Sport
15 February, 2024
Local cricket association returns to Melbourne Country Week for the first time in 16 years
Maryborough’s return to Melbourne Country Week for the first time since 2008 has yielded a successful tournament, with the potential for the Maryborough District Cricket Association (MDCA) to play in the final playoff game today. At the time of...
Maryborough’s return to Melbourne Country Week for the first time since 2008 has yielded a successful tournament, with the potential for the Maryborough District Cricket Association (MDCA) to play in the final playoff game today.
At the time of going to print, the MDCA were completing their final round-robin match against South West, with a victory almost certainly putting them into a playoff for third.
That followed two terrific victories which allowed the MDCA to bounce back from a big round one loss against Ballarat.
Bowling first at the Eastern Oval in Ballarat after winning the toss, the MDCA had a very difficult task in the oppressive heat, with Matt Ward making 63 and Thomas Le Lievre compiling an excellent 116 off 124 balls to help Ballarat sit pretty at 1/182 at one stage.
There was no respite for the MDCA bowlers, with Ballarat captain Heath Pyke going berserk in scoring 75 off just 42 deliveries, as Ballarat were able to make 5/320 off their 50 overs.
Laanecoorie Dunolly’s Sergio Rosier bowled well, taking 3/65 off 10 overs, while Laane teammate Sam Bartlett (1/50 off 10) and Carisbrook’s Ritik Yadav (1/64 off nine) were the other wicket-takers.
Opening with Beaufort’s Jack Smith and Clunes’ Jude McGuire, the MDCA did well to get to 29 before they lost McGuire for six and Smith almost immediately after-wards for 20.
Maryborough captain Mitch McClure and Beaufort’s Lachlan Oddie did steady the ship a little bit, with McClure batting well, while Oddie was particularly aggressive in scoring 27 before he went out.
McClure eventually scored 51 to top-score for the MDCA, while Clunes’ Lachlan Morganti also batted well to make 42, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Ballarat from taking a comfortable 110-run victory.
The second game saw the MDCA head into Melbourne to take on Sunraysia at Greenvale, and Melbourne’s chaotic weather was just the backdrop for a day of drama.
Just 10 balls were bowled after Sunraysia won the toss and sent Maryborough in to bat before play was called off for an hour, with a misbehaving pitch to blame.
The first two deliveries struck Bartlett on the hand after two good-length deliveries were pitched up, before the sealer which stopped play saw a back-of-a-length delivery pitch up enormously to strike Smith in the shoulder.
Play was stopped for an hour and a half, which saw the game reduced to 40 overs apiece.
Upon resumption, the MDCA were under pressure early when Smith was dismissed with the score on five and Bartlett 13 to leave them 2/28, but it was Rosier who helped steady the ship alongside Laane teammate Daniel Romeo.
Romeo was aggressive in making 26 before he was dismissed, leaving the MDCA 3/68, but Rosier soon took charge alongside McClure, with the duo combining for an 87-run partnership.
Rosier was playing some utterly sublime shots at times which left the Sunraysia bowlers speechless, and a ton was in the offering for him before he was eventually caught on 88 off 69 balls.
Morganti helped cement the advantage for the MDCA with a quickfire 34, and would eventually help them score 8/254 off their 40 overs.
However, by the time it was time for Sunraysia’s innings, the wild weather had hit.
Just a couple of overs were bowled before rain forced all players off the ground, but the MDCA were spared a no-result thanks to a large majority of the storm just missing Greenvale.
Still, a revised target of 187 off 24 overs was set, and the MDCA were still required to bowl a good line and length to prevent Sunraysia from getting into the game.
They were successful in their early endeavours, with three wickets for eight runs giving the MDCA the start they needed, with Bartlett, Rosier and Morganti all striking.
Adam Thomson was proving to be a thorn in the MDCA’s side, top-scoring with 47, but at the same time, wickets were falling around him constantly.
Rosier was excellent with the ball, taking 3/20 in what was clearly a best-on-ground performance, while Beaufort’s Joe Kingsbury took 2/36.
With momentum from their first victory of the week, the MDCA ventured to Windy Hill to take on a youthful Kingston Hawthorn team, who stepped up to ensure there would be no bye during Country Week.
Kingston won the toss and elected to send the MDCA in to bat, and runs were proving hard to come by early.
Eventually, Smith and Clunes’ Mitch Coppick were able to perform well to get the score up to 35 before Smith fell for 16 and Coppick 13.
McClure and Oddie, however, were determined to take charge, and they were able to put together a terrific 153-run partnership which turned the course of the game the MDCA’s way.
Their acceleration after the first drinks break in the 17th over was admirable, and scored 147 runs over the next 20 overs.
Oddie launched two enormous sixes in his innings of 81 off 79 deliveries, while McClure scored 48 in a well-timed innings, despite taking longer to settle in.
Following McClure’s departure, however, there was a steady loss of wickets for the MDCA, with Kingston fighting their way back into the game.
The MDCA would eventually lose their final seven wickets for 66 runs as they were bowled out for 256.
Despite that, the MDCA were determined to do well with the ball, and were rewarded with a constant stream of wickets, as well as a crucial reduction in the run-rate which saw Kingston struggle to score more than three an over in their first 20 overs.
By that time, the MDCA had taken four wickets, with Rosier and Morganti striking, and Romeo, who bowled all 10 overs in one spell, performing superbly in taking two wickets.
Shortly after the 20th over, Yadav had a breakthrough, leaving Kingston in desperate trouble at 5/60.
To their credit, the Hawks had a good crack at things, and the youthful Premier Cricket outfit gave it their best shot to chase down the total.
Nic Tindall played very well in making 44, while Charlie Aldridge stole the show late with an unbeaten 103 which was achieved on the last ball of the innings.
While the MDCA were largely comfortable, the Hawks did well to score 6/231 off their 50 overs.
With one round-robin game to go at the time of production, the MDCA sit in fourth position with eight points, with McClure and Oddie equal-leading run scorers with 126 apiece, while Rosier leads all wicket-takers with seven.
