Premier Cricket Wrap
Rockin' the Blues
Monday January 30, 2011
The Demons bounced back with a strong set of performances across all grades on day one of the two-day match against Carlton, who leads the 1st XI ladder. This follows a disappointing weekend last week where, in the round 12 two-day matches against Geelong that concluded on the Saturday, only the 4th XI could muster a win. Of the three teams to compete in the one-day semi-finals on the Sunday, only the 2nd XI advanced to the final to be played this coming Sunday.
For those that didn’t catch up on the details of last weekend’s matches (the writer was also on a week’s leave), it would be an unfair not to acknowledge two outstanding performances in that 4th XI victory against Geelong. Coming to together at a tenuous 3 for 39 in pursuit of 147 for victory, Gihan Wijeratne (102 no off 168 balls, 18 fours and one six) combined with Ashley Farr (108, 138 balls, 20 fours and one six) for a fourth wicket partnership of 184 to put the win beyond doubt. It was Gihan’s first century since joining the Demons this season and Ashley’s first since season 2006/07 and his third overall for the club he joined in 1994/95.
Now back to Saturday’s play. Some may not be aware of Dan ‘Rocker’ Worrall’s liking for belting out the odd rock and roll number however he was calling the tune of a different type as the 1st XI took the field against the Carlton Blues. In 12.3 overs, Dan (pictured) took six wickets for just 16 runs in a fantastic display of fast outswing bowling. Steven Gilmour had removed the first two batsmen and the ladder leaders found themselves a remarkable 9/60. It may have appeared slightly disappointing to see a 10th wicket partnership of 56 push the chase out to 116 however our response of 5/223 by stumps would have made that a distant thought. Rob Cooper (80) continued with his consistent run (three scores of 80 or more in his last four hits) and Alex Keath (79) brought up his third half-century of the season for the Demons.
In the 2nd XI, it was Travis Jackson continuing his rich vein of form. In his last three two-day match innings, he has clocked up three unbeaten centuries. Batting at number six, Travis came to the crease at 4/91. Peter Petricola (62) helped steady things with a 133-run fifth wicket partnership. It was after tea where Travis’ innings really blossomed, making 105 in the final session on his own, to finish unbeaten on 154, facing 203 balls that included 12 fours and three sixes, taking the team total to 9/370 at stumps.
The 3rd XI also had a good day with the bat. Darcy Daly (68) set the scene early. It was the 5th wicket partnership of 152 between top scorer Chris Janik, who ran himself out for 91, and Jon Huddart (63) that set up the 300-run plus tally. A nice little cameo by Sam Harper (30 n.o.) helped us to a final score of 6 for 313.
The 4th XI, batting first on a ‘challenging’ pitch, had six players contribute at least 20 to post a competitive score before a late afternoon declaration. Dion Minato (55) did best and Kane Griffiths (41 n.o.) showed he is no slouch with the bat.
As always, the challenge remains to convert a good start to the game by following it up next week and gain the maximum number of points that we can.
Next Sunday, the 2nd XI plays Footscray-Edgewater in the one-day competition final at the Albert Ground (11.00am start).
Summary Scorecards - Round 13 v Carlton (after Day 1):
1st XI – Carlton 116 (D Worrall 6/16, S Gilmour 2/35) v Melbourne 5/223 (R Cooper 80, AR Keath 79) at Princes Park # 1 Oval.
2nd XI – Melbourne 9/370 (T Jackson 154*, P Petricola 62, WN Ryan 35, J Gillard 35, PJ Smith 31) v Carlton at Albert Ground.
3rd XI – Melbourne 6/313 (C Janik 91, DP Daly 68, J Huddart 63, S Harper 30*, LJ Edwards 29) v Carlton at Princes Park #2 Oval.
4th XI – Melbourne 9/221(dec) (D Minato 55, KJ Griffiths 41*, T Larter 28) v Carlton 0/3 at Fawkner Park.
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Premier Crickety Wrap
Six for "Sulie" and ton for "Jacko"
Monday January 16, 2011
The quest for vital club championship points for two of the leading contenders was evenly poised after the first day’s play against the Cats. Star performers of the round were Ben ‘Sulie’ Davison’s six wickets in the 4th XI and Travis Jackson’s 2nd XI unbeaten century.
Playing at Kardinia Park (West), the 4th XI were tearing through the Geelong line up to have them 6 for 52. ‘Sulieman’ Ben Davison took four of his six for the day in his opening spell and Max Tucker also picked up two to have the Cats in real trouble. The Geelong skipper, batting at no.8, then exploded with 83 off 59 balls before Scott Walker removed him with the score on 145. ‘Sulie’ took over once again, effecting a run out and grabbed two more wickets to end up with the impressive figures of 6/20 off 14 overs; Geelong losing four for two and all out 147. Our run chase was looking shaky at 3/39 but we look forward to skipper Ash Farr (15 n.o.) and Gihan Wijeratne (18 n.o.) bringing the points home.
The 2nd XI also travelled down Geelong Rd and batted through the day. Jim Gillard (41) was solid at the top of the order however it was the middle order that did the damage. Batting at no.6, Travis Jackson joined Peter Petricola (65) with the score on 4 for 89 and combined with him for a steadying 67-run partnership. Ash Middlin (44) and Travis also put on 67 for the 6th wicket. The value of good partnerships was shown with a score of 7/324 at day’s end, Travis finishing unbeaten with a terrific 103 (184 balls, 12 fours).
The 1st XI had an interesting battle in the field. For the most part, they struggled to take ‘consecutive wickets’ and at 4 for 252, the running of the game appeared out of our hands. Justin Graham finally obtained the breakthrough and was justly rewarded for an excellent couple of sessions of off-spin bowling finishing with 4/53 off 23 overs. Nick Quinn also bowled with good energy all day, sending down nearly 29 overs and picked up two late wickets to dismiss the Cats for 309 in the last over. Not having to worry about a declaration or bowling again next week was a highly positive note to finish the day on.
The 3rd XI found themselves batting on a wicket still holding moisture from the week of ordinary weather. We were unable to battle through the early part and found ourselves 7 for 38. Shane Giese was welcomed back into the playing ranks after over a year off rehabilitating his back. He would have been a touch edgy but I’m guessing he didn’t see himself rescuing his team with the bat, making a face saving 51 n.o. to give his team something to bowl at. They have kept the Cats to 40 off 29 overs but unlucky to only take the two Chris Thompson wickets so far.
Summary Scorecards - Round 12 v Geelong (after day one):
1st XI – Geelong 309 (J Graham 4/53, N Quinn 2/96) v Melbourne at Albert Ground.
2nd XI – Melbourne 7/324 (T Jackson 103*, P Petricola 65, A Middlin 44, J Gillard 41) v Geelong at Geelong Cricket Ground.
3rd XI – Melbourne 118 (S Giese 51*, v Geelong 2/40 (C Thompson 2/12) at Fawkner Park.
4th XI – Geelong 147 (B Davison 6/20, MC Tucker 2/36) v Melbourne 3/65 at Kardinia Park West.
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Premier Cricket Wrap
New Year's Demon Day
Wednesday January 11, 2012
The first playing day of the New Year saw the Demons bring up their first Demon Day of the 2011/12 season. The four win’s in the final one-day round of fixtures ensured the 2nd, 3rd and 4th XI’s all kept their spot in the top four of the one-day ladder and earn spots in the semi-finals of the competition. Unfortunately the convincing 1st XI win, even with a bonus point, failed on net run rate to let the 1sts sneak into fourth spot. The consolation is that they retain second spot on the main two-day competition ladder.
The 2nd XI, who finished on top of the one-day ladder, also sit on top of the two-day ladder; the thirds are fifth and the 4th XI have stepped into the top eight and lay in 6th position.
The 1st XI played at Richmond’s new venue at Central Reserve, Waverley (earlier home of Waverley then Hawthorn-‘whoever’ – just depends what year it was!) and their victory was built on a strong bowling performance that reduced the Tigers to 6 for 79 at one point. First change Dan Worrall took three wickets in his 10-over spell and Nick Quinn, who continues to collect wickets, also added three to his season tally (now 20). The bowling effort is not to devalue the excellent knock’s of Michael Hill (74 off 60 balls) and Alex Keath (68 n.o.) that secured a dominant win in the 37th over. It was great to see Michael (pictured) back in action for the Demons albeit still hampered as he recovers from a frustrating ankle injury.
The 2nd XI set up their win with the bat, the best performances coming from Max Tomkinson (86 off 85 balls) and Jack Paynter (96 off 80 balls) who combined for a 4th wicket partnership of 158. After the quicks grabbed a couple of early wickets, Sean Sturrock’s left-arm wrist spin claimed a bag of five to put a seal on a strong team performance.
The Thirds got away to a flier courtesy of Darcy Daly (67) who belted the early bowling. We ended up with a modest 187, the defence of which was in doubt until Blake Pearson’s eight over spell of 4 for 27 put an end to it.
The 4th XI battled with the bat on a very dry wicket but the 167-run target was more than enough when the Tigers were skittled for 91 with wickets shared around.
The four wins mean we move to within one point of Club Championship leaders Carlton. We play third placed Geelong in a two-day matches over the next two Saturdays and take on Carlton the round after that so the next four weeks will have a big bearing on the Club Championship outcome.
The one-day semi-finals are played on Sunday January 22 as follows:
2nds -MELBOURNE V DANDENONG at Albert Ground.
3rds - CAMBERWELL MAGPIES V MELBOURNE at Camberwell Sports Ground.
4ths - FRANKSTON PENINSULA V MELBOURNE at Adrian Butler Oval, Frankston.
Summary Scorecards - Round 11 v Richmond:
1st XI – Richmond 186 (N Quinn 3/24, D Worrall 3/28) defeated by Melbourne 3/187 (MW Hill 74, AR Keath 68*) at Central Reserve #1 Oval.
2nd XI – Melbourne 5/283(cc) (J Paynter 96, M Tomkinson 86, P Petricola 40, Pj Smith 26*) defeated Richmond 173 (S Sturrock 5/40, Pj Smith 2/40, MK Lovell 2/43) at Albert Ground.
3rd XI – Melbourne 8/187(cc) (DP Daly 67, T Jackson 26) defeated Richmond 160 (BR Pearson 4/27, LJ Edwards 2/27) defeated by at Central Reserve #2 Oval.
4th XI – Melbourne 167 (T Larter 40, B Davison 35, A Farr 30) defeated Richmond 91 (B Davison 2/8, KJ Griffiths 2/11, L Gray 2/12, T Larter 2/18) at Fawkner Park.
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Premier Cricket Wrap
Three wins up but firsts go down
Monday December 19, 2011
The Second, Third and Fourth XI’s all brought up wins against the Footscray Edgewater Bulldogs however the First XI were forced to go into the Christmas break with the sour taste of a loss. They can, however, take consolation from heading into the New Year in second place on the ladder and well placed to take a serious tilt at the finals, even though Saturday’s loss looks to have tipped us out of one-day finals action. The Seconds’ win has taken them the top of both the main competition and one-day ladders although the competition in both formats is very tight. The Third XI slipped back into the eight and, if they win the final one-day round straight after the break, should secure a one-day finals berth. The Fourths are sitting ninth on the two-day ladder and also need to win their round 11 match to ensure their place in the one-day semi-final round. In the Club Championship we sit second, 30 points adrift of Carlton.
The Third XI put in the most dominant display on Saturday, at one stage having Footscray Edgewater 8 for 52 before allowing them to eke out to 83. Dean Scheetz (4/20) put in his best performance of the season after a knee injury interrupted his start and Max Tucker (3/18). Blake Pearson (2/6 off 6) also made the most of his opportunity at the creases. It seems Darcy Daly (64 n.o.) wouldn’t have minded a more challenging target which was knocked off in 14.2 overs.
The Fourth XI was strengthened by several players returning throughout the grades; some due to the break in school cricket and others from injury recovery. It was great to see Kane Griffiths back at the bowling crease after a two-year injury break involving ankle surgery, putting in seven tidy overs. Batting first, we put a competitive 7/197 on the board with Tristan Larter (49) and Ben Davison (40) the main scorers. Those two had fine all-round games, Tristan following up with 4/36 and Ben 2 for 1. Logan Gray grabbed a miserly 2/8 off six overs as we dismissed the Bulldogs 32 runs shy.
The Seconds bowled out Footscray Edgewater for 177. Just as it looked like the Bulldogs were getting on top, Sean Sturrock (2/35) grabbed two handy wickets then Justin Graham stepped in and finished with tremendous one-day figures of seven overs, four for 16. We made heavy going of the chase with four batsmen being dismissed in the 20’s and 30’s. A sixth wicket partnership of 56 between top-scorer “LJ” Edwards (37) and Justin Graham appeared to be steering us home however in took the ninth wicket to put on 12 to claim victory.
The First XI seemed like they simply didn’t get enough runs. Simon Dart (54) held the innings together after the top three were dismissed with 95 on the board. Matthew Brown made 48 off 53 balls and Peter Petricola 27 off 28. It might seem harsh to say 222 wasn’t enough however, with a flat wicket and fast outfield conditions providing excellent batting conditions, you sensed if a batsman got set they were going to be difficult to contain. At 2/169, this scenario appeared to be playing out. Credit to a bit of Demon fighting spirit, we pegged the visitors back to 6/201 but couldn’t hold them out and were passed in the last over.
Premier Cricket resumes after the break with the final one-day round on January 7 (another early 10am/11am start) against Richmond, the 2nd & 4th XI’s at home, 1st & 3rd XI’s at the new Tigers home at Central Reserve, Waverley.
The Demons are involved in two ‘other’ matches over the Christmas break, one in the fight for the Bob Lloyd Shield against Kensington (SA) Cricket Club played at the Albert Ground on Tuesday December 27; the other against reciprocal club, the Cricket Club of India at the MCG on Saturday December 31. If you haven’t been directly invited to be involved, you are most welcome to attend these games and any off-field support you can give, particularly for the Kensington match, will be very much appreciated.
Summary Scorecards – Round 10 v Footscray Edgewater:
1st XI – Melbourne 8/222(cc) (S Dart 54, MJ Brown 48, A Kent 38, P Petricola 27) defeated by Footscray Edgewater 7/223 (N Quinn 3/38, S Dart 2/32) at the Albert Ground.
2nd XI - Footscray Edgewater 177 (J Graham 4/16, S Sturrock 2/35) defeated by Melbourne 8/178 (LJ Edwards 37, WN Ryan 33, J Graham 29) at Mervyn G Hughes Oval.
3rd XI – Footscray Edgewater 83 (D Scheetz 4/20, MC Tucker 3/18, BR Pearson 2/6) defeated by Melbourne 2/87 (DP Daly 64*) at Fawkner Park.
4th XI - Melbourne 7/197 (T Larter 49 B Davison 40 M Hill 33) defeated Footscray Edgewater 165 (T Larter 4/36, B Davison 2/1, L Gray 2/8) at Tony Dodemaide Oval.
MCC Club XI Cricket Competition:
Melbourne 9/181(cc) defeated by Old Wesley 4/191 at Wesley College St Kilda Road.
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Premier Cricket Wrap
Mighty effort to overcome slow start put 1st XI into second place
Monday December 12, 2011
It was a Demon weekend that yielded four centuries, two ‘five for’s’, plus a number of other good performances that, in some ways disappointingly, yielded only one win and three draws. The 1st XI was the only victors and, in doing so, retained the Michael Sholly Cup. The 2nd and 3rd XI’s both batted their way into strong positions. The Saturday evening thunderstorms impacted on their time to bowl the opposition out and both fell two wickets short in their efforts to do so. The 4th XI match was delicately poised overnight, if that is not being too kind, but the formation of the Fawkner Park swamp prevented any play from being possible on Sunday.
In warm conditions and on an unresponsive wicket, it seemed like the 1st XI were in for a long weekend when University moved along to 2/197 (one of those two wickets being a run out) just after tea on Saturday. From then on, it was a great lesson on how things can turn around. Nick Quinn put in a mighty spell and not only gained the breakthrough, but followed up with two more to put the Demons back into the match. When stumps were drawn eight overs early due to the late afternoon thunderstorms, University were 8/240. Nick Quinn and Steven Gilmour each took a wicket on the Sunday morning to wrap up the innings; Quinny completing with a five wicket haul and finishing with 5 for 44 off 24 overs (and he effected the run out too!).
Rob Cooper (92) continued his love affair with the University main oval but was unable to repeat his century making achievement of the 2009/10 final; although was a little unlucky to be given out LBW. Coops combined with Andrew Kent (118 n.o.) in a 180-run opening stand to put the 256 run chase beyond doubt. It is obviously compelling, and hopefully not distracting for him, to follow his Andrew’s milestones as he continues his rise up both Melbourne and Premier Cricket’s all-time batting career ranks. It was Andrew’s 16th Premier Cricket century and he now has a career 7,997 runs - still a bit of a way to catch his fellow teammate, Simon Dart, whose career tally of 8,709 has him sitting 13th on the all-time list.
The 2nd XI appeared to have thrown away a handy start to proceedings, largely gained through a half-century by opener Jim Gillard. At 6/170, Jack Paynter (100 n.o. off 161 balls, 10 fours) was joined by acting captain Justin Graham (103 n.o. off 118 balls, 10 fours and two 6’s) for an unbroken 6th wicket stand of184. Both players were stranded in their 90’s when rain forced them from the field eight overs early on Saturday evening. On resuming their innings’ on Sunday, Justin brought up his eighth century for the club. His partner Jack would have surely been a little more nervous, sitting on the cusp of his maiden Demon century, but he did this without any trouble.
Wickets were difficult to come by as Uni made a good fist at chasing the 354-run target. Three wickets fell with the score on 288 but we were unable to get the final two in the three overs remaining.
Travis Jackson (104 n.o.) was the other Demon centurion. Opening the batting for the 3rd XI, he put on 75 with fellow opener Darcy Daly who churned out a quick 61. Later, Dion Minato contributed 64 of a 115-run 4th wicket partnership and Trav was unconquered when the innings was declared closed at 4/280. A wicket the last ball before stumps was the ideal way to finish the day. A wet turf wicket area delayed the start of play on the second day, and with the Students intent on wicket occupation, the match was drawn with Uni eight down.
The 4th XI did well to dismiss Uni for 103, with Matt Hill finishing with the highly impressive figures of 16 overs, eight maidens, taking 5/21. Ben Davison and Logan Gray chipped in with two each. The meager run chase of 103 started horrifically, being 5/19 before ‘steadying’ to be 5/31 at stumps. Unfortunately we have a situation at Fawkner Park where there is a diseased area of the ground that has become compacted and water simply won’t soak or run away after significant rain. The swamp like area of the south-western part of the ground, as well as an area on the turf table itself, had no chance of drying and play was abandoned mid-afternoon.
What is coming up?
- Training this week- players have been advised that there is no training on Tuesday night after Saturday/Sunday cricket last weekend and T20 on this Wednesday evening.
- Twenty20 – Melbourne Demons v Prahran True Blues – Wednesday December 14 starting at 5.15pm. All players are expected to attended and all officials and supporters welcome. Enjoy freshly cooked BBQ delights and cool refreshments at very friendly prices whilst watching all the action.
- Round 10 v Footscray-Edgewater (1st XI at home) – Saturday December 17 – One-day match starting at 10.00am*.
- Christmas Party at the Patricks’ – Sunday December 18 – Back after a couple of year’s spell, the MCC Cricketer’s Christmas Party is back at Selwyn St Canterbury.
Note: Starting Times for Round’s 10 and 11
In anticipation of your support for the Big Bash League and your desire to attend matches, the starting times for the next two rounds of Premier Cricket have been brought forward by an hour so they can be completed by 5.00pm i.e. 10am start for 1st & 2nd XI matches, 11.00am for 3rd/4th XI.
Summary Scorecards – Round 9 v Melbourne University:
1st XI - Melbourne Uni 256 (N Quinn 5/44, S Gilmour 2/67) defeated by Melbourne 3/259 (A Kent 118*, R Cooper 92) at University Main Oval.
2nd XI – Melbourne 6/354 (dec) (J Graham 103*, J Paynter 100*, J Gillard 53, WN Ryan 25, M Begbie 25) drew with Melbourne Uni 8/289 (P Smith 3/90, S Sturrock 2/71) at the Albert Ground.
3rd XI - Melbourne 4/280 (dec) (T Jackson 104*, D Minato 64, DP Daly 61, T Larter 27*) drew with Melbourne Uni 8/187 (T Larter 3/61, DP Daly 2/21) at Crawford Oval.
4th XI - Melbourne Uni 103 (M Hill 5/21, B Davison 2/13, L Gray 2/25) drew with Melbourne 5/31 at Fawkner Park.
MCC Club XI Competition
A gala Twenty20 day at Wesley College Syndal planned for Sunday involving all eleven clubs unfortunately had to be cancelled to the Saturday evening rain.
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Premier Cricket Wrap
Happy Demons as Kent Sails on Towards Big Ship
Tuesday December 6, 2011
Standout performances by Steven ‘Happy’ Gilmour (5/61) and Andrew Kent (102 n.o.) played significant roles in the 1st XI win over Northcote Dragons last weekend. A number of contributions enabled the 2nd XI to have a win. The 3rd XI dominated the first day’s play, and pressed for outright points on day two, but eventually had to settle for a first innings victory. The undermanned 4th XI toiled hard for the whole weekend out at Binnak Park, only to go down by one wicket with three overs of play remaining and foiling a Demon Day opportunity. And the MCC Club XI chalked up a win.
At the Albert Ground, the 1st XI was in the field first and stuck to the task of taking the 10 wickets even though Northcote strung together a number of handy partnerships. Playing his 100th Premier match, ‘Happy’ Gilmour (5/61 off 25 overs inc eight maidens) led the attack and took his first five wicket haul for the Demons. Nick Quinn (3/49 off 25) also made a handy contribution and was one of two bowlers that managed to deflect straight drives onto the stumps to run out two Dragons in quick succession (about the same time one was effected over at the 3rds!).
Facing an attack that seemed intent on defence and run protection, skipper Andrew Kent knuckled down to the task of chasing 235 for victory and, after he and Rob Cooper (42) laid the platform, he took his team all the way to the six points with 102 n.o. off 225 balls in a 320 minute stay.
This season, Andrew has moved into third place in the all-time MCC run-getters list, passing Percy Beames, with 7,879 runs and is now within sight of Warwick ‘The Big Ship” Armstrong’s second place tally of 8,197.
In the Seconds, there were several contributors, the best of those being half centuries to Max Tomkinson (74) and Mitch Chadwick (54). The total of 274 may have been more given the number of ‘starts’ but looked a lot better when we had two scalps before stumps. Wickets were harder to come by on Sunday however Aaron Boyle’s 28 overs of hard work yielded four wickets and with the other four bowlers used chipping in for one or two, we dismissed the Dragons 57 short.
The Thirds, playing at Fawkner Park, took awhile to gain a breakthrough before Sam Brewin threw down the stumps. Max Butler took two wickets straight after but the Dragons dug in and was 5/96 at tea. The visitors seemed to enjoy the afternoon tea spread but that didn’t help their performance as they crashed to 106 all out. Justin Graham helped himself to a handy 4 for 3 off 7.1 overs.
In conditions not easy for scoring, we managed to be 4/83 at stumps. Jon Huddart (76) polished off the remaining runs on the second day as quickly as Northcote knocked over the sandwiches, and we declared with a 44-run lead. To the Dragon’s credit, they came out positively and knocked up 5/205 before declaring and giving us 162 to get off 26. A good start led to a succession of wickets and at 5/59, we were forced to shut up shop and bat out the remaining 12 overs to keep the six first innings points intact; an interesting day where the 365 runs scored made a lie of the less than perfect batting conditions.
The 4th XI was faced by one of those weekends where we had players on Vic.U.17 duty, APS T20 cricket, injuries, etc., and were forced to call on some semi (even fully) retired players. They acquitted themselves terrifically, with David Reid (36) showing good touch and Scott Walker (45 n.o.) top scoring, and managed to bat through the day making 203 on a slow outfield.We battled hard with the ball, keeping them out there for 77.2 overs but were passed an agonisingly nine down after the last wicket put on 13.
In the Club XI, you’ll notice a familiar name in Laurie Heath in the scorecard and he opened with former MCC star Kane Bowden where they polished off the target in the 30th over. To quote a small segment of their match report,
‘A great opening stand from another first gamer Laurie Heath, partnered by Kane Bowden, set us up. Pick of the shots was Lozza's back foot push through cover for 4 runs. Others seemed to like the tap on the lid he received from their opening bowler.’
Summary Scorecards - Round 8 v Northcote:
1st XI – Northcote 235 (S Gilmour 5/61, N Quinn 3/49) defeated by Melbourne 6/242 (A Kent 102*, R Cooper 42) at Albert Ground.
2nd XI – Northcote 217 (AJ Boyle 4/62, J Paynter 2/24, C Janik 2/29) defeated by Melbourne 274 (M Tomkinson 74, M Chadwick 54, LJ Edwards 35, PJ Smith 28, J Gillard 27) at Bill Lawry Oval.
3rd XI – Northcote 106 (J Graham 4/3, MC Tucker 3/23) and 5/205 (dec) (A McCooke 2/38) defeated by Melbourne 6/150(dec) (J Huddart 76, T Larter 32, S Brewin 28) and 5/93 (T Jackson 31*, J Graham 31*) at Fawkner Park.
4th XI – Melbourne 203 (SJ Walker 45*, DJ Reid 36, M Hill 33, TP Hennessy 27) defeated by Northcote 9/207 (SJ Walker 3/41, B Davison 3/55, M Hill 2/28) at Binnak Park.
MCC Club XI Cricket Competition
Old Haileybury 7/155 (40 overs) (Talalla 4/15) defeated by MCC 6/157 (29.5 overs) (Heath 37, Newkirk 36no).
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Premier Cricket Wrap
Weather forecasters the only winners
Monday November 28, 2011
No surprises to report that after the first day’s play (on Saturday November 19) was essentially washed out and all matches were to revert to the one-day format last Saturday, these too were a total washout.
Add to that a washout of the second round of Twenty20 matches yesterday due to the water logged grounds and a potentially busy weekend of cricket ended up good for couch potatoes.
The next two weekends are Saturday/Sunday two-day matches. The first of these is against the Northcote Dragons (1st XI at home).
In between times, the final two rounds of T20 matches are played – 1st XI only – on Wednesday December 7 (away at Fitzroy Doncaster) and Wednesday December 14 (home to Prahran).
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Premier Cricket Wrap
Twin tons topple two blues
Monday November 14, 2011
Brilliant centuries by Robert Cooper and Simon Dart (pictured) propelled the Demon 1st XI to a victory that looked most unlikely early in the day. The 2nd XI looked like they were in a comfortable chase for the most part of the day but ended up in a scrap and managed to get the points eight wickets down. The 3rd and 4th XI’s didn’t fare so well. The Thirds were unable to string partnerships together and fell 38 runs short of the 200 run target. The Fourths battled hard but dropped catches and, with plenty of time on their hands, allowed Prahran to bat their way to a five wicket victory.
At the Albert Ground, Prahran continued on their overnight score of 8/321 and added another 27 runs before declaring, setting the 1st XI 349 off a minimum of 91 overs. At 2/13, this target must appeared, if not unlikely, certainly a long way off. At this point, Simon Dart (106 off 123 balls inc 18 fours) joined Robert Cooper and brought up a sparkling half century before lunch and with the score at 2/86, restored the balance somewhat. The pair continued and to dominate the Prahran attack and added 211 before Simon was dismissed having made his third ton for the Demons and the 17th in his career. ‘Super Dooper’ Robert Cooper (as he was affectionately known by a recent MCC premiership coach!) continued on his way to his 1st XI high score, a fantastic 150 even, batting for 286 mins, facing 223 deliveries, 16 of which were 4’s plus three 6’s). Max Tomkinson and Matt Brown shared 40 and 46-rus partnerships with Coops and Seb Gotch (14 n.o.) and Steven Gilmour (26 n.o.) played sensibly to get the Demons home with four overs up our sleeve. The win takes us into fourth place.
The 2nd XI maintained third place after chasing down their 198-run target. At 1/120 we appeared to be crusing thanks largely to top scorer Jim Gillard. The appeared to change after lunch as the sun created a few ‘plates’ on it and so did the game. Scoring became difficult he lower half of the order only Jack Paynter (29) got going and we fell across the line with two wickets in hand.
The Thirds struggled most of the day. LJ Edwards got 25 at the top of the order but through the middle only Chris Janik (58) threatened. He was well supported by Tristan Larter (29) and at 6/150 were within striking distance. Unfortunately the loss of Chris followed by two more before we were dismissed 38 short.
Defending 186 and with Prahran 4th XI resuming at 0/23, we needed to bowl and field well. The bowling was tight but, to put in mildly, the fielding was sloppy dropping five catches. Prahran’s run rate was well under two an over for most of the day but with wickets in hand and time on their dside, we were passed five down in the 91st over.
The 4ths hang on to fourth place whilst the thirds are just outside the eight.
The MCC Club XI had an exciting match against Old Caulfield Grammar White but suffered a slightly bitter loss, seeming in a winning position but being passed nine down with one ball remaining in their 40-over match.
In Twenty20 action on Sunday, there were mixed results again; the 2nds and 3rds being victorious and the 1sts and 4ths going down. The 1st XI were looking to be in a good position to grab victory required 25 from the last three overs with seven wickets in hand. The T20 game can change complexion quickly and it boiled down to us needing three from the last ball but we were unable to snatch victory. The 3rd XI win was built upon the club’s top scorer and only half-centurion of the day, Mitch Chadwick (76).
The scribe was fortunate to witness one of the more remarkable turnarounds at the 2nd XI match. Ringwood appeared to be in control of the match from the time they got the match underway by batting first. They had a good start and maintaineda healthy run-rate of around 8-an-over going for most of their innings. Darcy Daly and Matt Lovell’s second spell pulled things back a little and the 148 target in good conditions was a reasonable outcome.
The top of our order never got going and with only 37 runs scored off the first 10 overs the result appeared academic. Opportunities were given to a couple of our brighter young prospects. LJ Edwards didn’t need a second invitation to put the talent we’ve seen glimpses of on show. From the first ball he faced, he timed it where others struggled, hitting some lovely square drives on the up that found their way to the boundary and crisp drives down the ground. With the asking rate over 12 an over, winning wasn’t contemplated by most onlookers. A 20-run over by 17 yo LJ (four 4’s and two 2’s) brought that down to 53 off five, still a tall ask. It was disappointing to see Edwards denied his half-century but his 38-ball 49 runs breathed life back into the game. Mat Begbie (19 off 13) played smartly and one quick single that led to two sets of overthrows resulting in six runs kept the momentum going. Chris Janik (18 off 11) combined with Pat Smith (18 off 8) to the stage where we need 12 off the last over. Patty wound up and cracked the leggie into the new $25,000 electronic scoreboard for six that ‘went off’ like getting a free game at pinball (remember those days!!). Still needing one to tie and two to win, the last ball was cracked to wide mid-on for a comfortable two and a win that I defy anyone would have tipped half an hour earlier – probably sums up my Spring Carnival!
Summary scorecards – Round 6 v Prahran:
1st XI – Prahran 8/348(dec) (S Sturrock 4/109) defeated by Melbourne 6/351 (R Cooper 150, S Dart 106, S Gilmour 26*, MJ Brown 25) at Albert Ground.
2nd XI – Prahran 197 (WN Ryan 5/54, J Paynter 2/20) defeated by Melbourne 8/199 (J Gillard 55, P Petricola 37, J Paynter 29) at Toorak Park.
3rd XI – Prahran 9/199(dec) (J Graham 4/23, MC Tucker 3/24, C Janik 2/22) defeated Melbourne 161 (C Janik 58, T Larter 29, LJ Edwards 25) at Fawkner Park.
4th XI – Melbourne 183 (M Hill 61, R Adams 35, D Minato 29) defeated by Prahran 5/184 at Como Park.
MCC Club XI cricket competition - Melbourne 7/165(cc) lost to Old Caulfield Grammar Blue 9/166 at Glen Huntly Park.
Summary scorecards – Twenty20 Round 1 v Ringwood:
1st XI - Ringwood 7/119(cc) (N Quinn 3/15, S Gilmour 2/23) defeated Melbourne 6/117(cc) (R Cooper 41, AR Keath 30) at Russell Lucas Oval.
2nd XI – Ringwood 6/147(cc) (MK Lovell 2/29) defeated by Melbourne 6/148 (LJ Edwards 49) at Albert Ground.
3rd Xl – Melbourne 3/154(cc) (M Chadwick 76, J Huddart 30, B Huf 28*) defeated Ringwood 9/127(cc) (Z Merrett 2/21, XJ Frawley 2/21, J Graham 2/24) at Russell Lucas Oval.
4th Xl – Ringwood 4/155(cc) (SJ Walker 2/26) defeated Melbourne 6/144(cc) (A Farr 38, D Minato 33) at Albert Ground.
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Premier Cricket Wrap
Demons with some work to do
Monday November 7, 2011
After the first day of the opening two-day round of the season, the Demons will have to play well next week if they are to gain the points in all grades. The 2nd XI appear best placed where we congratulate Will Ryan on taking his first ‘five for’ for the Demons. Will’s left arm-orthodox spinners helped dismiss the Prahran Two Blues for 197. Will was also not out at the crease at the close of play with his team 0/23 in reply.
The 1st XI met a stubborn Prahran and fought back after having 1/155 on the board against them. Four wickets to Sean Sturrock (pictured) helped peg back the Two Blues to 8/276 but we were unable to claim the last two wickets and must do so early next week with a minimum target of 321 already set.
The Thirds toiled hard for 80 overs to have the Two Blues 9/199 at stumps. Max Tucker (3/24 off 13 overs) and Justin Graham (4/23 off 15 overs) were the stand out bowlers and Chris Janik (2/22) also had tidy figures.
The 4th XI got off to a shaky start but recovered to make 183, Matt Hill top scoring with 61 and Ross Adams contributing a handy 35. They will be looking to make early inroads next week with Prahran having already knocked off 26 without loss.
On Sunday, the previously cancelled Twenty20 Round one matches against Ringwood will be played – 1st & 3rd XI’s at Jubilee Park, Ringwood and 2nd & 4th XI’s at the Albert. All matches are played on the main grounds, the 3rds & 4ths starting at 11.00am and the 1st & 2nd XI’s at 2.30pm.
Summary scorecards – Round 6 v Prahran:
1st XI - Prahran 8/321 (S Sturrock 4/109) v Melbourne at Albert Ground.
2nd XI – Prahran 197 (WN Ryan 5/54, J Paynter 2/20) v Melbourne 0/23 at Toorak Park.
3rd XI – Prahran 9/199 (J Graham 4/23, MC Tucker 3/24, C Janik 2/22) v Melbourne at Fawkner Park.
4th XI – Melbourne 183 (M Hill 61, R Adams 35, D Minato 29) v Prahran 0/26 at Como Park.
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Premier Cricket Wrap
Dan's heroics get demons home
Wednesday November 1, 2011
Dan ‘Frankie’ Worrall could hardly have picked a better time to hit his first six his cricketing life (bar the backyard I expect). Playing in the country round against St Kilda at Moama, the 1st XI seemingly had the run chase well under control for most of the innings. However, when it came down to six to win with two balls remaining and Frankie on strike having just come to the crease, the few of us that were fortunate to be there were wondering where the winning runs might come from. A slice over cover, or a fortunate inside edge past the keeper and short fine leg???? Well you would have thought Frankie had played this shot a thousand times. Firstly a move onto the front foot (towards mid-on), a slight rocking back of his body weight, then a full swing of the bat that’s middle connected with the ball and sent it sailing a good distance over the stretched arms of the deep mid-wicket fieldsman for six! Game over!
The 2nd XI were involved in a similar match but successfully defended the Saints late charge for victory. The Friday night weather was a bit much for Fawkner Park and the Ross Gregory oval to withstand and the 3rd and 4th XI’s were washed out.
Back to Moama. St Kilda batted first in reasonable conditions given how early in the season it is. Steven ‘Happy’ Gilmour would have been disappointed by an early chance that went down but followed up by bowling him the next over. Good bowling by Happy and Nick Quinn had the Saints 3/26 and on the defensive for most of the innings. Dan Worrall’s 10 overs for 15 runs were outstanding and ensured the brakes were kept on. To St Kilda’s credit they hung in there and posted a competitive 5/182 from the allotted 50 overs.
The Demons made a cautious start but keeping wickets intact was the priority until Cooper was first to fall with the score on 43. Andrew Kent (46) batted determinedly but it was difficult to be overly aggressive without taking risk. Alex Keath (56) also put a high price on his wicket and was still there at 6/173 when it looked like the hard work had been done. His departure led to another and, from needing 12 off 16 balls, the situation deteriorated to where we needed 9 off the last over.
A couple of singles off the first two balls before first-gamer Matt Crouch lost his wicket trying to be creative. Sean Sturrock got off the mark to leave Frankie on strike. The rest is history!
There were a couple of significant milestones in this game, first of all, the debut by 16 year-old Matthew Crouch (pictured with Simon dart (left) and Dan Worrall (middle) )who had a credible game behind the stumps. Congratulations Matthew and we wish you all the best for a long and successful career at Melbourne).
At the other end of the scale, Simon Dart played his 250th Premier match. As we know, Simon started his career at the Demons before spending 10 seasons at Hawthorn-Monash University. He returned to Melbourne in 2009/10 being a key player in the 1st XI premiership season. Simon is 13th on the Premier Cricket all-time run scoring list with 8,570 at 44.17.
The 2nd XI, batting first, was forced to work hard for their runs in excellent conditions at the Albert Ground. Matt Brown (56) top scored and an enterprising 33 off 36 balls by Sam Brewin late in the innings helped the score past 200. Our bowlers made reasonable inroads into the top order 3/53 but the Saints steadied and they were able to keep wickets in hand as they neared our target. Playing his first 2nd XI game for the Demons, Matt Lovell sent down his 10 overs for 25. Chris Thompson and Aaron Boyle tightened things up in their second spells and edged St Kilda’s required run rate out. With five wickets in hand, the Saints needed 23 off three overs, then 18 off two and 12 off the last. It got down to six off three balls but we held on with two runs up our sleeve.
After the opening block of five one-day games, the 1st XI have climbed back to 7th after losing the first two and the 2nds are 3rd. having been washed out twice, the 3rds slipped to seventh and the 4ths are 3rd.
Two-day matches commence this weekend and we play Prahran over the next two Saturdays (1st XI at home).
Summary scorecards - Round 5 v St Kilda:
1st XI - St Kilda 5/182(cc) (S Gilmour 3/26) defeated by Melbourne 8/183 (A Keath 56, A Kent 46) at Moama.
2nd XI – Melbourne 8/205 (M Brown 56, M Begbie 35, S Brewin 33*, P Petricola 25) defeated St Kilda 6/203(cc) at Albert Ground.
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Premier Cricket Wrap
Fourth keep perfect record in tact and Firsts back on track
Monday October 24, 2011
There were a couple of positive results out of a Saturday that was potentially going to be ruined by poor weather. The 1st XI had a convincing victory that put them back in the top half of the ladder (eighth); the 4th XI continued their unbeaten run. However, the 2nd XI incurred its first loss of the season and the 3rd XI were washed out without a ball being bowled.
Despite Friday’s rain and the Saturday morning drizzle, the 1st XI game at the Albert Ground started on time (Albert Ground curator Scott West is to be congratulated) and, in winning the toss, we asked the Hawks to bat first. Play was suspended during the 3rd over when the rain got ‘serious’ for an hour or so and the match was reduced to 30 overs a side when it did resume. The Demons bowled well and the Hawthorn innings never gained any momentum. The Demons had the services of state players Andrew McDonald (3/23) and Brad Hodge (47) who were the major contributors with ball and bat. The Hawks’ 9/102 off 30 overs was never going to be enough and, although we got them inside 17 overs, we might have been a tad disappointed to lose five wickets in retaining the Bruce Church Perpetual Trophy. It was great to see Bruce in attendance (pictured handing over the trophy to skipper Andrew Kent).
The Seconds also played a reduced match (35 overs) and Jim Gillard (44) made a solid contribution at the top of the order. We reached 2/90 but then collapsed to 8/107 before finishing with 127. Buoyed by clearing the ropes towards the end of the innings, Aaron Boyle grabbed three early wickets to have HMU 3/16 but there was little joy for the rest of the day as we were beaten by 6 wickets.
The 4th XI prevailed in an exciting finish of their 26-over a side match. Scoring wasn’t easy (so I’m told). Alistair McCooke (46) almost batted through the innings and the 55-run second wicket partnership he shared with Dion Minato (27) helped the team set a 110 run target. Logan Gray (3/17) and Julian Beard (3/28) made significant contributions with the ball but with seven runs to win with two overs to go and the opposition skipper set at the crease the game swung in the home team’s balance. ‘X’ Frawley bowled a terrific second last over and when the ball was thrown to Ben Davison, Hawthorn, who was nine down, needed four runs for victory. Two comfortable singles off the first two balls meant we were looking for a minor miracle. Pressure is a funny thing though. The Hawks no.11 played and missed at the next delivery and decided to do an ‘Alan Donald’ and took off, presumably to ‘pinch’ a bye. Only problem was that Demon keeper Matt Mitchell had taken the ball cleanly and ran up to the stumps and took the bails off with the batsman failing to regain his ground after being sent back.!
Yesterday, the MCC Club XI lost a hard fought battle against Old Xaverians by 14 runs.
Next week, our 1st XI travel to Moama to play St Kilda in the final of this season opening block of five one-day matches. The 2nd XI play at the Albert and the 3rd XI (Ross Gregory) and 4th XI (Fawkner Park) play at their usual venues.
Assuming next week’s matches are not washed out, the reserve day, Sunday November 13, will see the T20 Round 1 matches against Ringwood, washed out on October 2, played.
Summary scorecards - Round 4 v Hawthorn-Monash Uni:
1st XI - Hawthorn-Mon Uni 9/102(cc) (A McDonald 3/23) defeated by Melbourne 5/103 (B Hodge 47) at Albert Ground.
2nd XI - Melbourne 8 /127(cc) (J Gillard 44) defeated by Hawthorn-Mon Uni 4/128 (AJ Boyle 3/10) at Monash University #1 Oval.
3rd XI – Melbourne drew Hawthorn-Mon Uni at Fawkner Park.
4th XI - Melbourne 4/110 (cc) (A McCooke 46, D Minato 27) defeated Hawthorn-Mon Uni 108 (L Gray 3/17, J Beard 3/28) at Monash Uni #2 Oval.
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Premier Cricket Wrap
Ones off the mark
Monday October 17, 2011
There were several outstanding individual performances over the course of the weekend’s two rounds of one-day matches. Seb Gotch, in just his fourth 1st XI appearance, demonstrated the talent we all see in him by scoring his maiden Demon century and provided the backbone for a winning score. In the 4th XI, Liam ‘Sparkles’ McCarthy (yes, son of Flash) had a ‘day out’ and took a career best 6/42 to set up the 4th XI win and protect their unbeaten start to the season. On Saturday at the Albert, the 2nd XI appeared to be a little light on when scoring only 211 in near perfect batting conditions but all fears were set aside as Chris Thompson ploughed through the Lions line-up taking 6/24.
On Saturday the Demons took on Fitzroy Doncaster had three wins in the seconds, thirds and fourths and whilst the firsts fought it out until the last over, they were unable to make it a Demon day for the second week in a row. Batting first, we simply didn’t have enough contributors with the bat apart from Simon Dart’s 73 n.o. (100 balls) and a hand latter order contribution from Steven Gilmour (21 off 28 balls). The Lion’s got to 2/109 before we kept ourselves in the game by taking a few wickets; two by Nick Quinn and three by Dan Worrall. Rain set in for a period and reduced the match to 43 overs and a ‘moving’ Duckworth Lewis target that was eventually run down by Fitzroy Doncaster with three balls to spare.
The 2nd XI, batting first, lost wickets more regularly than you’d like before Mat Begbie (57) and Matthew Crouch (35) settled in with 74-run 5th wicket partnership. Justin Graham (18 n.o.) and Jack Paynter (21 n.o.) added 46 at a run a ball at the end to give the scorecard some respectability. Little did we know that Thommo was about to let loose and with Jack Paynter grapping three, the innings was wrapped up inside 21 overs.
The 3rds looked like they were in for an early afternoon once again after bowling the Lions out for 88. Steve Van Riet had the very tidy figures of 3 for off 7 and who knows how many wickets Blake Pearson (2 for 1 off 1.3 overs) might have taken over the last two weeks if he could get to bowl more than an over or two. The modest chase was less impressive, losing six wickets after LJ Edwards and Jon Huddart's 55-run second wicket partnership.
The Fourths were very mean in terms of what they let the Lions score off the bat boosted their challenge by contributing 32 sundries (29 wides). Pat Walker (4/26) was the pick of the bowlers. At 3/49, the game was by no means over however Matt Hill (51 inc four 4’s, two 6’s and 2/8) completed an excellent all round day and captain Ash Farr (35 n.o.) also saw his team over the line.
On Sunday, the 1st XI welcomed stars Brad Hodge and Andrew McDonald back into the line up. However it was 18 y.o. Seb Gotch who grabbed his opportunity at the top of the order. Remarkably (if you’ve seen the shots he can play) he hit only three 4’s and a six from the 148 balls he faced to score 120. After a couple of low scores, I’m sure Seb was feeling the weight of expectation (his as much as anyone else’s) so it was a fantastic effort to convert this ‘start’ into a big score. Hodgey (35) helped set things up with up a handy 85-run opening partnership. Andrew Kent (48) just fell sort of a half century and Andrew McDonald displayed great power and timing with 44 off 21 balls that included two 4’s and three 6’s. The final tally of 7/281 was well beyond North’s reach with spinners Will Ryan and Sean Sturrock each taking two wickets.
The 2nd XI looked very shaky at 3/8 however Max Tomkinson (86 off 110 balls, 12 4’s), back in the 2’s after making way for Hodge and McDonald, teamed up with Mat Begbie (95 off 117 balls, six 4’s), in a 166-run fourth wicket partnership. Justin Graham (4/43) and Chris Janik (3/31) held the kangaroo run chase at bay.
The 3rd XI, so dominant in their first two matches, had a reality check. A 177 run chase would have seemed well within their reach however, after getting to 2/80, the loss of top scorer LJ Edwards (run out for 40), triggered a regular loss of wickets and we fell 25 runs short.
The 4th XI held there good form and bowled out North in final (45th) over for 147 thanks to a terrific display of medium pace bowling from Liam McCarthy (6.42 off 8.1). The batsmen honoured his efforts by getting the target four down with opener Alistair McCooke (26), Dion Minato (49), Matt Hill (32) and Eddie Extras (27) providing the bulk of the score.
The MCC Club XI had its first match on the weekend going down to Old Geelong CC (scores below). You will now be able to find the scores from all MCC Club XI competition matches on My Cricket from Monday mornings.
One-day action continues in round four played next Saturday against Hawthorn-Monash University where the 1st XI will be defending the Bruce Church Perpetual trophy at the Albert Ground.
Country Round
This year’s country round will be played on Saturday October 29. A change from the traditional new year date is due to the Melbourne Stars v Renegades Big Bash League derby being played on Saturday January 7. A couple of date options were considered but choices were limited by where the one-day rounds sat in the fixture.
St Kilda Cricket Club will be hosting the MCC at Moama Recreation Reserve.
Summary scorecards – Round 2 v Fitzroy Doncaster:
1st XI - Melbourne 7/170(cc) (S Dart 73*) defeated by Fitzroy Doncaster 8/157 under Duckworth Lewis - reduced to 43 overs (D Worrall 3/41, N Quinn 2/31) at Schramms Reserve #1.
2nd XI – Melbourne 6/211 (M Begbie 57, M Crouch 35) defeated Fitzroy Doncaster 56 (C Thompson 6/24, J Paynter 3/15) at Albert Ground.
3rd XI - Fitzroy Doncaster 88 (S Van Riet 3/9, BR Pearson 2/1) defeated by Melbourne 6/89 (J Huddart 26, LJ Edwards 25) at Schramms Reserve #2 Oval.
4th XI – Fitzroy Doncaster 9/129 (PJ Walker 4/26, M Hill 2/8) defeated by Melbourne 3/132 (M Hill 51*, A Farr 35*) at Fawkner Park.
Summary scorecards – Round 3 v North Melbourne:
1st XI – Melbourne 7/281(cc) (S Gotch 120, A Kent 48, A McDonald 44, B Hodge 35) defeated North Melbourne 8/187(cc) (WN Ryan 2/24, S Sturrock 2/33) at Albert Ground.
2nd XI - Melbourne 9/233(cc) (M Begbie 95, M Tomkinson 86) defeated North Melbourne 9/201(cc) (J Graham 4/43, C Janik 3/31) at Harry Trott Oval.
3rd XI – North Melbourne 6/177(cc) defeated Melbourne 152 (LJ Edwards 40, T Jackson 26, B Huf 25) at Fawkner Park.
4th XI - North Melbourne 147 (LB McCarthy 6/42 XJ Frawley 2/20) defeated by Melbourne 4/148 (D Minato 49, M Hill 32*, A McCooke 26) at JJ Holland Park.
MCC Club XI Cricket Competition:
Old Geelong Cricket Club 191 (P Rathod 4/31, P Varney 2/41, K Bowden 1/11) defeated Melbourne 121 (K Bowden 39, C Patten 30, M Newkirk 22) at Geelong Grammar School - Chapel Oval.
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Premier Cricket Wrap
Fourths find X factor
Monday October 10, 2011
It was one of those moments that usually only happens in your dreams. To set the scene – last ball of the day, four to tie, five (or six) to win. You are facing. A ‘length’ ball drifts slightly onto your pads. You swing the bat at it and thump, right out of the middle, it sails over the fence for six and you are mobbed by your teammates. That is what happened to Xavier Frawley at our 4th XI match at Dandenong on the weekend to bring home the points.
The 2nd and 3rd XI had more comfortable victories whilst the 1st XI fell agonisingly short in the club’s quest to register a ‘Demon Day’ in the opening round of the Premier Cricket season.
Taking on the 1st XI reigning Premiers, Dandenong batted first in conditions that can only be described as outstanding given the lead in weather of the past couple of weeks. Nick Quinn gained the first breakthrough in the second over with his first delivery of the season. Debutant Dan Worrall (3/36) claimed his maiden scalp by dismissing the Dandenong captain with the score on 50. Unfortunately there were two more good partnerships and Dandenong opener Brett Forsyth brought up a century, all of which led us to the Panthers post a challenging score of 246.
Seb Gotch started the season in a manner he’d rather forget (sorry Seb, first ball) and the innings progressed steadily but with too regular loss of wickets. The run rate climbed to six an over – not unachievable with Andrew Kent (90) at the crease. Rob Cooper (22) and Max Tomkinson (28) upped the tempo but when Andrew was dismissed with the score on 200, we were running short on wickets and balls remaining. Matthew Brown (28 off 18 balls, three fours and a six) brought us tantalising close to an unlikely win but with his dismissal off the first ball of the last over and still needing eight runs, we were unable to bridge the gap.
Out at Shepley Oval, the 2nd XI, under the guidance of new skipper Ash Middlin, competed really hard and came out on top. All six bowlers did their job. Opening bowler Chris Thompson (2/24 off 10 overs) was the tidiest and Chris Janik (3/21) ‘got the figures’. In the chase, Will Ryan (79 off 123 balls, five 4’s and two 6’s) stepped up to open the batting and was the star of the innings, Keeper/bastman Matthew Crouch (23 n.o.) finished things off for us.
The 3rd XI, playing back at Fawkner Park this year, had the Panthers ‘in all sorts’. Hong Kong CC visitor Max Tucker (4/16) caused havoc and with Steven Van Riet (4/17) also getting two wickets in his first spell, Dandenong were 3 for 8, then 6 for 24. Remarkably, there was a 60-run 7th wicket partnership before Blake Pearson (2/13) broke through then helped clean up the tail. We had one unlucky casualty before Darcy Daly (53 n.o.) and Mitch Chadwick (26 n.o.) chalked up the win in the 18th over.
The 4th XI bowled first and Xavier Frawley started his day in the field well enough capturing 3/20. New Demon Ben Davison grabbed two wickets as did Liam McCarthy but 42 extras boosted the Dandenong target to 175. Alistair McCooke (27) opened up with Scott Walker (22) and set a solid opening foundation of 48. Dion Minato (39) moved things along as did skipper Ash Farr (22). The run rate hovered at that 8 or 9 an over, all helping to set the scene for that last ball off the where ‘Frawls’ helped it into the trees for an unlikely win.
Next weekend there are two one-day games. On Saturday we play Fitzroy-Doncaster (2nds and 4ths at home) and on Sunday we meet North Melbourne (1st XI at home).
Summary scorecards - Round 1 v Dandenong:
1st XI –Dandenong 6/246 (D Worrall 3/36) defeated Melbourne 9/244 (A Kent 90, MJ Brown 28, M Tomkinson 28) at Albert Ground.
2nd XI – Dandenong 9/155 (C Janik 3/21 C Thompson 2/24) defeated by Melbourne 5/159 (WN Ryan 79) at Shepley Oval
3rd XI – Melbourne 1/90 (DP Daly 53*, M Chadwick 26*) defeated Dandenong 89 (MC Tucker 4/16, S Van Riet 4/17, BR Pearson 2/13) at Fawkner Park.
4th XI – Dandenong 175 (XJ Frawley 3/20, LB McCarthy 2/23, B Davison 2/24) defeated by Melbourne 8/177 (D Minato 39, A McCooke 27) at Wilson Oval.
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Premier Cricket Update
Friday September 30, 2011
Please be aware that the Premier Cricket Twenty20 Round 1 matches scheduled for Sunday October 2 have been cancelled due the impact the recent run of bad weather has had on the grounds.