By Jarrod Potter
PETER Zauner ripped through St Francis Xavier, Andrew Newstead and Uma Rattan continue their thumping of Catani with the ball despite a gallant century from James McMahon and Emerald jumped into the top four after belting Nyora in this week’s highlights from WGCA action in District Division.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:DEVON MEADOWS v
ST FRANCIS XAVIER
Zauner was unstoppable as Devon Meadows (346) utterly decimated St Francis Xavier (115 and 5/70). With captain Shane Filius off the park due to a knee injury sustained the week before, the maestro was left to his own devices on the field with great result. Zauner dismissed both Warns before also snaring the X-Men captain David Hill (23) and Gahan Nathanielsz (23) as the visitors were forcefully ejected from the centre for only 115. Matt Clayton chipped in with 2/0 off three overs.
Zauner picked up Stephen Shepherdson to finish with 5/56, his third five-wicket haul for the season, but he wasn’t finished for the day yet. St Francis was sent to follow-on by Devon Meadows and there was no let-up from the Panthers’ bowlers. Zauner surpassed his first innings effort, getting both Warns and Hill again, this time for only 13 runs between them. The 27 overs for the day were enough for Zauner, who now sits five wickets clear on top of the bowling aggregate with 32 for the season at an astonishing 8.34 average.
Clayton picked up two more to finish with the miserly match figures of 4/7. St Francis, in its only slight victory for the day, managed to hold off an outright defeat and finished on 5/70. Devon Meadows stays in third place, 12 shy of Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll and 10 in arrears of Merinda Park.
The Panthers face Lyndhurst Vikings this round away. St Francis Xavier has fallen out of the top four with back-to-back losses and this round’s challenge against Merinda Park won’t be any easier for the X-Men.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:CATANI v MERINDA PARK
Facing a monumental chase, Catani (281) didn’t disgrace itself against Merinda Park (388) as James McMahon held strong with a rearguard century. After losing Chris Duncan for a duck, David Williams (30) and Ross Kortholt (59) started knocking down the required total before Williams nicked Newstead to Chris Smith behind the stumps. Jamie Smith (4/44) knocked over Kortholt and Paul Tulip and Newstead rattled Brad McDonald’s pegs as Catani fell from 1/73 to 5/103 in quick succession. McMahon (101) put on 56 runs with David Spierings (34) and then a 112-run partnership with Rob Coupe (29) before McMahon finally fell to Uma Rattan just after passing into triple figures. Smith picked up four wickets and Newstead (3/73) and Rattan (3/30) stood out once again after resurrecting a dead Merinda Park last week when the tail dragged the Cobras from 6/109 to 388. Catani will face Emerald this weekend and Merinda Park faces St Francis Xavier.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:NAR NAR GOON-MARYKNOLL v LYNDHURST VIKINGS
Vinny Van Strijp (4/45) and Chris Lewis (3/85) knocked over Lyndhurst Vikings (243) as the visitors fought hard to catch the Marygoons (299). Heath Straughair (17) fell early on Saturday when Van Strijp trapped him in front. From there the Vikings’ recognised batsmen all got starts, but all failed to convert them into match-winning centuries. The top six batsmen all passed 15 runs, yet none went past 50. David Greensmith (50) and Adam Baumgardner (48) both could have taken the match by the horns, but were unable to kick on. Aaron Straughair (32 n.o.) added a bit to the final line, but the Vikings still fell 56 short. Steven Lewis (2/10) was the other multiple wicket taker for the Marygoons. Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll faces Nyora and Lyndhurst Vikings face Devon Meadows.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:EMERALD v NYORA
Clint Marsh (3/25 and 3/24) and Andrew Walker (4/19, 2/21 and 40 n.o.) tore apart Nyora (97 and 109) as Emerald (4/111dec and 3/98) shot up into the top four with the outright victory.
The Bombers did just that against the Maroons – throwing down cannon fire from Marsh and Walker as Nyora capitulated for the second time in the match.
Nyora wicketkeeper Jake Hackett (38) stood his ground as all others fell to Emerald. The Bombers’ bowlers ripped apart anything put in front of them as Nyora was helpless to resist.
The response from Emerald was more cannon fire – this time off the bat as Anthony Flint (42) and Walker (40 n.o.) made quick work of a small chase. They smashed 98 from 24 overs to guide Emerald to the walk-over win.
Emerald faces Catani at home this weekend, while Nyora has a massive task ahead facing the ladder leaders Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:SUB-DISTRICT
Left became right, hot became cold and ladder leaders became unlikely losers in this week’s matches, with Clyde and Lang Lang suffering defeats to Upper Beaconsfield and Cranbourne Meadows respectively and Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll fell into the relegation zone after Cardinia thumped Gembrook in an outright victory.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:LANG LANG v CRANBOURNE MEADOWS
Lang Lang (179) was bowled eight short of avoiding an upset loss to Cranbourne Meadows (187), as the Swamp Tigers wasted an opportunity to grasp first spot in Sub-District Division. Resuming at 5/40, Lang Lang was bolstered by Kurt Nestor (59), Cameron Chasemore (20), Glen Easton (22) and Rogan Fraser (25), but fell just short as Lee Murdoch (5/62) ripped through the Swamp Tigers. Jason Poole (2/31) and Adrian Savage (2/50) were the other multiple wicket takers for the Rebels. Lang Lang’s loss opens up Sub-District’s finals race options with Upper Beaconsfield still able to strip Lang Lang of a home semi-final. Lang Lang faces Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll and Cranbourne Meadows travels to Upper Beaconsfield.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:CLYDE v UPPER BEACONSFIELD
The usually tough journey to Lineham Oval seemed a cakewalk for Upper Beaconsfield (148 and 112) as they rolled competition heavyweight Clyde (96). Some late order resistance from Joel Avard (20) and Nick Miles (31) wasn’t enough to help salvage the points for Clyde, with the home side going from 5/40 at the resumption of play to all out for 96. Kyle Gibbs (5/31) destroyed the Clyde batting lineup with Shawn Hassall (2/10) the other multiple wicket taker. Upper Beaconsfield batted again with Matt Scanlon (45) and Luke Willis (42) putting together a 94-run partnership before the rest of the side collapsed. Avard (4/16) and Adrian Buller (3/32) skittled Upper Beaconsfield, but the damage was already done for Clyde. Clyde faces Gembrook while Upper Beaconsfield faces Cranbourne Meadows.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:TOORADIN v
NAR NAR GOON-MARYKNOLL
Set up by Dave Freeman’s century last week, Tooradin (6/278cc) held off Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll (226) to hold onto fourth spot. Chris Colman (64) and Michael Jennings (52) held back the tide as long as they could before Matt Thompson (4/32) and Rory Alder (3/64) ran through the Marygoons’ middle order. The lower order held on for the Marygoons, with Sean Somers (26 n.o.) and Simon Rogers (26) knocking about the Seagulls’ bowlers, but with the run rate increasing and wickets running low, the last nails were hammered in by Thompson as the Marygoons finished 52 runs short. Tooradin has the battle for fourth place match against Cardinia this round while Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll faces Lang Lang.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:CARDINIA v GEMBROOK
Cardinia (6/184dec and 1/21) routed Gembrook (64 and 126) to give the Brookers their second outright loss of the season. Brad Drews (4/22), Ryan Little (3/29) and Dean Henwood (2/11) knocked apart the Gembrook defence. The chase was short and emphatic from Cardinia as they hit the needed 21 runs from two overs. The road from here only gets steeper for Gembrook as they face Clyde this week. Cardinia moved out of the relegation zone with the outright victory and could jump into the final four if they can win against Tooradin.
