THE breeze was cool and there was a bit of light drizzle as Gippsland Goannas Over 60s welcomed Country Victoria to the Traralgon Recreation Reserve on Sunday.

Victoria Country had many unavailable due to injury, but were able to bring eight players for the game.

Goannas stand-in captain, Ray Floyd, won the toss and decided to bat, opening the innings with Rob Taylor.

Taylor seemed to get most of the strike and quickly retired for 21 from his 30 balls.

Ian Gibson came in and was almost immediately caught behind for a duck!

The score was 1/31 in the ninth over, then Floyd retired for 17 after another couple of overs.

Last week’s debutants, Chris de Vent and Mark Brown came together, with de Vent facing 15 balls for four runs, departing via LBW from the last ball of John Thomas’ spell. The score read 2/49.

Goannas pair Gordon Cowling and Dick Noble had volunteered to play for Vic Country, and they were both bowling at Brown and Bernie Symons as the score reached 59 at the 20-over drinks break.

The ground was in magnificent condition, but the pitch was keeping a little low and a stronger wind made bowling and batting more difficult.

Brown and Symons retired for 14 and 10 respectively, then Neil Meredith skied a delivery from Noble’s bowling, while Rob Bacchetti was dismissed lbw by Cowling, as the score reached 4/84 after 27 overs.

Noble had five overs and took 1/20, and Cowling bowled eight overs for figures of 1/10.

Jim Armstrong made eight runs before being bowled by Trevor Sing.

Derek Morris and Andrew Smith batted well together, and retired for 16 and 26 respectively. Barrie Nunn was five not out and Rob Taylor (21 not out) returned during the last over as the Goannas completed their innings at 5/140 from their 40 overs.

With COVID restrictions eased, the home team supplied afternoon tea, as was the case (seemingly) many years ago!

Symons and Bacchetti opened the bowling for the Goannas, and bowled very well, restricting the scoring to one run an over for the first nine overs.

Bacchetti broke through early, and Taylor and Gibson combined to run out the other opening batsman, to see the score 2/22 after 12 overs.

Garry Rose and Bob Duljas had also volunteered to play with Vic Country, with Rose batting at number four and managing four runs before being caught from Bacchetti’s bowling.

His very good spell earned him 2/20 from his eight overs.

Mark Brown had replaced Symons, and Meredith replaced Bacchetti, as Vic Country reached 3/52 at the drinks break.

Duljas batted sensibly and retired for a well-made 15 , as Meredith took wickets in his first and second overs after drinks.

He was then on a hat-trick in his seventh over, Dick Noble being his final wicket, and finished with figures of 4/27 from his eight overs.

Andrew Smith had replaced Brown, and again bowled well, taking two wickets.

Taylor bowled two overs, de Vent had an over, and Cowling scored 15 not out.

Symons took the last wicket, to have Vic Country all out in the 39th over for 124.

Symons finished with figures of 1/9 from 6.4 overs and Smith’s figures were 2/17 from five.

All Meredith’s and Smith’s victims were bowled.

The proposed double-header, with the Over 70s playing on Monday could not go ahead as Vic Country could not field a team.

The games this weekend are again a double-header at Geelong, with the Over 60s playing on Sunday, and the Over 70s playing on Monday.

Practice will continue at Glengarry on Wednesday from 4.45pm.