BERWICK’S turfone fast bowlers showed they were just as quick with a bat when they combined for a blazing lastwicket partnership of 40 to help their side to a competitive 243 against Southern Pirates on Saturday.
It was a hard fought day’s play at Wachter reserve where last season’s turftwo premiers Southern Pirates hosted reigning turfone champions Berwick that won the toss and batted.
The game was in the balance at the half way mark, Justin Stanton out for 13 and Gavin Wills 20, while the effervescent Steve Carr was looked at ease.
With the score on 106, the pace quickened when Alex Roberts joined Carr for a 45run partnership that gave the Bears the upper hand.
Cruising on 27, Roberts lost his off stump playing across the line giving the Pirates the hope of containing Berwick to a sub250 score.
Dave Hampton then blasted 19 off 18 balls as Berwick looked to increase its strike rate, but he fell with the score 4/163.
Berwick then suffered a middleorder collapse, loosing five wickets for 28 runs, the inform Ash Henry managing just 11 as Berwick was 8/191.
Simon Cornell, in his return to the first grade, looked at home before he played a loose shot on seven, Berwick 9203.
Enter big men Will Carr and Jarrod Goodes and the dynamic duo showed the batsmen how it was done, the Pirates unable to adapt to the hard hitting assault.
Compulsory closure saw Berwick on 9243 a defendable total with a quality bowling attack.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:TURF TWO
Berwick was up against powerhouse Coomoora and the signs were ominous, despite some excellent bowling from Paul Gramc and Englishman James Davies.
Ryan Crawford was introduced and had immediate success with 1/58.
Young gun James Wilcock breezed through his first four overs, his fifth netting him a wicket when Matt Olver took a clean catch behind.
The score moved to more than 100 after the tea break and Crawford returned and claimed the important third wicket and combed with Brendan Lloyd for a runout to make it 4/173.
Berwick did well to contain Coomoora to a gettable 286 this week.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:A GRADE
The undefeated Berwick had mixed success in its battle with Narre Warren North and an early wicket had it on the back foot from the outset.
Skipper Brad James, batting in the numberthree position, balanced the ledger with a 33run stand with Brad Eagleton (16).
James (64) was faultless in this captain’s knock, with Berwick 4/129 with 24 overs remaining.
Wayne Margitich knocked the ball into gaps with effortless regularity and Marty McGauran showed no signs of nerves in his first hit out for the season, cracking five fours in his first 30 runs.
Margitich went for 52, the first of five to fall for just 11 runs as Berwick slumped from 5/207 to 9/218 including a runout that removed McGauran on 40. Michael Dalzotto redeemed some ascendancy for the Bears and salvaged a strong total of 246.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:B GRADE
Berwick burnt the scorched Edwin Flack reserve with an astonishing 444 off its 72 overs against HSD.
The Bears scored at a rapid pace, but had lost three wickets for 69 runs in the thirteenth over before young Aidan Mills joined Brett Hogan in a 144run fourthwicket stand.
Hogan smashed nine fours in his first 50 and was relentless in the second half century adding another 12 to the boundary tally to bring up an electric maiden century.
Hogan was casting an imposing shadow over the HSD bowlers, flying to 126 in just the 36th over before his brutal innings was ended with Berwick 4/213.
Mills was eventually removed for a brilliant 68, a fine knock in just his second senior game and Damien Quinlan took up where Hogan left off with his own boundary party.
Entering into the game with half of the 36 overs remaining, Quinlan brushed Hogan’s fine innings aside with his own century, amassing 130, including an awesome 20 fours.
Quinlan was well supported by Ray Henry whose not out 51 was somewhat overshadowed.
With just four players entering double or triple figures, the scorecard provided an amazing sight, 9/444 at close of play.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:C GRADE
Berwick met Cranbourne at the St Francis Xavier Berwick campus and shared the honours after a hard day’s toil from both sides.
Nicholas Shannon showed promise with 2/48 off 13 overs, but at 2/129 in the 48th over, Berwick looked in trouble.
Dean Holden and Will Chapman gave it all they had and Trevor McGeachin again proved unlucky with just 1/41 from his 13 overs.
Daz Yadav bowled very fast throughout his two spells and helped Berwick back into the game with the third and fourth wickets.
Berwick did well to regain control of the game after Cranbourne had worked itself into a strong position at 4/136 to be all out 203.
Yadav ended with 3/50 from 19 overs of pace and the surprise packet was Andy Peters, who whipped the Cranbourne tail with 3/15 in six overs.
Berwick’s comeback puts it in a winning position being 0/1 from two overs.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:D GRADE
A disappointing firstinnings display from the Berwick against St Mary’s all out for 61 in just nineteen overs. Lachlan Stone and Kyle Wills were the only ones to offer any resistance with 14 and 21 respectively.
The bowlers came back with some ferocity; Dave Caldwell, Tim Renwick, Jim Koulos and Marty Allan all helping themselves to two wickets as St Mary’s managed to carry a 100run lead into week two, all out 168.
In their second attempt the openers remained unconquered from their sole over faced.
