Red Caps on top

A Grade, Division 1

T20 matches were played on Saturday as Leongatha and District Cricket Association heads into its mid-season break.

Nerrena sits atop of the A1 ladder ahead of the break, now a game clear of its competition after a comfortable win over Phillip Island.

Phillip Island travelled to play the Red Caps in the top of the table clash at the Leongatha Recreation Reserve, where it won the toss and chose to bat.

Nerrena bowler Timothy Wightman controlled the game early as he took out the top of Phillip Island’s batting order. 

Batsmen Brodie Johnston and Lachlan Cleeland opened Phillip Island’s account, but Wightman bowled Johnston for seven runs at 1/11.

Wightman then claimed captain Daniel Mock’s wicket for one run after he was caught by Mitchell Clark. 

Cleeland went on to top score with 24 runs before he was dismissed LBW by Wightman.

At that point, the score was 5/52.

Thirteen runs from Kohen Beaumont and 12 each from Max Royal and Zac Brown gave Phillip Island a small boost.

Brown was not out at the end of the 20 overs.

Wightman ultimately recorded bowling figures of 4/12, while Clark and Jarrod Hoy took out two wickets each.

Phillip Island made 9/95.

Nerrena sent in Jack Curtis and captain Thomas Cameron to open, but Phillip Island was quick to dismiss them.

Brown took a catch to dismiss Curtis for one run off the bowling of Royal, and Jobe Williams claimed Cameron’s wicket for 14 off a catch from Cleeland.

Clark course corrected and made 40 not out.

He was backed by Tadgh Gannon, who was caught by Beaumont off Brown’s bowling for 14 runs. 

Clark and Hoy wrapped up the innings with Hoy making 18 not out.

After playing 19 overs, Nerrena had won with 3/97.

Club crush Koonwarra with Brann’s brilliant 3/7

WONTHAGGI Club also had a decisive victory over Koonwarra L/RSL.

Playing at home, Club won the toss and sent the opposition into bat.

Koonwarra L/RSL struggled to put runs on the board under the pressure of bowlers Fraser West, Heath Dobbie and Mark McCall.

Club captain Joel Brann was the top bowler of the day, taking 3/7.
Koonwarra L/RSL captain James Rushton top scored for the Cougars with 19 runs, while Mitchell Scrimshaw and William Cashin added 11 and 10 runs respectively.

Koonwarra L/RSL was bowled out with 10/74.

Mitch Thomas and Alex Geyer opened the batting for Club.

Thomas made 16 runs before his wicket was claimed by Joshua Thomas.

Brann stepped up to join Geyer but was dismissed by Jason Kennedy for nine runs.

Geyer and Ryan Thomas sealed the victory with 24 and 20 runs respectively, both not out. 

The final score was 2/75 after just 13 overs.

OMK triumphs in thriller

A COMPETITIVE match was played out between OMK and the Imperials at the Outtrim Recreation Reserve.

The Imperials chose to bat first, sending in Nick Eddy and Rowan McLennan.

Travis Pickering bowled Eddy for nine runs, which saw Timothy Sauvarin step up.

Sauvarin kept the Imperials in the hunt with 25 runs before his wicket was also claimed by Pickering at 2/36.

The run average slowed for the Imperials, but vice-captain Lachie Wright brought back a bit of momentum with a top score of 28 runs.

Pickering was OMK’s top bowling, taking 3/19, with Ryan Williams the only other multiple wicket taker.

The Imperials made 8/105 at the end of the 20 overs.

OMK ran into trouble early when it lost opening batsman Williams for a duck off the bowling of Wright.

Wright also dismissed Ethan Lamers for six runs.

However, captain Koby Brann led his team to the win with 36 runs before becoming Wright’s third victim of the day.

Noel Creed added a further 35 runs later in the innings, ensuring a win for OMK.

Wright’s bowling figures were 3/15 and two wickets were taken by Eddy.

OMK’s winning tally was 6/108.

Town storms into break

LEONGATHA Town went into the mid-season break on a high note after a solid win over Korumburra.

Korumburra hosted Town and decided to field first.

This proved to be a beneficial decision for Town, which opened its innings with a strong and consistent batting performance.

The opening partnership of Ron Abeysinghe and captain Jesse Giardina made 21 and 35 runs respectively.

Abeysinghe was bowled by Harry McNeil at 1/50, which led to Madura Madusanka stepping up to the crease.

Madusanka added 33 runs to the tally.

Korumburra picked up the pace and managed to restrain the rest of the batting order, led by Tom Crocker, who claimed 3/16.

Town set the target at 6/154 after its 20 overs.

This proved to be out of Korumburra’s reach.

Andy Millar opened well for the Cobras, making 21 runs, but this turned out to be the top score.

Batting third in the order, captain Ben Spicer made 17 runs and another 10 runs was added by Gayathra Shehan Amarasinghe Mudalige later in the innings.

Madusanka dominated Town’s bowling statistics, taking 4/23.

Buwaneka Wakista and Dulaj Lakshitha Mendis Polwaththa Gallage took two wickets each.

Korumburra surrendered the points to Town with a score of 9/85. 

Play will resume after the Christmas break on January 11.