Mills opens with a ton

Ayden Mills was in a savage mood against Pakenham, cracking a brilliant 159 not out in the B Grade clash. 175194 Pictures: ROB CAREW

By David Nagel

WGCA LOWER GRADES
REVIEW – ROUND 6 (DAY ONE)
B GRADE
Get him out early or you won’t get him at all – it’s becoming a common theme when playing Kooweerup (6/306) star Ayden Mills (159 not out) after he scored his second unbeaten century of the season against Pakenham at Toomuc Reserve on Saturday.
Mills already had a season highlight to be proud of – making 123 not out against Officer in Round 4 – but trumped that performance with a masterful display of skill and application against the Lions.
Mills has opened the batting just twice this season – yes and you guessed it – and it has resulted in both his centuries.
Skipper Stephen Johnson won’t be moving his name from the top of the order too many more times one would have thought.
The Demons were back to their best on the weekend, shaking off a poor batting performance against Merinda Park in Round 5 to take total control of the contest. Mills and Arie Hazendonk (25) made a solid start, putting on 62 for the first wicket, before Darcy Jones (2/31) struck two quick blows for the Lions.
He removed Hazendonk and Hayden Watson (0) in quick succession – but the Demons bounced back hard.
Mills and Matt Davey (48) consolidated things with an 83-run stand, before Jai Lewis (39) took a backseat to Mills in a polished 116-run union. Brent Wilson (15 not out) and Mills then guided the Demons to their first 300-run score for the season.
Jones was the only multiple wicket taker for the Lions, while his brother Tom (1/69 off 22) bowled steadily without much luck.
Merinda Park (6/232) is riding high on confidence at the moment and continued that trend with a rock solid batting performance against Officer at Donnelly Reserve.
The Cobras were consistent throughout, with partnerships of 37, 59, 35, 41 and 50 not allowing the Bullants to get on top at any stage throughout the afternoon. The top order of Lester Betreen (49), Amreek Mann (26) and Chris Smith (41) did its job, while in-form skipper Jass Dhaliwal (53) was involved in two important late partnerships.
Dhaliwal has scored 42, 76 not out and now 53 in his last three visits to the crease to underline his importance to his side.
James Quinn (3/54 off 9) took bowling honours for the Bullants, but the work of Dan Irvine (1/32 off 16) and Dean Perrow (0/29 off 18) was performed at a far more economical rate.
Devon Meadows (6/261) can thank Dave Carson (97) and skipper Michael Addison (95 not out) for digging it out of a huge hole against Emerald at Glover Reserve.
The Panthers barely had time to take their seats before they were 3/1, with Tristan Fraser (2/32) and Sebastian Mueller-Schmuki (1/36) making the ball talk. Shaun Santini (1/28) grabbed another and the Panthers were in all sorts of trouble at 4/25.
But wise heads came to the fore, Carson and Addison surviving the early danger before turning the pressure around with a mighty partnership. The experienced pair put on a brilliant 176 for the fifth wicket, Carson the first to go – three runs short of a much-deserved century.
But Addison wasn’t done with yet, sharing valuable stands with Paul Borg (13) and Eddie Gebar (12 not out) to lead his side to day-one honours by the close of play.
And a stylish half century from opener Julian Bayard (57) has laid a solid platform for Upper Beaconsfield (225) to build on against Carlisle Park (0/9).
Bayard, who scored a Premier Division century in Round 4, was joined by Adam Lawrence (27) and Chad McDonald (24) as the main contributors to a more than competitive total.
Dean Lyddy (4/40) was the shining star for the Vikings, while Brendan McCarthy (1/22 off 11) used his guile and experience to keep things in check through the latter overs.
C GRADE
The batting of Clyde (7/230) stood out like a sore thumb on Saturday on a day otherwise dominated by a battalion of talented bowlers in the C Grade competition.
The third-placed Cougars were up against some stiff opposition as well, with Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll sitting just one place below it on the premiership table.
The Cougars didn’t have things all their own way early, with Ash Bailey (1/41) and Scott Hayes (2/58) making some initial breakthroughs.
But opener Tom May (42) was joined by Chevy Dyall (55) for a partnership that turned the fortunes of the contest around. May and Dyall saw off the early threat of Bailey and Hayes to get the Cougars on a level footing – before handing over to Noel O’Brien (79) to complete the transformation.
O’Brien handled the situation as you would expect, considering his experience – with complete control – as he steered the Cougars to a very solid total indeed.
Brenton Huyskens (3/44 off 13) continued his recent run of good form to take bowling honours for the Marygoons.
The top-two teams in the competition, Cranbourne Meadows (125) and Catani (5/33), are locked in a fierce battle after an enthralling day’s play at Catani.
The Rebels were torn apart by a rampant Matt Thompson (5/24 off 17) in the early stages of their innings, the opener taking three wickets and also being involved in a run out. But Maqbool Laiq (30) and Josh Matthews (29) steadied the ship for the Rebels, combining for 63-run stand that would lift their side from a precarious 5/38 to 6/101.
Thompson and Mitchell Gregson (1/21 off 10.3) finished off powerfully for the Cats, rolling the Rebels for a modest total in the 55th over.
But the Cats … well they fell apart in the remaining 12 overs until stumps, crashing to 5/33 after a brilliant spell of bowling from Laiq (4/19 off 6). He bowled unchanged from one end, dominating all and sundry except for Andrew Hilder, who made 25 before falling victim to Atta Basit (1/10 off 3) in a defining last over of the day.
Brad ‘Snags’ McDonald holds the key for the Cats when play resumes this Saturday.
Cardinia (1/28) looks well placed to bounce back to the winner’s list after an even bowling contribution against Pakenham Upper/Toomuc (147) at Rythdale.
The Yabbies were quite convincing early, with Brett Armitage (34), Nick Kyval (27) and Brett Carey (43) all digging in for the fight, but the Bulls responded to drag things back their way. Luke Merrett (3/37) and Matt Argoon (2/22) claimed vital breakthroughs, while Jye Remy (3/29) stuck to his guns, finally removing Carey after a very patient vigil.
The Bulls were left with five overs to bat – just enough time for club legend Luke Turner (16 not out) to remind everyone of his talents in his first outing for the season.
And Lang Lang (0/19) is in the box seat to take first-innings points against Officer (115) at Starling Road.
Neither side has tasted victory since round one, but the Swampies pushed all those thoughts aside to produce one of their most complete performances of the season. Jake Caddell (3/17), Glen Easton (3/27 off 15) and William Wykes (2/29 off 11) claimed multiple wickets for the Swampies, while Ricky Caddell (1/21 off 18) also proved a handful. Ben Monagle (22) was the pick of the Bullants’ batsmen. Wykes will resume on 10 not out when play resumes at 1.30pm this Saturday.
D GRADE
Kooweerup’s Will Selleck and Carlisle Park’s Navdeep Singh stole the show on Saturday, producing magnificent seven-wicket hauls to lead their sides to first-innings points on a stunning first day of round six action.
Selleck (7/22 off 9.2) is now the leading wicket taker in D Grade – with 18 scalps – after a devastating late-afternoon spell destroyed the hopes of Merinda Park (58) on the small ground at Donnelly Reserve.
The Cobras were cock-a-hoop after rolling the Demons for just 120, with Scott Kunziak (5/45 off 13) producing the first great spell of the day. He removed the first-three Demons’ batsmen, including top-scorer Tom Cottrell (41), on his way to his first five-wicket haul since round five last year.
Kunziak received great support from Kanwaljit Handa (2/15) and Russ Jenkin (2/20) – the trio combining to roll the Demons in the 36th over of the day.
But what happened next was quite incredible.
The Cobras began strongly enough, with Paul Humphrey (15 not out) and Grant Mills (15) resilient, but fell apart as Selleck and Cottrell (2/14 off 13) combined for one of the most damaging spells for the season.
The Cobras slumped from a promising 1/28 to all out 58 – losing eight wickets for just 30 runs. Who knows what day two will have in store!
Carlisle Park (5/43) is the other side to wrap up first-innings points after Navdeep Singh (7/23 off 13.3) cut a swathe through Tooradin (42) at Barry Simon Reserve.
Singh bowled with great accuracy, knocking the stumps over four times and trapping one other Seagull plumb in front. Curt Stevens (17 not out) was the only Seagull to flap his wings as Singh and Harinderjit Brar (2/11 off 13) ended the rout in 27.3 overs of carnage.
The Vikings fared not much better to be honest, with Dale Bethune (4/14 off 9) leading a stirring fightback. But Fateh Ahmed (13 not out) weathered the storm for the Vikings and will be keen to build on his start at the beginning of day two.
A reverse outright could be on the cards!
And the clash between Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (2/18) and Pakenham (199) looks evenly poised after a topsy-turvy day one at Nar Nar Goon.
The Lions looked in all sorts at 5/65 – dominated by a free-flowing half century to Sam Webster (55) – before their lower order made a better fist of things. And it was Adam Roseby (81) who led the way, backing up his 73 in F Grade last week with another sparkling half century. Roseby thoroughly enjoyed the short boundaries square of the wicket, cracking 12 balls either through or over the ropes.
Jackson Myers (26) gave Roseby some great support, sharing an 82-run stand that brought the Lions back into the match.
Stephen Minahan (3/50) banked three wickets for the Marygoons, while Shamraiz Medhi (2/16), Anthony Watton (2/23) and Bryan Woodley (2/52 off 5) claimed two apiece. The Lions evened things up late, with Brad Luka (1/7 off 6) snaring a wicket and Webster removing Colin Medwin (0) via a run out.
SFX Old Collegians have the bye.
E GRADE
Sometimes the best games of cricket can be when small totals are involved – such as the top-of-the-table battle between Catani (4/36) and Cranbourne Meadows (96) at Catani on Saturday.
A total of 14 wickets fell for just 132 runs as finals-like pressure took its toll on the batsmen.
The Rebels won the toss and elected to bat and found the going tough from the outset.
Opener Trevor Poole (17) got a start, and Roger Cotterell (30 not out) and Terry Lieschke (18) combined for an innings-high 25-run stand through the middle, but that was the end of the penny section.
The remainder of the Rebels struggled to handle the fire-and brimstone of Travis Kitchin (5/21 off 14), who took his tally to nine wickets from just two games this season. Kitchin, Troy Robinson (2/17) and Ryan Smith (1/39 off 14) were the mainstays for the Cats, who would have been quite content with their 43-over effort.
But the Rebels struck back with ferocity, tying the Cats down with 25 overs of intense bowling and fielding. Adrian Savage (2/9 off 12) was superb for the Rebels, while Mark Zoldak (2/16 off 8) will need to continue his fine line and length if the Rebels are to be a chance on the weekend.
Officer’s Greg Henderson (5/68 off 28) just keeps on taking wickets, this time dismantling Upper Beaconsfield (143) at Heatherbrae Reserve.
Henderson has now taken 21 wickets for the season, 17 of those in E Grade at the remarkable average of 6.5 per wicket.
Henderson had to work hard for his scalps on Saturday, facing a ton of resistance from the likes of Jack McHale (43), Dave Westra (41) and Isaiah Jassal (23) at the forefront of the Maroons’ top order. The Maroons were 3/119 at one stage before losing their last six wickets for just 24 runs.
Henderson’s main ally was Cameron Stow (3/11), who took the last three wickets to fall … including WGCA legend Rob Hansen for a duck!
Pakenham Upper/Toomuc (194) could be set for its second win on the trot after opener John Miller (87) crafted a vital half century against Devon Meadows (2/20) at Heatherbrae.
Miller watched five of his team-mates come and go before sharing a match-changing 60-run partnership with his skipper John Baker (37). The pair took the score from 5/72 to 5/132 before Miller departed on the devil’s number.
Baker carried on Miller’s good work, sharing important partnerships with Sukhdutt Singh (10) and Mark Johnson (15 not out) to push the Yabbies just shy of the 200-run barrier. Ravi Mallikarachchi (3/32) and Lincoln Hepburn (3/52) stood out for the Panthers while evergreen Peter Zauner (2/33) was also impressive during a lengthy spell.
Baker (1/7 off 7) and Miller (1/2 off 7) claimed late wickets to leave the Panthers in a spot of bother at stumps.
And finally, half centuries to Glenn Tucker (67) and Ian Crosher (51) have given Emerald (229) the upper hand against local rival Gembrook at Gembrook.
This was Tucker’s first half century for the season, while Crosher has now made three in just four visits to the crease – a great start to the season!
Ben Lewis (24) and Flynn Smith (19) were also key catalysts for the Bombers, while Martin Williams (2/26) and Tim Gray (2/37) stuck to their guns for the Brookers.
F GRADE
Talk about roller-coaster rides – the entertaining season of Cranbourne Meadows (9/336) skipper Ross Hopwood (102) continued on Saturday with the Rebels’ leader scoring a second-consecutive century against Merinda Park at Lawson Poole Reserve.
Hopwood turned his season around in Round 5 – scoring 107 not out against Officer after making three consecutive ducks – and rode his luck again on the weekend. After making his hundred against the Cobras on Saturday, Hopwood made another duck on Sunday in the Kookaburra Cup clash against Clyde.
His last six innings now read; 0, 0, 0, 107*, 102 and 0 – unbelievable really!
Hopwood’s century was the cream on the cake for the Rebels, who would have been delighted with the efforts of its top order. Hopwood’s ripping knock was backed up by quality innings from Brett Richards (53), Scott Pallent (53), Paul McCutcheon (34) and Michael Scholz (32), while Nicholas Waller (24 not out) finished things off in style.
Meaul Karunaratna (4/71 off 18), Dion Olszewski (2/68) and Andrew Hathaway (2/86) were the best of the toilers for the Cobras.
Nyora (1/85) looks set to jump from fifth to third on the ladder after a dominant day-one performance against Pakenham (145) at Toomuc Reserve.
Keith Maclure (5/46 off 18) was instrumental in the Maroons overwhelming dominance, striking key blows to the Lions including that of top scorer Hiren Patel (36). Dave Hyland (27) and Brock Callaghan-Height (27) also proved difficult to remove, while Lachlan Perrott (2/16) gave Maclure some well-deserved support.
Maroons’ opener Dylan Ford (59 not out) then made sure there would be no nasty surprises for his side, cracking seven fours and a six in a super-impressive 25 overs at the crease.
Ford will have his eyes on a century when play resumes this Saturday.
And Officer (204) has set second-placed Clyde a difficult run-chase after Cooper Pursell (53), Aidan Pipicelli (46) and Josh Beddows (38) produced the goods at the Hillcrest Christian College.
Pursell held the top order together, with Beddows and Pipicelli ramming home the advantage late in the day.
Things could have been a hell of a lot worse for the Cougars if not for the efforts of Mark Coe (4/33 off 19) and Lachlan Howie (4/44 off 15.3) who were both thoroughly deserving of their four-wicket hauls.
Top team Carlisle Park has the bye.
G GRADE
Centuries flowed from the blades of Catani openers Cameron Wagstaff (153) and Matt Coleman (126) and Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll’s Jacob Hill (111) in a memorable day of G Grade cricket on Saturday.
Wagstaff and Coleman will certainly take away great memories after the pair shared a monster 272-run opening partnership, leading Catani (5/378) to an insurmountable total against Cranbourne Meadows at the Lyndhurst Secondary College.
Both players were coming off a bit of a dry spell, but both made amends in the best possible fashion by crushing the Rebels with a sustained effort of concentration and skill. It was a great day for both players, sharing the joy of their first ever centuries on the same day.
The Cats finished off the job too, with Matt’s son Ben Coleman (28 not out), Grant Horsburgh (21) and Ron Smith (10 not out) keeping the foot down until the final ball was bowled.
Bryce Memery (2/66 off 16) claimed two wickets for the Rebels – who need a cricketing miracle this weekend.
Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (201) can thank Hill’s heroics for its strong position after the opening day’s play against Devon Meadows at Junction Village.
The undefeated Marygoon’s were under real pressure early with Rob Worsteling (4/52 off 24) striking some telling blows, before Hill calmed the waters with an innings of substance.
The Marygoons were 5/56 at one stage, but Hill and Vicky Downes (19) shared a 101-run stand to give the Gooners the upper hand. Brad Bloxidge (26) put the cherry on top for the visitors with a nice little cameo at the end of the day.
Cameron Coupar 2/20), Aiden Williams (2/27) and Neil Baker (1/29 off 18) gave Worsteling some terrific support with the ball.
And Clyde (4/73) just needs the rain to stay away to convert a dominant first day into first-innings points against Pakenham (90) at Hillcrest College.
The Cougars shared the load superbly with Jack Lowis (3/32), Tristan Walton (2/13), Paul Duyvestyn (2/19) and Michael Cloney (1/21) all enjoying that sweet taste of success against a Lions’ outfit that struggled to break the shackles.
Deepak Gusain (21) and Matt Saunders (18) were the pick of the bats for the visitors.
Joel Driver (20), Jake Hodgson (16 not out) and Duyvestyn (15 not out) had the Cougars closing in on victory by the close of play.