MIXED fortunes abound at the conclusion of Sale-Maffra Cricket Association’s fourth round.
Three teams will be feeling pleased following their emphatic wins, three more licking their wounds and the remaining two wondering what could have been.
Strong winds and intermittent showers proved a hassle for all, which may have explained the underperformance of one or two clubs; others still took the conditions in their stride and managed to build upon their totals from last weekend.
Stratford v Longford
TOP-PLACED Stratford continued with their dominant form, triumphing at home by an innings and 12 runs over Longford.
Proceedings began with the Redbacks’ Lachlan Channing and opener Chris Aurisch opting to continue on with last week’s innings, adding another 61 runs to the scoreboard without losing a wicket.
Aurisch went on to make his first century in seven seasons of SMCA, a knock that included nine fours and three sixes.
The milestone came off 96 balls in the 30th – and subsequently final – over of the innings, when a declaration was made .
His score of 103 was, quite ominously, the same score by which Stratford led the visiting Lizards.
In their second innings, Longford’s openers again failed to fire, Sam Dean departing for three runs and Adam Vogt for two; Jake Wynd was also lost early with one run.
A spirited fightback from Liam Knight and Jordan Price followed, the pair adding 53 runs in their fourth-wicket partnership, ending when Knight was caught on 13.
Price couldn’t find a partner of equal calibre in the overs that followed, with captain Lachlan Floyd, Jack Heywood and Rupinder Sidhu all dismissed cheaply.
Eventually, the determined Price went out too in the 29th over having contributed 62, including eight fours and a six.
Longford were all-out two overs later on 95.
Jack Tatterson was the pick of Stratford’s bowlers on this occasion, taking 3/25 off eleven overs.
Maffra v Collegians
THERE was another decisive win at Cameron Sporting Complex, where Maffra lost on first innings to Collegians.
Adrian Burgiel and Charlie Morrison returned to the crease, the former departing in the second over of the day’s play after adding five to his score; Morrison put on another 12 runs before he was stumped by Nathan Hibbins.
Tim Dessent and Henry Anderson then combined for a quickfire 42-run stand off six overs, ending when Dessent was caught on 40.
It was then Noah Hurley’s turn to support Anderson, their sixth-wicket partnership adding 57 runs until Hibbins garnered his third stumping of the match, Hurley being the victim.
At this point, Hurley’s brother Zac, the captain declared the innings, leaving Anderson not out on a respectable 54 off 40 balls.
Maffra now had 270 to chase down by the evening.
Brad Harrington took to the middle with a new opening partner in Benjamin Sly, a pairing which lasted for just four overs – Harrington the one to fall for two runs.
Then in the ninth over, Noah Hurley tore through the Eagles’ batsmen, picking up three wickets in the space of four balls and sending both wicket-keeper Hibbins and Miller Eastham back to the pavilion for nought.
Affairs settled for the next ten overs until Lee Hopkins was out for 19, leaving the home side at 5/39; Nick Wozniak followed nine overs later for 14.
Danny Butcher and Dylan Freitag gave some hope to Maffra, adding 39 runs through their partnership before they too departed, ironically for the same score of 28.
This left tail-enders Jake Pendrick and Mitch Bennett to salvage the innings, the pair making 38 runs before the latter was caught-and-bowled by Jonty McGuiness.
Andrew McKenzie was the last to fall with a solitary boundary to his name, the Eagles all-out for 142.
Noah Hurley was the standout with the ball, finishing with figures of 5/23.
Collegians remain in second place on the first-grade ladder.
Boisdale-Briagolong v Sale
VICTORY was afforded to Sale after their opponents failed to chase down their first innings total.
The Swans began the day at 4/72, Nathan Massey scoring immediately with a single off Boisdale-Briagolong’s Nick Pang.
Massey (27 runs), Michael O’Brien (16), and Matt Raidal (19) all made respectable contributions to Sale’s total of 125, a collapse of the lower order being their ultimate downfall.
Captain Dean Bolton did much of the heavy lifting for Boisdale-Briagolong, taking six wickets off 23 overs at the expense of 56 runs.
Still, Sale were now ahead of their opponents by 51 runs.
In reply the Saints struggled with the bat, thanks in no small part to Garreth Wolmarans – a new addition to the Swans’ bowling attack.
Wolmarans made his presence felt almost immediately, removing opener Michael Roberts for a duck in the third over of the innings; Stephen Noble followed suit, his wicket coming at the hand of Hayden Glover.
Bolton, Nick Pang, Toby Leeds, Liam Hurst and Jonathon Outhart – who again top-scored for the Saints – also fell to the might of Wolmarans, who finished the day with figures of 6/14 off 18 overs, 10 of them being maidens.
The other wicket-taker for Sale was Tyson Dobson with just two overs bowled, both maidens.
Despite their best efforts, Boisdale-Briagolong ended the day 12 runs shy of matching Sale’s score.
Rosedale-Kilmany v Bundalaguah
THE promised showdown at Rosedale Recreation Reserve never went ahead.
Bundalaguah were to spend last Saturday chasing down Rosedale-Kilmany’s first innings total of 157; instead, the match was abandoned due to “ground conditions” – the previous week’s wet weather obviously having impacted the playing surface.
On a more positive note for Bundy, all-rounder Steve Spoljaric was last week awarded Player of the Week for his bowling efforts on October 22, in which he achieved figures of 6/20 across 23 overs.
