Goannas outdone by ACS

VETERANS

THE Gippsland Goannas Over-70 cricket team travelled to Frankston to take on the Australian Cricket Society Over 70s on Tuesday, December 17.

The game was played on the ‘Trotting Track’ Oval at Jubilee Park, the home of the Frankston District Cricket team.

The oval was in excellent condition and the weather cool with a westerly breeze, the Goannas prepared to bat first.

Ian Gibson and Warren Dummett opened the innings, with Dummett bowled in the fourth over.  

Goannas were 1/4.  

Donald Cameron and Gibson moved the score on, both retiring after 30 balls.  

Gibson for 12 and Cameron for 18.  

Ian Southall and Garry Rose were next, but Southy was caught for three when the score was 43 in the 16th over.  

Bob Duljas made a quick five before being run out and Rose and Phill Higgins took the score to 3/67 at the 20 over drinks break.

Rose (23) and Higgins (29) both retired after 30 balls and Gordon Cowling and Kel Bond came together. 

They were going along nicely when GC strained a hammy and retired hurt.  

Bond was caught for five, and Barrie Nunn for one as the score reached 5/123.  

After strapping the hammy, Cowling returned, with Gibbo acting as his runner, and with Ron Milnes, 22 retired from 30, they took the score to 154.  

Heather Farley joined Cowling for the last over, finishing with 1 and 31 respectively, for the Goannas to post a respectable 157 from their 40 overs.

The Mornington Peninsula/Canterbury Over 70s were hosting the Geelong side on one of the other ovals, so the four teams were together for a big ‘chinwag’ at lunchtime.

The weather stayed pleasant as Southall and Cowling, from a reduced run-up, opened the bowling for the Goannas.  

Southy removed ACS opener, also Ian Gibson, caught behind by Goannas’ Ian Gibson in the first over.  

New batsman Martin was badly run out by his opening partner Breheny in the next over and Breheny was well caught by Kel Bond at mid-on from Cowling’s third over.  

The score was then 3/7.  

After nine overs, Bond and Nunn took over, with Bond having Greg Watsford well caught by Ronny Milnes in over 12. ACS were then 4/20.  

‘Keeper Mick Fogarty was Bond’s next victim, bowled on the first ball of over 20, so drinks were then taken.  

ACS was in big trouble at 5/48.

However, captain Phil O’Meara – who played Sheffield Shield for Western Australia – and Graeme Anderson – who played football for Collingwood, and District Cricket – steadied the ship, with 32 and 37 runs respectively.  

Both retired after facing 35 balls.  

Bond bowled eight overs for 2/27 and Nunn eight overs for 31 runs.  

Dummett took over the wicket-keeping duties as Ian Gibson and Ron Milnes came into the attack.  

After 30 overs, the score had reached 120.

Phill Higgins bowled an over and Kim Boehm made an aggressive 38 from 28 balls.  

Southall and Cowling came back on, but the horse had bolted as ACS passed the Goannas’ score in the 37th over.

Glynis Brown, another former National rep, played out an over from Donald Cameron, Southall’s figures were 1/26 from 7.2 overs, and Cowling took 1/8 from six.

The Goannas next game will be a ‘double-header’, versus the Vic Country veterans, with the Over-60 teams playing on the Toongabbie turf, and Over 70 teams playing on the Village Green at Toongabbie, on the first Sunday in January.  

The Goannas will train at Duncan Cameron in Traralgon on Friday, January 3, and will have dinner with the Vic Country team on one of the weekend nights.

Goannas’ Over 50 team’s next game is on Sunday, January 19.