3/47) saw the Goon triumph on a day that saw 24 wickets fall for 329 runs.
Officer (9/265) is unlucky in dropping from fourth to fifth after towelling up Catani (159) at Starling Road.
The Bullants had to work hard to remove Chris Banbury (43), Troy Robinson (36) and Brad McDonald (23) but then ran riot, with John Armstrong (5/44), Pete Symons (2/10) and Billy Carlyle (2/32) making a mess of the lower order.
Emerald (8/127) will host a home-final after chasing down Pakenham Upper/Toomuc’s (122) modest total at Syme Road.
Top spot was up for grabs in this low-scoring affair, the Bombers getting home on the back of fighting knocks from Andy Morris (31 not out), Derek Scott (24), Danny Ceeney (20) and Cody Chasteau (12 not out). Jonathon Rewell (5/39) bowled himself into the ground for the Yabbies, at one stage having the Bombers in trouble at 6/69.
Merinda Park (7/171dec) skipper Brett Armitage (70) has continued his outstanding season by leading his Cobras to victory over SFX Old Collegians (104 and 4/86) at the College on Saturday.
The association’s king-pin, who has now made 692 runs for the season at the remarkable average of 76.89, received great support from Rob Wilson (43) before declaring in the search for an outright victory. It didn’t come however as Travis Dorsett (35 not out) dug in for the fight.
E GRADE
KOOWEERUP (5/180) has kept the race for the one remaining finals berth wide open after downing fourth-placed Officer (9/177) at the Kooweerup High School on Saturday.
An Officer win would have closed the door on Kooweerup, Beaconsfield and Lang Lang, but the Demons’ victory keeps all three alive with just one round remaining in the season.
The Demons looked long-shots for victory after Bullants’ Callum Hughes (61) and Josh Stirling (54) piled on 116 for the first wicket. Mitchell Cammarano (5/26) and Adam Cheyne (3/37) started the Demons’ comeback before skipper Glen Burns (84) and Gavin Bindley (30 not out) completed a thrilling triumph with just one over left in the tank.
Beaconsfield’s (5/233) fate is no longer in its own hands after the Tigers went down to Gembrook (6/236) in a score fest at Don Jackson Reserve.
The Tigers looked the winners after Neil Busacca (56), Wayne Holden (47), Richard Ryan (45 not out), Damian Perrone (30) and Warren Makings (28) had all hit the scoreboard hard, but nobody counted on a sparkling century from Mark Newton (110 not out) that would get the Brookers over the line. Darren Petrie (30) and Darcy Williams (27 not out) were also critical to the end result.
Fine bowling from Neil Baker (4/18) and Matt Davidson (3/23) were the highlights of Devon Meadows’ (6/104) comfortable victory over Lang Lang (102) while Jackson Hillard (33) and Brandon Interlandi (32) rescued Pakenham (8/116) from the mire against Nyora (114). The Lions were 5/49 before Hillard and Interlandi put on 64 for the sixth wicket.
F GRADE
PAKENHAM (5/270dec) has gone from being precariously placed to being an almost certain home semi-finalist after demolishing an undermanned Tooradin (160 and 17) at Toomuc Reserve.
Resuming at 1/81, the Lions batting brigade of Josh Bloor (51), Paul Hart (47), Eddie Lewis (30), Dion Gosling-Hanna (23 not out) and Steve Minahan (20 not out) made light work of the Seagulls first innings total before whacking them in for a second time.
With almost half their team missing, the Seagulls folded with Tom Jones (2/5) and Bloor (2/0) getting the job done in extra-quick time. Lyndhurst (43) thoroughly deserves it drop from second to fourth after the Vikings stunk it up in their one-day contest against Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (3/47).
The Vikings were blown away by Jai Lewis (4/2) and Brenton Huyskens (4/20) and then watched on as Guy Parnell (16) and Tony Watton (16 not out) made batting look easy.
Merinda Park (7/177) made light work of Pakenham Upper/Toomuc’s (151) modest total at Donnelly Reserve.
John Cuthbertson (62) backed up his five-wicket haul from day one with a fine half century while Stan Pongracic (32) hit two over the fence during his entertaining knock.
Officer had the bye.
G GRADE
CLYDE (8/194) looks a pretty safe bet to host a semi-final after scoring a super-important win over Catani (148) at Catani on Saturday.
The Cougars now sit second and, with a bye in Round 14, have already locked away 12 points despite being about to sit on the sidelines for the next two weekends.
The Cougars, resuming on 3/113, made an additional 81 runs, 51 of those from the blade of Adrian Buller, in 12 overs which were left over from a rain-interrupted day one. Catani made a great start in reply, with Riley Youssef (58) and Ben Ferrari-Mela (44) sharing a 109-run opening stand before the wheels, and every other part of the cart, fell off!
Michael Cloney (5/22) was unstoppable for the Cougars who took all 10 wickets for just 39 runs.
A blazing century from Andrew Kerford (107 not out) has steered Lyndhurst (6/198) into fourth place at the expense of Pakenham (118).
The Vikings were a little shaky at 3/41, but Kerford soon took control leaving the Lions in the sun until he had raised his bat in triumph after his century. Neil Sharman (3/48) and Trent Donovan (2/60) never stopped trying, in challenging conditions for the Lions who now need to defeat Merinda Park for any chance of playing finals. The most dominant team in lower grade cricket this season, Emerald (5/69), continued that trend by belting Cranbourne Meadows (59) at Worrell Reserve.
Warrick Marsh (4/12) set the Bombers on the path to victory before a couple of Nicks, Jansen (21) and Litterbach (15 not out), completed the journey. Chris Sullivan (3/20) and Wayne Diss (2/10) were best for the Rebels.
Merinda Park had the bye.
