Saturday Sundries | B-grade bowling bonanza kicks off lower grade cricket finals
Swap out the lunch break spread’s six boxes of barbecue Shapes to an assortment of fruit - it’s time to get serious in lower grade cricket. Finals are here.
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Okay, realistically five blokes are still going to turn up with a half-price box of Arnott’s delicacies, but that doesn’t mean the players competing for lower grade glory - and Saturday Sundries mentions - won’t up the ante.
While C and E-grade cricket had a pre-finals bye on the weekend, the B and D-grade action rolled on, as the fight for an etched name on the Clyde Young and S J Perry Shields intensifies.
News photographer Megan Fisher headed out to Kialla Park Reserve to capture the D-grade semi-final between Old Students and Euroa as lower-grade finals got into full swing.
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Old Students batters Ryan Boswell and Nigel Roberts punch gloves. Photo by Megan FisherImage 2 of 6
Old Students batter Ryan Boswell mistimes a cut shot. Photo by Megan FisherImage 3 of 6
Old Students batter Ryan Boswell keeps a close eye on the Kookaburra. Photo by Megan FisherImage 4 of 6
Euroa fielder Cooper Goodall has a deep think. Photo by Megan FisherImage 5 of 6
Euroa bowler Connor McCombe winds the arm back. Photo by Megan FisherImage 6 of 6
Euroa wicketkeeper Haedyn Saville departs with the rock in between a change of ends. Photo by Megan FisherDuck for cover after ducks caught at cover!
Duck for cover in the sheds because there might have been a few bits of gear thrown with force after some of the batting displays on the weekend.
Three sides were bowled out for less than triple figures, with one team recording five ducks on its way to its less-than-ideal total.
In B-grade, it was Tatura that faced an arduous task with the ball after capitulating for 92 all out, surviving 47.2 overs in the two-day clash against Northerners.
Every dismissed batter was able to get off the mark, but go no further than that, with scores of 27 and 19 from Joshua and Matthew Macansh doing the heavy lifting for the red, white and blue.
In Northerners’ innings with the willow, the red and green patiently chipped away at Tatura’s total, with opener Trent Sidebottom making an unbeaten 52 when his side crossed the target in the 39th over.
However, Tatura’s failure with the stick paled in comparison to the collapse at Central Park Recreation Reserve.
The Tigers would have been confident after bowling out Numurkah for 143 on day one, and made a solid dent into the chase, with Andrew McMillan’s 24 providing a healthy stance to propel from.
Yet, disaster struck.
Central Park-St Brendan’s would lose four wickets in as many overs, all without yielding a run to go from 2-45 to 6-45.
Numurkah relished the newfound momentum and put the sword to the Tigers’ throats, bowling CPStB out for 58.
Blue Reydan Lacuin claimed 5-41, slightly outdoing Tiger Ethan Beck, who too notched a five-for with 5-49 in the first innings.
In D-grade, it was Karramomus that failed with the willow, bowled all out for 87 by Tatura.
Tatura enjoyed a breezy wicketless run chase home too, with openers Brandan Reilly (34) and Daniel Hibberd (55) reaching the target by the 13th over.
Pine Lodge get around the Shepherd
Like a game of Aussie Rules footy, Pine Lodge had to avoid six Shepherds to run down and tackle Nagambie in its D-grade final in an effort that would make Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti proud.
Nagambie fielded more than half its side with surname sharers - Bryce, Jarryd, Brodie, Kayla, Rhys and Keenan Shepherd - however, the Lakers may have needed a seventh.
Despite being bowled out for 179, the Lodgers returned the favour to Nagambie in the second innings to secure a 25-run victory.
It came notwithstanding the Shepherd of the Jarryd variety notching a game-high 65 runs, however, while Kayla and Keenan would produce the next highest scores for the Lakers, both tallying 17 runs respectively.
Swift scorers
While it was a weekend dominated by the ball, a couple of cricketers still found an opportunity to deliver with the bat.
There was a love story between bat and batter at Euroa, as a vice-captain Magpie scored a finals knock he couldn’t imagine in his wildest dreams.
The underdog Magpies defeated third-placed Old Students through the batting style of Euroa’s very own T. Swift.
While there’s no bad blood between Timothy (not Taylor) Swift and Kyabram, the Redbacks will be ruing not dismissing the Magpies leader, as he scored 75 not out off 76 deliveries, leaving the wicket column next to his name with a blank space.
Numurkah’s Gino Saracino should also be recognised, making 62 runs against the Tigers in B-grade - a knock that outscored the entire CPStB side.