Nerrena in charge against Kilcunda Bass in C1 action

C Grade, Division 1

AFTER morning drizzle gave way to glorious sunshine, the Nerrena bowling attack took control from the start of the game and despite Peter Miller and Daniel Bettles working patiently to build a partnership for Kilcunda Bass, the Red Caps took charge thereafter to win by eight wickets.

Having elected to bat, Kilcunda Bass skipper and opener Joel Huckett fell for a duck and number three Vijai Kumar Gopal managed just a single run.

Just as the Sharks’ fortunes were turning around, the Red Caps struck again when Michael Croatto had Miller caught by Daniel Grigg for a patient 33 off 68 balls.

Croatto then dismissed Bettles for 20 shortly after.

Croatto finished with two wickets, conceding just 13 runs off his seven overs, with Grigg and Raidyn Harrison the early wicket takers who helped set the positive tone for Nerrena, Harrison finishing with 2/17 from six overs and Grigg 1/14 from five overs.

Christos Marinou chimed in with an impressive 3/14 from a couple of balls short of five overs as the Sharks were bowled out for just 101.

Nerrena captain Brian Gannon made sure the small chase was straightforward, the opener finishing unbeaten on 63, with Hunter Bettles the only wicket-taking bowler for 

Kilcunda Bass, managing 1/18 from five overs.

Around the Grounds

Foster

FOSTER’S A Grade side faced a challenging Round 3 fixture, suffering a nine-wicket defeat against Korumburra at the Foster Cricket Ground. After Korumburra won the toss and elected to bowl,

Foster struggled to build momentum, all out for 113 in 39.2 overs.

Unfortunately for Foster, their innings was undone by a middle-order collapse, losing four wickets for just eight runs. Andrew Pattie (23 off 20, 4 fours) and Gurinder Singh (18 off 16, 2 fours and a six) showed intent but were overshadowed by a dominant bowling performance from Korumburra. 

Captain Harry McNeil was the chief wrecker, finishing with outstanding figures of four wickets for just 20 runs off 7.2 overs. He was well supported by Jacob Whiteside (2/13) and Mitch Young (2/19).

The target of 114 proved no challenge for Korumburra’s top order. Opener Rumesh Rangana led a brutal and rapid chase, blasting an unbeaten 74 runs off only 41 balls, a knock that included six sixes. Foster will face MDU this weekend at Meeniyan Rec Reserve.

Glen Alvie

GLEN Alvie’s B Grade secured a comprehensive 64-run victory over Imperials at the Glen Alvie Recreation Reserve. After winning the toss and electing to bat, Glen Alvie set a competitive target, reaching 7/150 from their 40 overs.

The innings was anchored by a solid performance from the top order. Opener Steven Smith played a patient hand, scoring 43 off 82 balls, before Lucas Ton provided crucial late acceleration with 36 runs off 43 deliveries, featuring two sixes and a four. Edward Spiteri-Stevens contributed a steady 24, helping Glen Alvie post a defendable total. 

The Imperials’ chase was quickly dismantled by disciplined bowling. Apart from one determined batsman who scored 30 runs, the lineup struggled to cope with the pressure, collapsing to be all out for 86 in the 35th over. Edward Spiteri-Stevens delivered a match-winning spell, claiming three wickets for just 15 runs. 

Imperials

THE Imperials faced Phillip Island at the Cowes Recreation Reserve in A1 on Saturday.

The away side was sent into bat first and got an early start from Rowen McLennan and captain Jack Ginnane.

Young Klayton McGrath has shown some excellent form early in the season and continued his run after hitting 45 on the weekend. However, three run outs against the Imperials hurt their chance at victory.

Phillip Island came in with a young bowling side and impressed the Imperials with their skills. George McCausland and Thomas Niven took two wickets each.

The Imperials started well with their bowling, led by Lachie Wright and McGrath.

Max Arceo opened for Phillip Island and performed well.

However, it was captain Daniel Mock who ensured Phillip Island took the win.

Mock was unbeatable, making 77 not out before Phillip Island had chased down the Imperials’ score.

The Imperials will once again host its Woolworths Blast program at Leongatha’s East Campus from 4pm on Thursday.

Inverloch

INVERLOCH held its own against Nerrena in Saturday’s A1 match, but ultimately the Red Caps walked away with the points. Nerrena won the toss and chose to bat first.

Inverloch bowled well, with both Lewis Rankin and Ron Abeysinghe taking two wickets each. Brett Poll, making his A Grade debut for Inverloch, was also a wicket-taker.

“The game was a bit of a mixed bag. Our bowling was strong, and we thought we might be in with a chance against a quality side. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make the most of our opportunities with the bat,” captain Dave Newman said. 

Nerrena bowler Jarrod Hoy ran through Inverloch’s batting order, taking five wickets.

Things were looking dire for Inverloch when it was sitting on 9/60, but Ty Debono and Harry Butcher came in at the end and salvaged the score, bringing it up to 105.

Kilcunda-Bass

KILCUNDA-BASS Cricket Club (B2) faced Koonwarra RSL at the Mary MacKillop Ground in Leongatha. After losing the toss, Bass bowled first. Koonwarra started strongly with the bat until James

Papworth (3/26) broke through with a near-unplayable delivery for the first wicket.

Ro Duff was the pick of the bowlers, delivering a masterclass in line and length to finish with 1/10 off 8 overs.

Chasing 162 for victory, Bass started conservatively, seeing off the opening bowlers before the tea break. After the interval, Joel Dickson (47) and Ray Gardiner (18) steadied the innings. Zac Crow (21) played a crucial role in keeping the momentum going, while Jackson Baker (25) and Ro Duff (11) held their nerve to guide Bass to victory, winning by two wickets.

Both A2 and B2 sides have started the season strongly at 2–0. 

Korumburra 

A MIXED week on the field for the Cobras, with A Grade posting a strong win to continue their outstanding start to the season. Our B, C and U17 teams battled hard but couldn’t quite get the results, while our U15 side was unable to complete their match due to wet weather.

It was great to see our first turf wicket of the season prepared, and a big thank you goes out to our turf management team – Evan Allaway, Mitch Young, Jason Richards and Rooster Dunn – for their hard work in producing a fantastic wicket. Also, a special mention to Ray Cruickshank for his terrific work on the mower, with the oval and surrounds looking an absolute treat.

It was fantastic to see a strong local crowd at the ground on Saturday afternoon, enjoying the cricket, sunshine and great community spirit while supporting the town’s cricket club. Your ongoing local support is truly appreciated!

Town

IT WAS a great day out for C Grade, taking the win over Glen Alvie with a strong all-round performance.

Father and son pair Ash and Shem Hickey opened the batting, while another family duo, Marshall and Angus Livingstone, also took to the crease together – a proud moment for both families.

Poly Joseph top-scored with 33, while Ash Hickey added 25 and Angus Livingstone contributed 15, helping Town to a total of 8/140. Young Callum Smith showed maturity beyond his years, digging in for a valuable eight off 30 balls.

With the ball, Ash Hickey tore through Glen Alvie’s top order, finishing with brilliant figures of 4/11 off seven overs.

Angus Livingstone bowled tightly, taking 1/15 off seven, while wickets were also shared among Poly Joseph (1/5), Alyssa Edwards, Cal Smith, and Harvey Aeschlimann (1/6).

It was a fine team effort from start to finish, capped off by some memorable family moments and a well-earned victory for the Scorps.

MDU

MEENIYAN Dumbalk United’s B2 team kicked off the season with a second decisive victory in their second game for the season, defeating Nyora by five wickets at Meeniyan Recreation Reserve.

MDU A Grade captain Mitch McGrath confirmed the result, stating, “Our B grade yesterday had a good win over Nyora, winning by five wickets.”

The win was built on a strong performance with both ball and bat. Nyora was restricted to 9/168 off their 40 overs, thanks primarily to Daniel Feild, who took four wickets for 33 runs off his eight overs.

All-rounder Steve Arnup also contributed significantly by picking up three wickets for 35 runs.

Chasing 169, MDU reached the total quickly, securing the win in just 28.3 overs (5/170). 

The opening pair set the innings up strong with Steve Arnup getting 63 off 65 balls and Tyrone Zukovskis getting 43 off 35,” McGrath stated.

Arnup’s commanding knock included nine boundaries and a six. The team will now carry this momentum into their next fixture. 

Nyora

NYORA fell agonisingly short of victory against Meeniyan Dumbalk United on Saturday, despite a standout all-round performance from Benn Hayes.

After Nyora won the toss and elected to bat at Meeniyan, Hayes anchored the innings with a classy 80 from 101 balls, guiding his side to a competitive 9/168 from 40 overs. Support came from Jordan Knox (18) and Michael Higgins (14), but tight bowling from Daniel Feild (4/33) and Steve Arnup (3/35) kept MDU in control.

“MDU bats were just too good in this match and that was the difference,” Nyora secretary Adam White said. 

Hayes again impressed with the ball, taking 2/18 from six tidy overs, while captain Michael Lynch chipped in with 2/68 and Peiris claimed a wicket with his only over.

Nyora’s Over 50s side also began their season on a high, defeating Traralgon West at home on Sunday.

“Now in our third season of over 50s, we started off with a win.”

OMK
OUTTRIM Moyarra Kongwak (OMK) enjoyed a strong weekend of cricket, with all four sides taking to the field for the first time this season, capped off by a commanding 147-run win over Leongatha Town in B Grade Division 1.

Batting first, OMK compiled an impressive 7/216 from 40 overs, led by an 80-run opening stand between Adam Busana (57 off 40) and Kris Kerr (23 off 47). 

“The main notable highlights was the opening partnership between Busana and Kerr to get us off to a good start. Young Toby Nicholas played a great patient innings in the middle order, and Tom

Eustace did some late hitting to enable our total to reach over 200,” B1 captain Justin Greenwood said. “With the ball, Peter Dell and Toby Nicholas started us off well.”

Dell bowled brilliantly, taking four wickets; the rest of the wickets shared around. 

“A highlight was the one-handed diving catch by Nick Auddino in gully.”

Leongatha Town was bowled out for just 69 in 23.2 overs, with Dell claiming 4/25, Ben Maguire 3/9, and Auddino 2/16 in a dominant bowling display.

“It was a great weekend for cricket,” Greenwood added. 

The club’s Reverse Draw function will be held this weekend, with tickets available from Russ White or on the night.

Phillip Island

PHILLIP Island enjoyed a comfortable win over OMK in C1 on Saturday.

Playing at the Rhyll Cricket Ground, the Sharks won the toss and chose to bat first.

Oliver Hodson and Peter Francis opened and delivered a strong performance.

OMK bowler Steven Loader claimed Francis’ wicket after he had made 31 runs, which allowed Damien Holmes to step up to the crease.

Holmes and Hodson made 54 and 52 runs respectively, 

The Sharks were not done though with Michael Cleary joining Holmes at the crease after the dismissal of Jon Parry at 3/134. Cleary top scored with 57 runs and was also not out at the end of the innings.

OMK started its innings well with 32 runs from Russ White, but Phillip Island bowlers Holmes and Jackson Allan swept away the top of the batting order. Paul Harper contributed 39 not out.

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