WEST GIPPSLAND WOMBATS OVER-70s
A tied game!
The Veterans Cricket Victoria Over-70s clash between the West Gippsland Wombats and Mornington/Canterbury ended up being a beauty at Jubilee Park in Frankston last week.
The Wombats originally had 27 players to pick a team from but because of injuries, work and family commitments they could only muster 10 players for the game.
Fortunately, Mornington/Canterbury had 14 players available and Ian Sharp volunteered to become a Wombat for a day.
Wombats’ skipper John Moore won the toss and decided to bat first.
The Wombats were still experimenting to find the best pair of openers; in this game they sent Graham Davey and Fred Debono out to the middle.
Again, this did not work as Davey 1 (9) was out in the second over caught by Ian Rowland off the bowling of Charlie Morris with the score on three.
Jeff Phillips then took the record off Barry Cain for the number of balls faced without scoring before retiring…30 balls is now the record.
Fred Debono 16 (30) retired before the Wombats lost their second wicket in the 18th over with the score on 59 when Keith Houghton 6 (20) became Ian Rowland’s second catch, this time off the bowling of Hal Scurrah.
In a man-of-the-match innings, Pieter Loos scored 43 off 22 balls (including six 4’s and two 6’s) before he retired.
Other retirees off 30 balls before the Wombats lost their third wicket were Mike Newton 21, Brendon Thomas 28 and Ian Sharpe 22.
It was in the 38th over, with the score on 163, when Russell Ferguson 21 (23) was caught by Phil Mayne off the bowling of Charlie Morris.
This brought the last pair to the wicket and they added eight runs to take the Wombats total to 3 for 171 off 40 overs.
Jim Armstrong 2 (8) and John Moore7 (5) were both not out.
Mornington/Canterbury bowling: Charlie Morris 8-2/30, Hal Scurrah 5-1/29, Bill Hansen 3.1-0/2 (another injury), Rony Stancombe 6.5-0/31, Michael Boulton 4-0/25, John Kent 5-0/14, Ian Rowland 3-0/15, Vin Booth 3-0/9, Mick Angwin 2-0/16.
Mornington/Canterbury opened with Ian Rowland and Phil Mayne and scored at three runs an over for the first seven overs before Rowland 11 (15) was stumped by Russell Ferguson off the bowling of Graham Davey.
Two overs and six runs later Mayne 11 (27) was LBW to the bowling of Pieter Loos.
Vin Booth had scored seven runs off 16 balls before he snicked a ball from Fred Debono to Russell Ferguson.
Booth walked, even though the umpire and bowler never heard it.
Dick Stumbles faced one ball and retired hurt with a pulled groin muscle in his milestone game.
Mornington presented Stumbles with a 100-games played plaque with Mornington Veterans.
John Kent 19 (30) and Bruce White 19 (32) both retired, and after 20 overs Mornington/Canterbury were 3 for 74 and needing to score 98 runs of the last 20 overs.
Mick Angwin and Charlie Morris, with excellent running between wickets, had a 60-run partnership before they both retired with Angwin on 40 (33) and Morris on 20 (32).
When Tony Stancombe 11 (15) was bowled by Fred Debono, Mornington/Canterbury were 4 for 158 in the 37th over, needing 14 runs to win off 20 balls.
Michael Boulton joined Ralf Catt, and they only scored two runs off the 38th over, but Michael Boulton hit two boundaries in the 39th over and Mornington/Canterbury needed three runs to win off the last; which was bowled by Pieter Loos.
Two runs were scored off the first three balls and the scores were level.
Excellent bowling by Loos prevented any further runs and Mornington/Canterbury finished at 4 for 171 with the not out batsmen Ralf Catts 8 (21) Michael Boulton 9 (8).
Wombats Bowling: Fred Debono 8-2/32, Graham Davey 7-1/25, Pieter Loos 8-1/35, Brendon Thomas 4-0/13, Ian Sharp 6-0/32, Keith Houghton 4-0/14, Mike Newton 3-0/13.
This was an excellent game of cricket that neither side deserved to lose and a tie was a fitting result.
This will be the last over 70’s report from me as I head off to South Africa to participate in the ‘Exotic Cricket Tour’ run by Derek Braidner.
The Wombats will be capably led by Mike Newton and Russell Ferguson for the two final games of the over 70’s season.
PAKENHAM VETERANS OVER-60s
Pakenham scored its second victory of the Veterans Cricket Victoria Over-60s competition on Sunday when the Lions were paid a visit by a visiting Geelong Blue at Toomuc Reserve.
Geelong batted first in steamy conditions in the round-13 fixture and got off to a solid start.
Rob Foster and John Scott opened the batting, with Foster 20 (25) retiring before Geelong lost its first wicket in the 12th over with the score on 50 when Kevin Plumb 13 (24) was bowled by Dallas Wyatt.
The captain Greg Lott 11 (16) then walked after getting a faint edge to Warren Dummett off the bowling of Wyatt.
Geelong was 3 for 73 in the 20th over when Wyatt claimed his third wicket, that of Lindsay Fisher 9 (21) bowled.
Don Everett came out of retirement to play in this game, originally with Pakenham, but Pakenham needed Stephen West as a bowler, so Everett batted for Geelong.
Everett fared without much luck as he was bowled by Phil Brook; fifth ball, without scoring.
Guy Eastwood scored 10 off 17 balls before he was out LBW off Peter Ross’s bowling.
By the 27th over Geelong had reached 96 before they lost two wickets for one run in two overs.
David Jefferson 2 (10) was bowled by Stephen West and Laurie Gay 1 (5) was bowled by Dallas Wyatt.
Geelong was 8 for 107 when John Willians 1 (8) was bowled by Carl Muscat.
Bruce Hogan (16) and Gerry Garner (6) both retired after facing 25 balls, and this brought the retirees back.
Rob Foster scored 40 off 44 balls before he was retired again and John Scott 20 (34) was bowled by Les Jones on the last ball of the 40th over.
Bruce Hogan was 21 (30) not out and Geelong’s score was 9 for 149
Pakenham Bowling: Dallas Wyatt (Man of the Match) 8 overs 3 maidens 4 for 11, Phil Brook 8-1/20, Jim Gregory 8-0/51, Les Jones 8-1/31, Peter Ross 3-1/15, Carl Muscat 3-1/3 and Stephen West 3-/18.
Pakenham opened with Carl Muscat and Phil Brook, who were both dismissed by the eighth over when the score had reached 30.
Muscat 9 (15) was bowled by Guy Eastwood and Brook 14 (24) was brilliantly caught one handed by Eastwood off the bowling of Lindsay Fisher.
A 64-run partnership between Dallas Wyatt 34 (30) and Peter Ross 37 (30) ended when they both retired.
Gerard Healy failed to score off two balls before he was caught and bowled by Kevin Plumb.
Pakenham was now 3 for 94 in the 17th over needing 56 runs off 23 overs.
Les Jones and Warren Dummett were going to get these runs in a hurry, without much running between the wickets, as the both retired.
Jones 25 (20) hit four boundaries and Dummett 22 (17) fared even better with balls sailing to the ropes.
The next pair Stephen West 2 (12) and Gaya Suriarachi 4 (12) took Pakenham to 154 before Suriarachi was caught by Guy Eastwood off the bowling of John Scott on the last ball of the 28th over, when the game was called off.
Geelong Bowling: Linsay Fisher 5-1/13, Guy Eastwood 5-1/25, Kevin Plumb 5-1/45, Greg Lott 5-0/26, David Jefferson 4-0/16, Laurie Gay 3-0/21, John Scott 1-1/4.
Pakenham will front up again this Sunday when it plays Yarra Valley at Pakenham.
-John Moore-
