By David Nagel
B Grade
Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (2) v Tooradin (4)
A season of exceptionally high hopes has ended in extreme disappointment for Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (116) after the Marygoons were unceremoniously dumped out of this year’s B Grade finals series by a fired-up Tooradin (6/117) on Saturday.
The Marygoons lost just two games during the home-and-away season – both to Devon Meadows – but were still expected to be the number-one spoiler to the Panthers title hopes.
But those hopes have disappeared…gone…vanished…after back-to-back finals losses to the Panthers and Seagulls.
There was no sign of the carnage to come after Marygoon’s skipper Abhi Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first on his home deck.
Jaswinder Gill (8) had departed the scene early, but his opening partner Nathan Phillips (35) and number-three Tom Medwin (19) had settled things down nicely and taken the score to 1/56.
And there was certainly no reason to panic when James Markland (11) was trapped in front by Luke Townsend (5/20) to take the score to 3/78.
But what happened next, well it was quite remarkable.
Townsend went on a rampage, claiming a further three wickets in quick succession to decimate the Marygoons title hopes.
A brief interlude from the Seagulls’ leading wicket-taker, Tim Huguenin (3/17), failed to steal the spotlight from Townsend, who removed Sharma to claim his fifth wicket on the second biggest stage of the season.
From 2/78, the Marygoons lost 6/15, with only a late rally from Shamraiz Medhi (16 not out) seeing the Marygoons out of double figures.
Townsend and Huguenin were superb for the Gulls…who still needed to be vigilant to chase down a modest total.
Captain Peter Stone (22) has been the rock for the Seagulls this season, and his opening stand with Cooper Shipp (41) was crucial to the final outcome.
The Gulls got jittery through the middle of their innings, but the buffer built by Stone and Shipp – with a 69-run opening stand – saw the Gulls through to a grand final date with the Panthers.
Nick Mueller was outstanding for the Marygoons, claiming 5/22 to back up his 5/24 against the Panthers last week.
But unfortunately for Mueller, it’s the Gulls who march on in search of a very special premiership from fourth place.
C Grade
Merinda Park (1) v Officer (3)
A defiant half-century from C Grade’s leading run-scorer – Chris Smith (59) – has saved Merinda Park (9/114) from straight-sets elimination after an epic contest against a brave Officer (113) on Saturday.
Smith was the difference between the two sides, with both teams struggling to come to grips with some patient and tidy bowling from their opposing attacks at Donnelly Reserve.
Smith – of the Jamie variety – won the toss for the Cobras and sent the Bullants into bat.
Brenton Huyskens (2/4 off 8 overs) then set the scene by bowling four maidens in a fantastic spell of in-swing bowling, troubling the Bullants’ openers – Steve Pursell (3 off 30 balls) and Chris Byrne (2 off 29) – and completely bogging them down.
Of course Huyskens couldn’t do it all from both ends, and his combination with Brock Jenkins (3/27 off 8) set the Cobras on the path to victory.
Huyskens and Jenkins had the Bullants in all sorts of trouble at 5/42, and with Scott Strang (3/30) also lurking in the winds the Cobras had their heads up and cocked…ready for the fatal strike!
But Taj Beddows (42 not out), Aiden Andrews (16) and Lachlan James (10) had other ideas and dug as deep as they have done all season to give their bowlers a target to defend.
From 8/75, Beddows and James put on 35 for the ninth wicket to change the momentum of the contest.
While 113 runs are modest, it’s a hell of a lot better than trying to defend 85!
Those extra late-order runs would soon prove crucial, with the Bullants bowling attack – in equal doses – serving it up to the Cobras.
Chris Smith and Craig Robertson (8) put on 21 for the first wicket, but when Robertson fell to Beddows (3/31) the complexion of the game changed again.
Beddows struck two more crucial blows, Glen Ward (7) and Marty Donaldson (6), before Chris Smith and Leigh Smith (9) steadied the ship once again.
The Cobras looked home at 4/94, but Bullants’ star James Quinn (3/19) decided to have an impact of his own.
Quinn went bang, bang, removing both Smith’s, and when he claimed the wicket of Huyskens (2) the Cobras were on the brink at 8/104.
Pursell (2/9) then had Bob Wilson (3) stumped by Byrne…the Cobras 9/107 and looking shaky!
It was left to skipper Jamie Smith (4 not out) and Strang (2 not out) to guide their team to a memorable victory with just four balls left in the match.
What an epic contest…the Cobras sneak through and the Bullants season gets squashed!
D Grade
Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (2) v Devon Meadows (3)
An amazing day of preliminary final cricket continued in WGCA D Grade on Saturday with Devon Meadows (9/186) producing a fantastic run-chase against Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (8/185) at Heatherbrae.
The Panthers came in confident, after crushing Cardinia last week, while the Marygoons had to refocus after narrowly missing a grand final berth against Tooradin.
Marygoons captain Ryon Tocknell won the toss, elected to bat first…and it was game on!
The Panthers had the upper hand early, with Dave Fisher (3/30) removing the dangerous pairing of Lakhvir Sekhon (2) and Nadun Alwis (16), while the run out of Alan Downes (3) was an added bonus that saw the Marygoons in trouble at 3/26.
But the Marygoons didn’t finish second for no reason, and Daniel Rodger (78 not out) soon reminded everyone of that fact.
Rodger was outstanding, sharing vital partnerships with Ash Bailey (16), Tocknell (22) and Luke Merrett (14) to bat the Gooners into the box seat.
Fisher was the key to the Panthers batting, and would also prove so with the bat!
Fisher (24) got the ball rolling, dominating a 33-run opening stand with Harry Spierings (23), setting the tempo before being first man to fall at 1/33.
Spierings and Shane Fisher (34) then consolidated before Aaren Corrin (2/29) and Bailey (2/22) struck back, leaving the Panthers in trouble at 5/93.
But skipper Luke Martin (32) has led the way for the Panthers this season and his 49-run stand with Ethan Wood (33) would change the momentum of the contest once again.
But, despite his brave innings, Martin would depart the scene with his side still requiring 44 runs for victory, with four wickets in hand.
Wood, Spencer Churchill (14 not out), Abhi Iyer (5) and Rob Worsteling (4 not out) would then all play crucial roles to get their team home with just three balls to spare.
Corrin and Bailey were terrific for Marygoons, as was their captain Tocknell (3/54), who gave everything he had in a losing cause.
E Grade
Emerald (2) v Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (3)
The task of taking on the all-conquering Pakenham in this week’s E Grade grand final is a daunting one – but Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (0/129) could not possibly be in better form after a crushing preliminary final victory over Emerald (128).
In last week’s semi-final against Clyde (9/99) the Marygoons (1/101) chased things down in style, with Russell Perry (64) and Brandon Interlandi (17 not out) making light work of the run chase.
Well this week, against an Emerald team that has been the second best side all year; the Marygoons did it again…this time in even more impressive fashion!
Perry was unstoppable on the weekend, cracking nine fours and five brutal sixes in a powerful display of batting.
With Interlandi (22 not out) playing the support role, Perry’s innings saw the Marygoons home with nine overs and 10 wickets left in the sheds.
The Marygoons have now lost only one wicket in two finals games.
Whether that’s a benefit or a hindrance against the Lions will only be answered with the benefit of hindsight.
While Perry was the obvious star, there were other shining lights that helped set up the Gooners for victory.
Jarratt Eastburn (3/8 off 8) bowled a superb spell, highlighted by four maidens, while Jake Caisley (2/22) and Callum Eastburn (2/28) were others that kept their foot on the Bombers throats.
Emerald will be bitterly disappointed with this one, being denied the chance to take on the Lions who they thought they matched up pretty well with.
Ryan Burdette (30) was the Bombers best batter, while Karan Nanda (18) and Ross Jackel (14) were the only others to summon up the strength to make it into the teens.
F Grade
Pakenham (1) def Lang Lang (3)
When Lions and Tigers collide you would expect to see an enthralling and exciting contest – but that certainly wasn’t the case as Pakenham (2/56) mauled Lang Lang (54) in the F Grade preliminary final at Toomuc Reserve on Saturday.
The Lions had just one hurdle to overcome, that of Lang Lang (54) skipper Matt Waixel (27), who made 15 runs more than the rest of his team combined.
The Lions also felt considerate – providing 15 extras to a scorecard that was certainly in need of a boost.
With Waixel at the top of the order the Swamp Tigers were 3/45 at one stage, but then lost their last seven wickets for just nine runs to be bundled out for 54.
The Lions ran riot with Gary Sewell (4/8 off 7.5) bowling four maidens on his way to superlative figures, while Mitchell Kezik (3/5 off 5) and Corey Davis (2/9 off 4) also had the ball on a string.
Kezik (2) went early for the Lions, but the experience of Craig Hart (22 not out) and Greg Hogben (21) made sure there would be no nasty surprises around the corner.
The Lions, who finished on top, now head to Gunton Reserve this Saturday to take on Cardinia in the grand final.
