Tom Parry
ANOTHER home-and-away season of local cricket is done and dusted.
Last Saturday was the final weekend of regular games in the Sale-Maffra Cricket Association, which saw players met with yet another afternoon of heat and humidity.
Round 14 of the first grade’s 2022/23 season ended with something of a whimper – three games saw teams bowl their opponents out to seal first-innings victories, while the fourth concluded in unremarkable fashion.
Attention now turns to the finals, which begin this Saturday for the senior grades and are already underway in the junior divisions.
Rosedale-Kilmany v Stratford
AS predicted, it was a closely-fought contest at Rosedale Recreation Reserve, one which saw the Redbacks emerge victorious.
Stratford resumed its innings at 3/26 and suffered a double blow within the first four overs, losing Jack Rietschel for eight and Lewis Bolton for two.
Bohdi Walker arrived in the middle next, combining with Jack Tatterson for a fruitful partnership.
Together, the two batsmen combined for 79 runs across 21 overs, placing Stratty back in contention and just 31 short of Rosedale-Kilmany’s first innings total.
The Warriors eventually broke the partnership in the 37th over, first by dismissing Tatterson (caught at long-on) and then Walker (caught at square-leg) to put the score at 7/118.
Brief yet valuable contributions from Chris Aurisch (eight runs) and Ethan Albrecht (six) narrowed the margin even further, allowing Ben Dinning to surpass RK’s score in the 47th over of their innings.
Having attained the target of 149 for a first-innings win, the Redbacks declared and – possibly with an eye on an outright victory – sent RK into bat again.
Stratty’s bowlers ensured the wickets fell regularly and the run rate kept low, but ultimately, the Warriors survived the remainder of the day’s play to be 9/89 at stumps.
Just two of their batsmen reached double-digits in the second innings, being Isaac Love (28 off 35 deliveries) and Spencer Fox (18 off 51).
Tatterson snagged three wickets and a run out, while Walker claimed figures of 2/14 off nine overs.
Meanwhile, RK’s best bowling figures belonged to Brad Scott (3/41 off 14 overs) and Brandon McDonald (2/8 off four).
The result means that Stratford remains third on the ladder heading into the finals, and Rosedale-Kilmany fourth.
Bundalaguah v Sale
A STELLAR knock from Kshitiz Sharma was the highlight at Colin Wrigglesworth Oval, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Swans.
Requiring 262 runs for victory, Bundalaguah suffered the early losses of Jason Langshaw and Steve Spoljaric as they began their chase, leaving Lachlan Wrigglesworth to lay the foundations; he was bowled for 31 in the 13th over.
Ten overs later, Hayden Wrigglesworth departed for 15, the scorecard reading 4/52.
The Bulls’ innings eventually gained momentum during the fifth wicket, which saw Sharma collaborate with James Read for an alliance that lasted 22 overs, their 72-run stand coming to an end when the latter was bowled on 42.
Sharma continued on, forming a partnership with Charlie Morris that added 41 runs; and again with Mitch Templeton, adding 21.
With Hamish Anderson as his partner, Sharma took Bundy’s score past 200, and looked certain to make his third century of the season.
But, just two runs short of the milestone, he was run out in the 75th over.
The very next ball, Anderson was caught, bringing the innings to a close at 220 – 42 runs short of their target – to hand Sale the win.
Ben Jones and Coenie Nel collected three wickets each, while Matt Raidal finished with two scalps.
The Swans’ triumph keeps them on top of the First XI ladder, and thus the hosting rights to a semi-final.
Bundalaguah stay in fifth position.
Photo: File
Boisdale-Briagolong v Collegians
FORM has returned to Collegians, who recorded a 174-run first-innings win at Briagolong Recreation Reserve.
Resuming at 2/18, Boisdale-Briagolong were slow to start, not adding to their total until the fourth over of the day – and with a single at that, off the bat of Ned Sutton.
The low scoring rate continued, even as Toby Leeds attempted to add some fire to proceedings – one over saw him hit two sixes off the bowling of Mark Nicholls.
Sutton’s wicket in the 26th over, and then Jonathon Outhart’s in the 31st, brought Nick Pang to the crease, who emulated Leeds’ example with some quick hitting – flamboyance that saw him caught for 17 after just eight overs.
Troubles continued for the B-Doubles when Leeds (bowled on 40), Liam Hurst (run out for a diamond duck) and Michael Roberts (caught and bowled for nought) were dismissed in successive overs – all by the hand of College captain Zac Hurley – putting the score at just 8/79.
An eighth-wicket partnership between Ryan Marshall and Kallan Randle carried the Saints’ total to 100, only for the latter to be caught and bowled – this time by Jake Durnell.
Four overs and four runs later, Marshall was bowled by Noah Hurley for 22, bringing the chase to an end.
Durnell took three wickets in the innings, while the Hurleys walked away with two each.
With the game having been won and several overs still left in the day, Collegians opted to bat for a second time, sending tail-enders Henry Anderson and Nathan Giove in to build upon their team’s surplus of runs.
The duo accumulated 49 runs before Anderson was stumped on 28; Durnell added two before the match was proclaimed over.
The victory is Collegians’ first since January, and allows them to retain second position on the ladder – equal on points with Stratford, but ahead on percentage.
Boisdale-Briagolong also keep their spot in the first grade competition: Dead last.
Maffra v Longford
FOR the second time this season, the Eagles have lodged a comprehensive victory against the Lizards – and a win at home.
Longford, denied the opportunity to bat the week prior, were put on the backfoot early by the wickets of Sam Dean, Jack Heywood and star all-rounder Jordan Price, all falling in the first eight overs – and with 284 runs still to chase.
That left opener Walt Sutton to form a stand with captain Lachlan Floyd, combining for 47 runs in the process.
Their partnership was broken after 17 overs, when Sutton was caught on 14.
The very next over, Floyd was trapped on his pads by spinner Ben Durrant for 35; immediately after, Angus Heywood was caught behind for a golden duck.
Upon Jake Taylor’s run out in the 31st over, Longford’s score was 7/58.
Following that, Liam Knight teamed with Nicholas Walker for a stand that ultimately lasted nine overs, with the latter caught for 11.
Three overs later, Knight fell in similar circumstances to Angus Heywood – caught by the keeper off the bowling of Durrant.
Ben Walker was the 10th and final batsman to be dismissed in the next over, by which point the Lizards had amassed just 86 runs, placing them a whopping 203 runs in arrears.
Despite another 37 overs being allotted in the day’s play, the match was deemed over there and then.
Durrant and Dylan Freitag were Maffra’s best bowlers, each garnering three wickets.
The result did nothing to change the standings of either club on the First XI ladder – Maffra finish the season in sixth position, and Longford seventh.
