A week – a long time in cricket

By Russell Bennett

WGCA PREMIER DIVISION
REVIEW – ROUND 12 (Day one)
What a difference a week makes.
A little over seven days ago, Merinda Park toppled Clyde at Lineham Oval to deliver one hell of a bitter blow to the Cougars’ finals chances.
After being bowled out for 153 inside 39 overs, the Cobras restricted the Cougars to just 9/152 in an absolute thriller of a finish that went right down to the wire.
Despite a series of double-figure starts, no Clyde batsman was able to go on and finish the job.
But fast forward to Saturday, again at Lineham Oval, and it was a completely different story for the Cougars against at Cardinia side hell-bent on continuing its streak of WGCA Premier finals appearances.
“We definitely let one slip against Merinda Park,” said Clyde skipper John Simpson, looking back.
“We knew that they would make us fight and not give us the game, but we still should have chased down 153 against them.
“The guys were really disappointed and know that every week is an elimination final for us now after losing a couple of games during the year when we were in the box seat.
“We hold our own fate, and can’t rely on other games going our way.
“The simple fact is: Win all three games (left) and we can still play finals.”
On Saturday in the face of a rampant Dwayne Doig, the Cougars were faltering badly – at one stage slipping all the way to 7/73 with a host of misfires in the top and middle orders. None of their top five batsmen, including Simpson, could reach 20 in what seemed like a hopeless cause.
But then up stepped experienced favourite son Gavin Adams and big quick Nick Sadler.
Simply refusing to roll over, the pair put on 122 for the eighth wicket to completely turn the tide on the innings and set the Bulls 204 to win in their own tense finals race with Upper Beaconsfield.
“We put a huge focus this week on batting out the 80 overs,” Simpson said.
“We haven’t done it this year in the few two-day games that we have played, and we know how costly that can be.
“If we are going to push to play finals, and be competitive if we get there, we aren’t going to do that by batting 60 to 65 overs and giving the opposition 95 to 100.”
Doig put in a herculean effort for the Bulls, opening the bowling and finishing with 7/82 off 38 overs in the stifling heat.
The master of drift and change of pace was nothing short of superb.
“He is still in the best couple of bowlers in the competition and his patience, change of pace, and flight makes him always a challenge to face at any time,” Simpson said.
But despite Doig working his magic, the Cougars still recovered thanks to the stand from Adams and Sadler.
“We thought that Doig would open the bowling and we know how well he can bowl so we needed to stay positive against him and not let him dictate to us, but try to take away the risk early,” Simpson said.
“We started conservatively but started to lose wickets with some poor batting choices.”
When Sadler joined Adams in the first over after tea, the Cougars were in an enormous hole.
But from that point, as clichéd as it sounds, the two just took their partnership ball by ball, over by over.
“We started to tick off targets, 100, 120, 150 and more,” Simpson said.
“They both bought up their fifties in consecutive balls and then the 100-run partnership.
“They hit the ball really well and showed that if you spend time at the crease, runs will come. Gav ended up going out in the 72nd over for a really gritty 71 and Nick in the 74th over for his highest score in A Grade cricket of 64.”
The Bulls then had the nightmarish scenario of having to face just one over before stumps, and will resume this week on 0/2.
“With 200-plus on the board it gives us a real chance, as looking at Cardinia’s scores their batting has been very similar to ours,” Simpson said.
“Early pressure (this week) will be the key and if we can hold our chances I think it could be a really close finish late in the day.”
The Cobras, meanwhile, again showed some real fighting spirit on day one of their clash at home against Upper Beaconsfield.
Thanks to a series of starts with the willow, the Cobras batted out their 80 overs to finish on a competitive 9/184.
Young gun Cambell Bryan batted for about 40 overs on Saturday in his first Premier season – scoring an invaluable 43 before succumbing to gun spinner Scott Pitcher, who finished with another impressive five-wicket haul (5/57 from 28 overs).
“In his first year of firsts cricket he’s really worked his arse off and he finally got some rewards for it,” Merinda Park skipper Andrew Martin said of Bryan’s knock.
“At the start of the season we felt that if we (the senior players) didn’t get the job done with the bat then the team would fail, but we’ve trusted the young guys.
“We’re not too far away at the moment, and we’re proud of batting out the 80 overs (on Saturday) after being sent in by a side chasing 20 points.
“We’ve struggled with the bat this year – that’s common knowledge.”
Martin said this was a development season for the Cobras, particularly after losing so many first XI players after the 2016/17 campaign, and that they should be proud of what will almost certainly be their Premier survival.
And this Saturday they can focus on trying to secure a win against the Maroons.
Meanwhile, at Pakenham in front of a finals-like crowd at Toomuc Reserve on Australia Day, the grand final combatants of the previous two seasons went head-to-head with startling results.
Judging by Saturday’s form, only one of the two sides looks likely to return to the competition’s biggest stage… and it’s not the Lions.
After batting first they were rolled for just 120 in the 52nd over with a series of questionable shot choices to blame.
Rob Elston and Zac Chaplin top-scored with just 30 and 21 respectively as Jess Mathers (5/42 off 26.4 overs) was once again dictating terms at his dominant best.
Facing the final 25 overs of day one, the Demons reached stumps at 1/60 with Ben Spicer (33) the only wicket to fall.
With Spicer opening in place of Chris O’Hara, who’s missing this game, Lachie Ramage gets his chance in the top order and will resume alongside skipper Mark Cooper this week.
In the remaining game of the round, also on Australia Day, Tooradin has already secured first innings points after a dominant performance on day one against Emerald at Chandler Reserve.
Julian Scott (53) recorded an important half-century for the Bombers, with Clinton Marsh (27) the only other batsman for the home side to reach 25 as Cal O’Hare (6/42) found his spark with the ball – claiming his first five-wicket haul for the season and taking his tally to 11 wickets so far in 2018.
Facing the final 24 overs of the day’s play, the Gulls stormed their way to 3/162 from 24 overs. Opener Tom Hussey dominated the early going before falling for 42, while Russell Lehman (68) and Ben Mantel (17) are the not-out batsmen set to resume this Saturday.