PIGEON Ponds claimed the remaining place in the Hamilton and District Cricket Association One Day Shield Final with a come from behind victory over St Andrew’s at Pigeon Ponds on Saturday.
The Drews made the trek to Pigeon Ponds minus their injured skipper, Russell Elton, who will be missing for the next few weeks with a broken arm.
Simon Hatherall won the toss and elected to bat first with Brendan Huf and Mike Fitzpatrick walking to the middle to get the game underway, as Simon Close and Jack Beaton took the new ball for the locals.
In an uneventful first half hour, the batsmen were happy to sit and wait for the bad ball to come along, but in the sixth over Jack Beaton had Fitzpatrick well caught by Michael Close after the opener looked to break the shackles.
The main scorer for the visitors at this stage was sundries with the local bowlers failing to find their radar, as wide after wide was sent down giving the Drews easy runs.
James Guthrig (57) joined Huf at the wicket and the youngster continued his run of form he started before the Christmas break as he and Huf (55) added 112 for the second wicket before Huf was run out by some great work by Michael Close as his throw from near the boundary caught the opener short of his ground with a direct hit.
At 2-130 with 15 overs remaining, the visitors should have gone on to post another 100+ runs, but the Pigeons responded to the need to keep the batsmen in check and keep the final tally to only 8-202 when the end of the 45 overs came.
Beaton finished with 6-42 to record his career best figures in the top grade and lift himself into second on the wicket takers list for the competition.
The score was boosted by 52 sundries with 35 of these being wides and this cannot happen in the one-day final or the opposition will pounce on the extra deliveries, which is something St Andrew’s failed to do.
After the tea break, the locals came to the wicket and Simon Close made a statement against Angus Harms by smashing two short balls to the fence in the second over before Dale Harris had Peter Staude (one) gone with only 13 on the board.
Close looked to dominate the bowlers as is his normal game plan and he watched from the non-strikers end as new recruit Noah Hildebrand (eight) was trapped in front of his stumps by Latham Wishart with a trademark in-swinging yorker.
Close raised the bat as he brought up his third half century of the summer from the 41st ball he faced with a towering maximum off Damien Logan, but he was gone from the first ball of the next over when Wishart bowled him for 53.
At this stage the visitors struck back with Wishart claiming another three wickets in his next three overs to send the home side to the drinks break at 6-91.
A rescue operation was required if the Pigeons wanted to claim the One Day Shield Final spot up for grabs, and Michael Close and Will Staude were determined not to allow the Drews to claim it.
The pair added 115 unbroken runs for the seventh wicket to grab the points with player posting 60-not-out when the winning runs were struck.
No matter what the Drews tried, they couldn’t dismiss either player in the 20 overs they were together after the drinks break.
Wishart with 5-17 was the pick of the visitors attack as his nine over spell set the side up for the early success it enjoyed in the first half of the innings.
Casterton District d Hamilton
CASTERTON District made the trek to Dahl Turf on Saturday to battle Hamilton, with the aim of claiming a bonus point victory and securing its place in the top four.
It had been a shocking first half of the season for the Blues after the unseasonal wet weather flooded both ovals at the venue keeping each from being used until the new year.
Hamilton had been looking forward to a good summer after last season reaching the semi finals but a loss of players over the off season and the unavailability of others through the summer has seen the team plumet to the bottom of the ladder.
Casterton District won the toss and elected to send the home side into bat on a wicket that looked good for batting, but the Maroons soon had early success after Joel Tully (three) edged a Carey Megaw delivery through to Sullivan Gibbs with only nine on the board.
Tobi Cook had missed round nine before the break through injury, but having fully recovered he strode to the wicket at number three looking to spend plenty of time in the middle.
As usual, he scored his runs at a good pace, but with 40 on the board he was gone after failing to get hold of a ball from Fletcher Bright which fell into the safe hands of Kane Forbes, and he departed with only 16 next to his name.
Brenton Callaby has made the opener role his own this season, and he reached 20 for the third time this summer before Bright bowled the opener with 66 on the board after 20 overs.
Rick Killey ensured Hamilton would lose another wicket at that score, as he accepted a return catch from Simon Sharrock (20), which left Robbie Cook as the only recognised batsman left in the order.
When he departed for 16 with 100 on the board there were only three wickets remaining and the Maroons quickly rounded these up to dismiss the home side for 120 in the 41st over.
None of the Casterton District bowlers dominated the wicket takers list, but rather the wickets were shared around with Megaw, Bright, Killey and Joshua Jones grabbing two apiece as they hunted as a pack.
When the teams returned to the field after the tea break, Ben Holmes (30) and Ollie Foster (13) knocked off 43 of the target for the first wicket, but Holmes fell first followed soon after by Foster to give the Hamilton attack hope.
It would soon disappear as Kane Forbes (36-not-out) and Rick Killey (34-not-out) carried the visitors to a bonus point victory by reaching the target in the 32nd over securing a top four spot with a game in hand.
Grampians d. Macarthur
GRAMPIANS continued its form at the top of the ladder with a bonus point victory – its fourth of the season – against Macarthur at Macarthur Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
Will Collins won the toss and elected to bat first, with Collins joined by Ty Gilmore in the middle to start the innings.
The pair scored at run-a-ball pace, as Gilmore particularly took a liking to the Macarthur opening bowlers, but it was Adam Fry who made the much-needed breakthrough by having Collins on his way for 16 with 65 on the board.
Gilmore (43) carried on with Zach Burgess (15), as the pair took the total to 92 before Michael Brilley rid the Demons of Gilmore, and then Burgess was sent back to the pavilion by Fry, who trapped the wicketkeeper-batsman in front of his stumps in the 20th over.
It fell to Tom Polkinghorne (71) and Harrison Wood (24) to keep the innings momentum moving forward, as both players scored at run-a-ball pace.
The Pumas finished with 9-241 from the 45 overs, which could be seen to be a par score for the venue and the Demons would have been happy with the target.
After the tea break Macarthur needed the top order to get away to a solid start if they hoped to defeat the ladder leaders, but Ryan Burgess sent Ollie Wortley on his way for only four as the opener nicked off to brother Zach behind the stumps on the fifth ball of the innings.
After that early breakthrough, Charlie Summers and Michel Brilley looked to consolidate until Summers (19) fell to Carl Joyce who followed that up with the wicket of Kyle Smitten (zero) two balls later.
When Brilley (12) failed to get over the top of a Harrison Wood ball, the Demons were 4-44 and in huge trouble, but Jeremy Sheehan joined Hamish Wortley and the pair saw the side through to the drinks break without further loss and 91 on the board.
Wortley had battled hard for an hour and gave Sheehan great support but he tried hit Josh Gordon over the top of the infield and failed to get hold of shot and was on his way for 13.
Sheehan followed only six runs later, but his 59 from 61 balls was an outstanding knock that the team needed, but there needs to be several more within the line up doing the same.
The final wickets went quickly as the Pumas posted another bonus point victory to draw further away at the top of the ladder as Joyce took the honours with 4-13 and Wood not far behind with 3-38 to remain atop the wicket takers list for the competition.
Grampians will battle Pigeon Ponds on Australia Day at Dahl Turf for the One Day Shield and must enter the game as favourites after a dominant display in the preliminary rounds.
