Sport
22 February, 2024
Yabbies move to the top thanks to convincing A reserve win
An interesting 11th round of the A reserve competition saw Talbot return to the top, while two of the more unfancied teams took victories over higher ranked opponents. Colts Phelans 6/216 def MKM 100 A 108-run second-wicket partnership was the...
An interesting 11th round of the A reserve competition saw Talbot return to the top, while two of the more unfancied teams took victories over higher ranked opponents.
Colts Phelans 6/216 def MKM 100
A 108-run second-wicket partnership was the catalyst for Colts Phelans taking a comfortable 116-run victory which sees them maintain their chances of finals.
Graham Taylor set the tone with an excellent start, scoring 62, while Daryl Groves continued his terrific form with the bat, scoring 77 and moving up to sixth in the run-scoring charts with his third score of above 40 for the season.
Some good late hitting from Jibb Iglesias, who made 28, helped Colts make 6/216 off their 40 overs.
With the ball, Daniel McGregor was key early, taking two quick wickets, but Jithin Aby Thomas was good with the bat for the Mill, top scoring with 37 to help them recover to 3/61.
But Grant Rogers dismantled the Mill’s middle and bottom order, taking 5/6 off five overs as the Mill lost their last seven wickets for 39 runs as they were all out for 100.
McGregor also took 2/10 off eight to be Colts’ other multiple wicket-taker.
Natte Yallock 98 def Maryborough 80
In a topsy-turvy game, Natte Yallock maintained fourth spot with an 18-run victory over Maryborough.
Despite the relative low-scoring nature of the game, there were a number of standout figures.
Natte Yallock batted first, but it was Brady Templeton’s 49 which anchored the innings as wickets fell around him.
In the early stages, it was hard to get runs, as evidenced by Jason Hunt’s 2/3 off eight overs, which included six maidens.
Hunt’s pressure meant others benefitted, with Daniel Petter taking 4/17 off 7.1 overs, as the Swans were bowled out for 98.
In response, the Owls looked to be cruising along in a relative sense after Zac Mortlock tore through the top order, recovering from 4/29 with Hunt and Troy Bursill combining for a 42-run partnership.
But Hunt’s dismissal for 36 triggered a major collapse, with the Owls losing their final six wickets for nine runs to eventually be bowled out for 80, and miss out on a win by 18 runs.
Mortlock was sensational, taking 5/10 off eight overs, which included six maidens, while Tate Williams (2/23 off 6.2 overs) and Daniel Vadala (2/3 off two overs) also took multiple wickets.
Beaufort 165 def Carisbrook 156
In one of the closest games of the season, Beaufort recovered from a 5/19 start to hold out Carisbrook by just nine runs.
Jarryd Coghlan tore through the top order with three quick wickets, and when the Crows’ leading run-scorer Andrew Grant was run out for a duck, things looked pretty grim.
But it was Kenneth Arch (49) and Blake Jantzen (33) that combined for a 78-run partnership which helped shift the game, and coupled with some further late hitting from Richard Stokes (17), Harrison Jones (14) and David Morse (nine), the Crows made 165 from 37.3 overs.
Coghlan took 3/22 from seven overs, while Richard Ough took 3/18 off four.
In response, Carisbrook had a number of good starts at the top of the order, with Brian Knight (16), Angus Morrison (10) and Simon Morrison (24) giving them a start, but it was Michael Cook who was anchoring the innings, as wickets fell around him.
The Brookers were 6/77 at one stage, but Cook and Coghlan were able to get them back on track with a 67-run partnership.
However, Sam Kaye came into the game and transformed the outlook of the game, getting the wickets of Cook for 44 and Coghlan for 29, and Carisbrook never recovered from there, falling nine runs short.
Kaye took 3/10 off four overs, while Malcolm Woolley took 2/14 off three overs, as the Crows took back-to-back wins.
Talbot 9/171 def Clunes 91
Talbot returned to the top of the table after a dominant victory over Clunes.
It was a real statement of intent from the Yabbies, who cemented themselves as a true premiership threat with the result.
At the top of the order, Ryan Kenden provided some excellent hitting for the Yabbies, scoring 51, and was part of a handy 56-run partnership for the third wicket with Karl Gunther, who scored 27.
Muzakkir Mohiuddin Mohammed provided some good hitting later in the piece to score 28 as the Yabbies made 171 off their 40 overs.
Josh Dunn took 3/32 off six overs, while Paul Coon took 2/30 off six and Josh Thompson 2/42 off eight.
After a good start which saw them score 18 runs for the first wicket, Clunes succumbed to Talbot’s pressure as a constant stream of wickets meant that no Magpie batsman could get their eye in.
Only Thomas Hardy made above 10 runs throughout the Magpies’ innings, scoring 11 as Clunes were knocked over for 91.
Jorde Bux was dominant, taking 4/18, while Jag Searle took 3/29 and Jack Kenden 2/19.
Round 12
Round 12 sees the top four meet the bottom four, with the potential for the top four to be sorted for finals this week.
Top team Talbot hosts Carisbrook at Talbot Recreation Reserve.
The Brookers will no doubt be stung after letting slip a good opportunity to keep their faint finals hopes alive, but will face a tough task against a Yabbies team that has returned to form after missing a large amount of cricket through no fault of their own.
Colts Phelans will need to defeat Clunes to keep their chances alive.
The Magpies will need to bounce back after their struggles with the bat against the Yabbies, while Colts will be looking to continue their good batting form on the Hedges Oval wicket, averaging 203.8 runs there this season.
Natte Yallock can take a step closer to a return to the finals if they can defeat MKM at Ron Sinclair/Mr Mobility Oval.
The Mill will be seeking a win to get off the bottom of the ladder themselves, and will be hoping to use these last few weeks to end their season on a positive note.
Beaufort will be seeking a third win in succession, but face a tough task when they welcome Maryborough to Goldfields Reserve.
The Owls will be hoping to bounce back after their loss to Natte Yallock, and will be hoping to keep their chances of securing a home final alive.