Glen Alvie hold on to grand final opportunity

A Grade, Division 2

GLEN Alvie is set to face Koonwarra L/RSL in the grand final next weekend.

Glen Alvie played its semi-final against Nyora and defended its total in a nailbiter.

Playing at the Korumburra Recreation Reserve, Glen Alvie won the toss and chose to bat.

Glen Alvie ran into trouble early when opening batsman Matthew Donohue was dismissed for a duck.

However, the partnership of Scott Peatling and Matthew Dakin had Glen Alvie back on the right track, making 57 and 26 runs respectively.

Captain Stephen Kennedy later added 32 runs to the tally, and vice captain Nathan Findlay rounded out the innings with 51 not out.

Bowler Aaron Kaddatz led the onslaught from Nyora, taking an impressive 6/63 in an attempt to slow Glen Alvie’s run.

Aidan Simmons claimed 2/43.

Glen Alvie finished off its innings with 10/237.

Nyora had a goal in its sights but would ultimately just miss out on the grand final ticket.

Captain Henry Dolphin led his team into battle, opening the batting and making a handy 53 runs.

This would turn out to be Nyora’s top score, with Gavin Hackett and Aaron Thompson contributing 43 and 30 runs respectively.

Findlay matched the efforts of Kaddatz, also claiming 6/63 and putting the pressure on Nyora.

Vice captain Ben McRae also had a hand in stopping Nyora’s grand final campaign, taking 3/77.
Nyora was bowled out 10/277.

Cougars fight for grand final spot 
THE batsmen felt the pressure on both sides, but ultimately Koonwarra L/RSL earned its spot in the grand final over Foster.

The Cougars won the toss and went into bat first.

However, they were quickly rattled by a troubling start, as the first three batsmen were dismissed for ducks. 

These wickets fell to Jack Weston and Jack Gay.

James Rushton, coming in at number five, hit a handy 42 runs to put the game back into the Cougars’ favour.

Kayden Scrimshaw later added 15 runs.

Gay didn’t make the job easy for the Cougars, claiming 6/40 with Weston taking 3/19.

The Cougars bowed out of the innings with a total of 10/93 and had a huge challenge ahead to defend the score.

Bowler Jason Kennedy managed to keep Foster out of the competition, claiming 6/11.

Jake Best top scored for Foster with 23 runs, with Mitchell Jones adding 14.

Joshua Thomas was the other multiple wicket taker for the Cougars.

Koonwarra L/RSL managed to do its job well, holding Foster to a losing score of 10/57.

Koonwarra L/RSL went in for a second innings, and Gay continued his fine form, dismissing two batsman LBW for golden ducks.

However, the Cougars showed why they deserved the grand final spot with Callum Buckland and Kennedy making 57 and 53 runs respectively.

Kennedy was not out at stumps.

Gay claimed 4/37 and Weston took 2/77.

Koonwarra L/RSL finished off its second innings with a score of 7/176.

Mock masterclass puts Island into grand final

A Grade, Division 1

THE top two teams in A Grade Division 1, Phillip Island and Wonthaggi Club, have both won their way through to the grand final in the Leongatha and District Cricket Association next weekend with two contrasting performances in the semi-finals.

While Phillip Island made the debacle of the week before against Leongatha Imperials seem like a distant memory, with a powerful batting display against OMK, led by captain Daniel Mock with 185, Wonthaggi Club came on strong against Leongatha Town with the ball.

Winning the toss and electing to bat, Club started exactly how you’d want to in a do-or-die semi, with Mitch Thomas 25 and Emmet Dempsey 75 putting on 92 for the first wicket, although it must be said that Town reportedly dropped Dempsey early in his innings.

Thereafter, however, Club lost 4/32 as the Leongatha Town bowlers started to get on top with the wickets shared around between Abeysinghe, Ratnaike and Rajapakshage.

It was only a series of battling efforts after that, by the lower order, that got Club through to a defendable total of 217 after 81 overs; Alex Geyer 14, Lochie McLean 20, James Sheerin 33 and Mark McCall 13 not out making valuable contributions.

While he didn’t add a lot to the score, the innings of Stewart Beaumont, holding up an end for 73 balls when the going got tough was important and his dismissal, ‘caught’ off the flap of the pad, looked to be a crucial moment.

But it wasn’t to be. Club’s bowlers put Leongatha Town on the backfoot on Saturday afternoon, through a tricky nine-over spell in which both Joel Brann and James Sheerin took wickets, to reduce

Town to 2/21 and they never recovered, losing early wickets on Sunday morning, and lasting just 38 overs before being all out for 75 in an insipid response from their batsmen.

At Scorpion Park in Leongatha, Phillip Island barely gave OMK a look in as they put up 6/356 off their 90 overs, led in mercurial style by their captain Daniel Mock.

Wily veteran Peter Dell gave OMK the perfect start when he clean bowled the century maker of the previous week, Brodie Johnston for a five-ball duck.

But with Lachie Cleeland 50 and Daniel Mock settling things down with a partnership of 86, Phillip Island never looked back, with each batsman that came and went providing good support for Mock who looked on for a big one.

He started patiently enough and then quickened the pace as he passed three figures in the middle of the afternoon, before putting his foot down when he reached 150 and looking on 
target for the rarest of feats in an LDCA semi-final, a double ton.
With four overs to go and Tom Niven providing plenty of stability at the other end, Mock hit out with fours to all parts of the ground and some towering sixes as he reached 185, still with plenty of deliveries to get the final 15.
But it wasn’t to be with OMK’s Jake Cochrane producing a false shot and Koby Brann juggling a chance on the boundary at long off.
There were no celebrations from the bowling side, however, as Mock made his way off the ground and several OMK players got across to congratulate the opposition captain on a superb knock.
“I didn’t set myself any goals other than being there until we got to 100. It was probably fairly slow going early but I was feeling pretty good and seeing it well,” said Mock afterwards.
“They probably left their field up for longer than I thought they would, once I got going, and that probably helped me a bit.
“But pretty satisfying, yeah.”
Mock’s 185 came off 263 deliveries and featured 26 fours and three sixes.
In reply, OMK tried to keep up with the four-runs-an-over run rate but as soon wickets started falling, the chase went out the window. Koby Brann dropped anchor and faced 150 balls for his 69 but it was a bridge too far for the Diggers.