DESPITE Mother Nature trying her hardest to stop play in round three of the Hamilton and District Cricket Association (HDCA) A grade competition, St Andrew’s and Tyrendarra staged an epic contest at Clem Young Oval on Saturday.
The match began under bright sunshine with Russell Elton winning the toss for St Andrew’s and quickly declaring his side would bat first.
The old firm of Brendan Huf and Michael Fitzpatrick strode to the middle with Fitzpatrick making his first appearance for the summer, and the pair soon were in their stride with the ball racing to the fence on the fast outfield.
The Tyrendarra bowlers bowled well on a surface that offered assistance if they bowled seam up, but Fitzpatrick in particular was in no mood to allow the bowlers to gain an upper hand, attacking from ball one.
With dark clouds forming overhead, the rain soon arrived, and the players were forced off after only 15 overs for 14 minutes, which meant the game remained as a 45-over per side contest.
Huf and Fitzpatrick took their opening partnership to 137 when the latter called his partner through for a quick single only to see Dylan Murray swoop in from cover point and with a direct hit ran out Huf for 41.
Fitzpatrick carried on, reaching yet another ton for his beloved Drews and was finally out for 101 from only 95 balls with 15 boundaries and a maximum.
The rain came again after 34.4 overs and that signalled the end of the innings with the home sitting on 3-193, which brought out the DLS system for the calculation of the score required by Tyrendarra.
Duckworth, Lewis and Stern appear to be the only people on the planet that fully understand the machinations of the formula, which is far from the understanding of both umpires and players alike.
As Tyrendarra had failed to take more than three wickets, the target score was calculated to be 242 from the same 34.4 overs, even though St Andrew’s only made 193.
Sam Wilson and Lachlan Kirk came to the wicket to get the Darras’ chase underway, and the pair set about the St Andrew’s bowlers just as the home team batsman had earlier in the day.
Wilson was the aggressor and was headed for a century when he played across the line of a straight ball from Elton and was trapped in front of his stumps for 66.
Jake Wilson (zero) came and went in the same manner, as Jordi Withers joined Kirk and the pair carried the score along quickly to 2-182 in the 27th over when Withers tried to drive a ball from Huf and was gone for 34 from only 23 balls.
From there though the Darras lost their way as Hamish Withers (one), Ben Menzel (seven) and Mark Pitt (six) all came and went.
Menzel shouldn’t have been run out, but he failed to slide his bat over the crease, as Damien Logan threw the stumps down for a run out.
With 18 balls remaining, Tyrendarra required 29 runs and despite the best efforts of Dylan Murray (15-not-out), the Darras fell six runs shy of the target with Huf claiming 3-31 to be the pick of the Drews’ attack.
Hamilton dw Grampians
WEATHER impacted the game between Hamilton and Grampians at Monivae Turf with the game being reduced to ordinary conditions, whereby the team that bats first bats out the allotted 45 overs and the team that bats second bats until the time for stumps.
Hamilton posted a target of 8-150 after Grampians skipper, Will Collins, won the toss and sent the home side to the crease in a move to put the Hamilton players under pressure after a poor start to the season in their first two games.
Nic Cullinane (60) and Xavier Stevens (18) added 52 for the first wicket and appear to be the answer for Hamilton at the top of the order.
Double figure scores from Anthony Read (13) and Jake Lang (17-not-out) allowed Hamilton to post 150 and Grampians had until 6.30pm to try and hunt the target down.
Zach Burgess gave the Pumas every chance to win the game, smashing 65 from 60 balls, as all Grampians batsmen reached double figures.
Stumps was called on time and the Pumas had posted 7-149 from 25 overs with Hamish Kearney claiming 3-33 to be the pick of the Hamilton attack.
Each team took four points from the drawn game.
Casterton District d Pigeon Ponds
THE summer of discontent continues for Pigeon Ponds, as the side crashed to its third straight defeat of the season, as Casterton District gained a bonus point victory under the DLS system and grabbed top rung of the premiership ladder with its third straight win.
Despite winning the toss and electing to bat, Ponds never recovered from a horror start that saw the side lose 4-17 in the first eight overs.
Only Noah Hildebrand (43) and Larry Leeming (17) offered any resistance against the Maroons’ attack, as Jacob Edwards (4-15) and Jedd Rhook (3-17) enjoyed the spoils.
In reply, Casterton District took only 29 overs to chase down the target of 120 set by the DLS system with Sullivan Giggs continuing his great start to the season with 44-not-out, alongside Carey Megaw’s 27 at the top of the order.
Hamish McCrae led from the front for the home side, claiming 3-27.
Casterton District is now a game clear of the chasing pack, with Pigeon Ponds yet to record a point.
PORTLAND Tigers have captured their first win of the season with a 57-run (DLS method) victory over College in wet conditions at Hanlon Park.
The Tigers won the toss and elected to bat first and were on the front foot early, as opening partners, Ian Faure (29) and Ben Atwell (26), got them to 40-plus runs in quick time.
And while College was able to make inroads into their middle order, second-drop batsman, Charlie Harvey, hit back with a quickfire 33 off just 21 deliveries which included five boundaries.
Harvey’s performance was shortly followed by an instrumental fifth-wicket partnership between captain, Will Oakley (37), and vice-captain, Paul Procter (34), who scored at near run-a-ball pace for their 51-run stand.
At 4-162, the Tigers had had their sights set on a total well beyond 200, however College still had plenty of fight left, able to create a flurry of wickets at the back end of the innings to have the Tigers all out for 197.
Lachie Brown finished with 3-39 from his eight overs, while Adrian Burn, Luke Purcell and Jordy Anthony all chimed in with two apiece for the Eagles.
Nonetheless, setting a target of 198 was a very good result for the Tigers, and one which College would have to be at their best to chase down.
College was well and truly on the right track early thanks to the efforts of opening batsman and skipper, Charles Murrie, who bludgeoned them for 49 runs off just 39 deliveries, in an innings of eight boundaries including three sixes.
A rain interruption right after Will Oakley claimed the Tigers’ first scalp caused the DLS to intervene with a new target, and College would now require 181 for victory off 37 overs.
When play resumed, Procter claimed the prized wickets of both Murrie and Hamish Bailey – who departed for just seven, and all of a sudden, the Tigers were once again firmly in the box seat.
While Burn (28) and Brown (20) provided some middle-order resistance, the Tigers were able to consistently break partnerships with all six bowlers claiming wickets.
Llewellyn Oakley finished with his side’s best figures, taking 3-19 from four overs, while Procter (2-25 off six) and Nik Oakley (2-21 off seven) were also multiple wicket-takers.
South Portland d Gorae-Portland
SOUTH Portland has continued its great form to start the season with another win, this time at home over local rival, Gorae-Portland, by 10 wickets at Cavalier Park, with Scott Martin’s 91-not-out driving them to victory.
Go-Ports won the toss and decided to bat first, however, it was South who got off to a hot start, with vice-captain, Shaun Lench, claiming three early scalps, while Rory Barry also pitched in with a wicket of his own to have Go-Ports at 4-34.
The visitors fought back through Nedbi MacDonald, who scored a patient 48-not-out to steady the ship, with Andre Wallace (24) and Sam Atchison (14-not-out) by his side as they made their way to 6-124 after their 44-over allotment.
However, South was in full control from the get-go in their reply with the bat, as Martin once again led from the front scoring at a blistering pace, making it to 91 off just 78 deliveries, while Barry (14-not-out) held up the other end.
With 142 runs on the season so far and having yet to be dismissed, Martin is shaping up for a big season if this level of form continues.
Portland Colts dw Macarthur
PORTLAND Colts were also most likely hard done by in their match - after making 4-193 from their 45 overs they had Macarthur at 4-82 after 21.2 overs - before the game was abandoned and points were split.
Luke Evans continued his extraordinary form with the bat to start the season, making 55 before being dismissed for the first time this season after making 168 runs on the year so far.
Daniel Kinghorn and Mat Belden also impressed in Colts’ innings, making 50 and 44 (both not out) to help Colts to a very strong total.
In Macarthur’s innings, it was Damien Bell who produced the goods for Colts, claiming 3-11 (including both openers bowled) from 5.2 overs before the game had to be called off.
Jeremy Sheehan’s 40 held the Demons’ innings together at the top of the order.
