Shawn Flegler was superb for Upper Beaconsfield against Tooradin on Saturday. The former first class player racked up a magnificent 132 not out to steer the Maroons to a 12-run victory.Upper Beaconsfield centurion Shawn Flegler looks on as Tooradin’s Lukas Hoogenboom sends down a delivery on Saturday. 74383 Pictures: Donna Oates
By David Nagel
UPPER Beaconsfield’s Shawn Flegler and Beaconsfield’s Troy McDermott both made magnificent centuries on Saturday as West Gippsland Cricket Association (WGCA) Premier Division sprang to life after the rain of recent weeks.
Flegler (132 not out) and McDermott (103) guided their teams to victory and stole the limelight from a classic match at Pakenham, where the Lions (4/216) inflicted Cardinia’s (6/213cc) first taste of defeat in a contest befitting a final.
In the other game of round seven, Kooweerup (1/131) did the expected and smashed aside bottom-placed Officer (130) in a clinical and decisive manner.
Flegler’s century helped the home side Upper Beaconsfield (2/199cc) to a season defining victory over fellow finals aspirant Tooradin (8/187). After winning the toss and batting, the Maroons couldn’t have asked for a better start.
Flegler and the consistent Daniel Brennan (32) took on Tooradin firebrand Lukas Hoogenboom head-on, scoring 102 for the first wicket before Brennan was first to go. Chris Pentland went shortly after without troubling the scorers before last season’s leading run scorer, John Simpson (29 not out) joined Flegler at the crease.
Simpson played the support role to perfection as Flegler continued his recent rich vein of form, his home ground 100 his first in the WGCA after a couple of near misses earlier in the season. His all-round abilities have made a massive impact on the competition this season: his triple-figure knock backing up five and seven-wicket hauls in his two previous matches.
For Tooradin, Hoogenboom (0/30) blew away the cobwebs with his first game in nearly two months while captain Aaron Avery (2/34) took the only two wickets to fall. The usually reliable Callum O’Hare and Ben Mantel were two who suffered at the hands of Flegler.
In reply, the Seagulls got off to a solid start, Tom Hussey (51) and Kane Latham (17) put on a 40-run opening stand, but then wickets fell at regular intervals. Jay Wilson (53) tried to revive the innings, but it was all in vain as the Seagulls fell 12 runs short of victory.
Simpson (3/31), Pentland (2/25) and Flegler (2/30) did the damage with the pill. The win moves the Maroons to third place on the ladder and a game clear of the fifth placed Seagulls. Beaconsfield (7/230cc) travelled to Pakenham Upper-Toomuc (PUT) (184) on Saturday brimming with confidence after a successful run chase in their most recent outing against Officer.
This time it was the Tigers who batted first and they did so with style, knocking up the highest score of the day on the back of McDermott’s brilliant century. Things didn’t start well though.
Captain Justin Stanton, gun Brad Miles and the experienced Don Kerslake were all back in the sheds with the score on 51. Opener Brad Lloyd (40) hung in when the situation was at its toughest and started a re-build of the Tigers’ innings with McDermott.
The pair put on 55 for the fourth-wicket, before Lloyd was sent packing, but McDermott wasn’t finished yet. He batted through the middle to late stages of the innings and put together a crucial 66-run stand with Jason Dodd (27 not out). He brought up his 100 before being dismissed shortly after with the score on 215. Resurrection complete!
Stephen Boltong (2/40) claimed two wickets for the Yabbies and Lucas Plozza (1/19 off eight overs) bowled tightly amid the carnage.
An asking rate of six runs per over was always going to be a tough ask for the home side, who put up a solid chase. Jamie Somers (65) held the middle order together while Rhys Fegan (27) looked dangerous until he was run out.
Mathew O’Connor (3/31), McDermott (2/29) and Callan Tout (2/46) were the multiple wicket takers for the Tigers who dismissed the Yabbies 46 runs short of victory in the 39th over.
Kooweerup played host to Officer on Saturday, and with regular skipper Brett Reid not playing it was left to Ollie Brown to lead the bottom-placed Bullants against the second-placed Demons.
He started off successfully too, winning the toss and batting against the miserly Demons’ attack. Brown (45) opened the innings but had little support early doors as Matt Davey (2/22) and Ron Bright Jnr (1/9) tightened the screws until cracks started to appear.
Peter Quinn (27) and David Collins (25) were the base of some solid mid order partnerships, but a late order collapse saw the score rest on 130 when the Bullants were bowled out in the last of their 40 overs.
Adam McMaster (3/26) was the pick of the bowlers for the Demons, while Chris O’Hara (2/14) continued his bright season with the ball. Shane Dole (0/20) was economical in his eight-over spell.
The Demons must have had a function starting early on Saturday night as they went ballistic in the run chase. Some familiar names were at play once again.
O’Hara (56 not out) and Michael Giles (16) opened the batting before Dole (50 not out) joined in the fun as the Demons completed the task in just 19 overs. Eight bowlers were tried by the Bullants with Brown (1/33) the only success story, although those figures came off just three overs, which told the story of the innings.
