By DAVID NAGEL
REIGNING premier Tooradin proved it’s the team to beat for this season’s West Gippsland Premier Division crown after a dominant bowling display against Merinda Park (147) on Saturday.
The round four re-match of last season’s grand final was supposed to be a hard-fought affair … but the Seagulls exposed the Cobras top-order with disciplined bowling and a brilliant display on the field.
“That was the best we’ve bowled in a couple of years,” Tooradin skipper Aaron Avery said.
“Our fielding was great too – we didn’t give them any easy runs.”
The star of the show for the Seagulls was Lang Lang recruit Bodie Brown (6/51), the former Swampie has made the transition to the top-flight with ease and did damage at both ends of the day.
He removed dangerous duo Andrew Martin (11) and Jess Mathers (4) early before claiming the last four wickets to fall.
“He was just bowling nice and full, with a touch of outswing and it was great to see,” Avery said.
The Cobras lower-order of Anthony Craddock (27), Danny Diwell (20) and Craig Boswell (17) did well to lift the visitors to a semi-competitive score after being precariously placed at 6/58.
Kooweerup’s (9/286cc) champion opener Chris O’Hara (116) has done it again — a brilliant century guiding the Demons to a seemingly impregnable position after day-one of their clash with Emerald.
O’Hara watched his skipper Michael Giles (23) depart after a 33-run opening stand before sharing a quality 103-run union with Shane Dole (49). Scott Clark (47) then controlled the tempo late in the day, despite the efforts of Trent Rolfs (3/84 off 22) who never gave up the fight.
Pakenham (0/24) certainly took its time gaining the ascendency against Upper Beaconsfield (167) but, by day’s end, would have been well pleased with its performance.
Luke Willis (49) and Dan Brennan (40) had the Maroons cruising at 1/91, and even at 4/149 the visitors looked set to post a competitive score. Lions bowlers in Jesse Hayhow (4/26), Dom Paynter (2/26) and Shannon Mitchell (2/31) had other ideas however and decimated the Maroons lower-order, taking 6/18 to round out the innings.
An even contribution from Cardinia’s (7/238cc) middle-order has the Bulls well-placed for victory against bottom-side Pakenham Upper/Toomuc.
Simon Parrott (46), John Nooy (44), Ryan DeReus and miracle-man Luke Turner (27) all chimed in with valuable runs after tea to stave off Blake McGrath (2/30), Luke Gunton (2/50) and co.
District
NNG/Maryknoll 0/3 v Lyndhurst Vikings 238 (K McLeod 3/37, C. Lewis 2/12, J. Hodson 2/22).
Cranbourne Meadows 176 (T. Sheperdson 5/59, T.M. Roscoe 2/40, C. Shepherdson 2/49) v SFX Old Collegians 0/33. Beaconsfield 0/12 v Devon Meadows 174 (D O’Brien 46, D. Steet 31, G.A. Scales 3/31, M. Meehan 3/50, J. Dodd 2/27).
Clyde 3/48 (J. Bethune 3/19 v Catani 137 (J. Miller 38, J. Young 33, D. Williams 2/4, K. Brooke 2/19, J. Avard 2/22, P. Lawson 2/30).
Sub-District
Cardinia v Clyde 269 (K. Peries 78, A. Buller 57, S. Webster 45, K. Avard 36, R. Little 5/79, A.L. Nooy 2/11).
Lang Lang 7/42 (L. Adams 3/17) v Tooradin 67 (C. Fulton 3/16, S. Cole 3/30, R. Caddell 2/8, C. Adderley 2/13).
Upper Beaconsfield 177 (P. Brennan 71, J. Bayard 54, T.A. Kapoor 5/40, T. Lehman 2/47) v Pakenham 0/9. Officer 0/34 v Nyora 198 (J. Quinn 5/1, P. Singh 4/58).
