Inaugural cricket team start with a victory

THE inaugural South Gippsland stand-alone Over 70s cricket team played the Australian Cricket Society team at East Brighton on Sunday, October 5, batting first and scoring 221 runs off 40 overs. 

Openers Warrick Hayes and Rob Francis were both not out, retiring at 34 and 40 respectively. 

The platform thus created enabled the Kookaburras to reach 127 when their first wicked fell. 

Six other batters made healthy scores in the teens or twenties. 

Australian Cricket Society (ACS) replied with 173 after its 40 overs with Pieter Loos (1). Mike Newton (3) and Andrew Smith (2) taking wickets, ably supported by good fielding where two ACS batters were run out. 

Mike received the opposing captain’s award for his good all-around performance. 

Brian Mitchell also had a busy day, batting (18), bowling eight overs for 31 runs, and wicket-keeping for half the ACS’s innings.