By Nick Creely
WGCA OTHERS
REVIEW – ROUND 14
DISTRICT
Officer has completed the perfect tune up for finals, brushing aside fellow finalist Devon Meadows in a commanding performance on Saturday.
The win was built off stringent discipline with ball in hand, with the in-form Panthers batting unit falling over just 118, with three Bullants snaring two wickets.
Kyle Salerno top-scored for the Panthers with a well-made 29, while skipper Michael Addison contributed 24 at the end of the innings.
The early losses of Bullants skipper Oliver Brown and fellow opener Chathura Imbulagoda mattered little, with the home side – off the back of Ayrton Dehmel (34) and Ash Smith (37 not out) – running away with a seven-wicket win.
Minor premiers, Carlisle Park Vikings, meanwhile registered a strong win against Clyde.
The Vikings restricted the Cougars to 6/160 despite some excellent hands from David Denton (40) and Adrian Buller (42), with the pair putting on an entertaining 89-run partnership.
Like good sides do, the Vikings didn’t take any risks in chasing down the total, eventually finding the runs with seven wickets in the shed. Skipper David Nutting was the anchor, compiling 42 from the top.
Pakenham Upper Toomuc found some touch in a hard-fought win against Kooweerup.
The finals-bound Yabbies were set 123 for victory after a strong bowling effort inspired by John Langley (4/19) and Nick Kyval (3/22).
While the Yabbies didn’t have it all their own way in the chase, the visitors ran down the total with four wickets to spare, with skipper Sahan Wijeratne cooly guiding his side home with an unbeaten 42.
In the final game of the round, Cardinia (3/130) finished the year on a high with a win against Emerald (9/129).
SUB-DISTRICT
Lang Lang continues to show ominous signs ahead of finals, this time defeating Officer at home.
The Swamp Tigers had to fight hard for the victory over the weekend, but showed it has got the class to overcome challenges.
Batting first, the minor premiers lost two early wickets, but recovered through key partnerships to post 8/170.
A stunning new-ball spell from Alan Jenkins (5/16) had the Bullants in a world of hurt at 4/21, but a fighting 50 from Peter Quinn suddenly had the visitors in a position to push for an unlikely win.
But time was the enemy, with the Bullants eventually restricted to 9/152.
A century to Tooradin’s Ned Harrison, meanwhile, guided the Seagulls to victory against Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll.
Sent in by the Marygoons, Harrison stole the show with a brilliant 106, with the knock coming in 120 balls and featuring eight fours and two sixes.
While he did struggle for partners, Jarred Thompson’s 38 helped push the score up to 6/180.
The Marygoons couldn’t get into the contest, bowled out for just 115, with three Seagulls taking multiple wickets.
And in the final game of the round, Cranbourne Meadows (4/110) were a class above Pakenham (106) at Toomuc Reserve.
Nyora had the bye.
B GRADE
Devon Meadows will be a hard side to topple in the finals series, with the Panthers gearing up for finals with a solid win against Clyde.
An excellent 79 from Cougars opener Steven Russell guided the visitors to an ultra-competitive 188, with Mick Floyd (3/28) the pick of the bowlers for the Panthers.
But openers Will Loudon (48) and Alex Travaglia (46) set the perfect platform in the run chase, racking up 79 for the first wicket, before the home side eventually found the runs in the 39th over.
At Harry Blackman Oval, Pakenham Upper Toomuc overcame a stern challenge from Merinda Park.
The Cobras were in early trouble after winning the toss and batting, but recovered nicely – largely through the efforts of Paul Wiles (43) – to set 8/147.
The Yabbies also had its own problems, losing a first-ball wicket before fighting its way to a three-wicket win.
Nandu Krishnan (36) top-scored for the Yabbies, while Jamie Smith (3/27) was a handful with the ball.
Emerald was in excellent touch at home, comfortably defeating Carlisle Park Vikings.
The Vikings batted solidly, building off opener Campbell Furze’s (46) fine knock to post 160 for victory.
Skipper David MacDonald (85) ensured the Bombers would have little trouble with the chase, as the home side took just 31.3 overs and the loss of three wickets to bank the points.
In the final game of the round, Tooradin (6/123) defeated Cardinia (122).
C GRADE
That’s dominant from Kooweerup.
The Demons were in vintage touch, knocking over Cranbourne Meadows in dominant fashion at Lawson Poole Recreation Reserve.
It was a fun time with the bat for the Dees, who racked up an imposing 7/248, with Andrew Hilder (97) the destroyer, but unluckily fell just three short of what would have been a deserving century.
The Dees took just under an hour with the ball to finish the game, rolling the Rebels for just 50 in reply.
Will Selleck snared 4/7 from just 13 deliveries, while youngster Joel Anderson was a menace to take 3/12.
Lang Lang banked a final round victory against Pakenham.
The Swampies finished the season on a positive note, fighting hard to overcome the Lions.
A vital 49 from middle-order bat from Nadeera Fernando saw the Swamp Tigers post 9/133.
The Lions stayed in the contest through the run chase – largely through skipper David Auld (51) – but were held to 7/125 in the end.
And Officer defeated Upper Beaconsfield to secure the minor premiership.
The two finals fancies locked horns, with the Maroons posting 8/113 from its 40 overs, and the Bullants got the runs inside the 36th over.
In the final game of the round, Merinda Park (9/218) eased past Gembrook (8/123) at Gembrook Oval.
D GRADE
Clyde has clinched the minor premiership after an absolutely dominant performance against Officer.
The Cougars overcame some early wickets to post a strong 6/184, with Dean Williams (47) and Ky Williams (41 not out) helping the cause with an excellent partnership.
An unbelievable bowling performance saw the Bullants rolled for 43, with Stu Williams (3/7), Ross Elston (3/19) and Daniel Waite (2/8) proving almost unplayable.
Emerald tuned up for finals with a strong win against Nyora.
The Bombers posted 4/154 from its 40 overs, with Rawley Van Haren (45 not out) and Jaxon Burdette (41) both batting superbly.
The Maroons battled hard to stay in the contest, but were eventually rolled for 124, with Sebastian Mueller-Schmuki (4/12) providing the much-needed breakthroughs.
And Gembrook were in brilliant touch with a dominant win against Cardinia.
The Brookers had a good time with the bat, racking up 7/192 off the back of a brutal 84 not out from Don Neshan, who came in at number eight and completely turned the match.
The Bulls couldn’t muster up much momentum with the bat, bowled out for 97. Ajantha Ranasinghe was the pick of the bowlers, snaring 3/21.
In the final game of the round, Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (5/95) did what it needed to do against Carlisle Park Vikings.
E GRADE
Talk about a remarkable season.
Cranbourne Meadows’ Maqbool Laiq has had a phenomenal 2020/21 campaign, and went to a whole new level on Saturday with a blistering century against Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll.
Laiq flayed the ball to all parts to register 174 – his second ton on the trot – as the Rebels posted 258 from just 36 overs of boundary-soaked batting.
Coming in at 2/4, Laiq could do no wrong as he continues to be the dominant player of the season.
After an unbeaten 129 not out last week, he has 755 runs at 151 next to his name, with two tons, and five half-centuries this season.
The Marygoons did its best to run down the total, but fell just short to be bowled out for 230 in 39 overs. Adyn Tocknell struck a brutal 50 from number 10 to give his side a chance to win.
Minor premiers Devon Meadows, meanwhile got the win against Officer at Junction Village.
The Bullants batted first, registering 9/120 from its 40 overs, with David Fisher and Tom Rowe snaring three wickets each.
A fine hand from Sam Manujith (44) ensured the Panthers would snare the victory with four wickets still left in the shed.
Shane Somers, meanwhile, enjoyed a day to remember for Tooradin, flaying an unbeaten hundred against Merinda Park.
Somers carried his bat to score 120, with fellow opener Ben Proctor (80) combining with him for a 212-run opening stand as the Seagulls posted an amazing 6/298.
The Cobras were rolled for 144 in reply, with Ben Vincent snaring 3/16.
In the final game of the round, Pakenham (5/236) got the better of Pakenham Upper Toomuc (5/187) at Toomuc Reserve.
F GRADE
The battle of Clyde lived up to expectations on Saturday, with the Gold team defeating the Green team in a run-scoring fest.
The Green side were sent in, and didn’t do much wrong, with a fine century from opener Jesse Pulkka (114 not out) guiding his team to 7/206.
But Gold skipper Shane Jack had other ideas, belting 117 from the top as his team raced down the runs in just 34 overs. Noel O’Brien also contributed strong, crunching an unbeaten 52.
Devon Meadows White was in vintage form against Lang Lang.
The Panthers were fluent after being sent in, racking up 4/208, with David Carson (53) and Pete O’Brien (52) both registering half-centuries.
The Swamp Tigers battled valiantly, but the class of Neil Baker (4/32) was the difference as the visitors were restricted to 9/114.
But the Devon Meadows Red side went down to Cardinia at Lakeside.
Setting 137 for victory, the Bulls got the job done with two overs to spare, with opener Andrew Ciantar (70 not out) the star of the show.
In the other games, Kooweerup (3/100) defeated Upper Beaconsfield (8/99) at O’Neil Road, while Emerald (4/151) got the better of Cranbourne Meadows (6/148).
Pakenham Upper Toomuc had the bye, while Carlisle Park Vikings defeated Pakenham via forfeit.
