Saturday Sundries | D-grade provides the goods as Cricket Shepparton’s lower grades fire back up

The cricketing gods sprinkled a spoonful of stardust on D-grade as we witnessed daring efforts, devastating hitting and even a high-scoring draw from Saturday’s action.

News photographer Rechelle Zammit was behind the lens for Tatura’s five-wicket triumph over Old Students in the SJ Perry Shield.

Teddy bear picnic

What happens when a Bear takes the form of a Tiger?

Destruction, that’s what.

Shepparton senior footballers Ted Lindon and Anthony Andronaco don’t play a lot of cricket, but when they do decide to step out for Central Park-St Brendan’s, they bring the fireworks.

The pair padded up against Numurkah in D-grade, with Andronaco making an unbeaten 101 alongside opening partner Sam Hooper before both retired having made centuries.

Lindon came in at five and belted 85, with only three runs not arriving via boundaries as the dual-code talent bashed four four’s as well as a staggering 11 maximums.

But he wasn’t done there.

Defending 320, Lindon helped clean up the Blues 176 runs shy of the target by claiming 4-9 off five overs, showing he’s equally capable batting and bowling as he is racking up rebound 50s.

Draw the line

Katandra and Mooroopna finished Saturday’s D-grade stoush level at 7-235, with identical scorelines resulting in a equal split of premiership points.

Curiously, though, both sides’ innings were poles apart.

Katandra won the toss and elected to bowl, seemingly a good decision after bagging scalps at regular intervals as none of the Cats’ first six bats breached the 30-run barrier.

Cue Jeremy Mullane.

Mooroopna’s lucky number seven whacked a miraculous 72 off just 37 balls to save his side’s innings, rounding out as top scorer while an expensive 34 extras took second place.

In response, Katandra took a completely different tack.

Openers Bradley Murray and Dillon Shelley were patient on the chase, poking and prodding the ball through gaps and eventually both raising the bat.

Murray even saluted once more as he notched his century, and when the pair entered the 35th over on 104 and 77 respectively, the game seemed done.

For one, Katandra needed just 44 runs off 36 with 10 wickets in the shed.

But the Cats had other ideas.

Mooroopna took 6-30 in the following phase, and though Katandra mustered eight runs in the closing over, a run out on the final ball of the innings sealed a fitting end to a barn-burning tie.

Swift action

When it comes to batting approach, Timothy Swift sure does live up to his name.

The Euroa D-grader was in no mood for dots and quick singles during Saturday’s match against Karramomus, slapping the white ball to all corners of Vibert Reserve in a merciless batting display.

Swift struck an astonishing 23 fours and five sixes during a 31-over stand at the crease, accounting for 122 of his unbeaten 152 runs - off just 92 balls, mind.

His contribution made up more than half of Euroa’s total, greatly aiding the Magpies’ cause as they notched a 31-run win.

Best of the rest

D-grade action stole the limelight in this edition of Saturday Sundries, but some individual performances deserve a shout out.

Euroa sporting star Cohen Paul ripped through Mooroopna in B-grade, narrowly missing a hat-trick as he took 5-15 off 7.1 overs during a six wicket triumph.

And in C-grade, Karramomus’ Adrian McGregor did the heavy lifting as he took his Bloods to victory over Undera, crafting a knock of 105 off 115 rocks.