By RUSSELL BENNETT and JARROD POTTER
WEST GIPPSLAND CRICKET ASSOCIATION – ROUND 2 REVIEW
NEW Upper Beaconsfield Premier skipper Chris Savage showed exactly what can happen when given an early life on Saturday.
Dropped soon after coming to the crease, he went on to record a sparkling 86 not out to help his side to what turned out to be a winning 5/197 from its 40 overs against Pakenham at Toomuc Reserve.
Lions skipper Jason Williams won the toss and put the visitors in, and the decision paid early dividends with in-form opener Julian Bayard (7) dismissed by spinner Jesse Hayhow.
New Upper Beaconsfield recruit, wicket-keeper batsman Jake Serong (14) soon followed and at 2/38 it seemed Pakenham would make light work of last season’s Premier strugglers.
But last season’s strugglers could be this season’s surprise-packet.
Savage combined with fellow newcomer, opener Robert North (38) for a 70-run stand to set up their side’s total.
A valuable 32 from spin bowling all-rounder Scott Pitcher – who missed practically all of last season through injury – formed a key part of another lasting partnership involving Savage and at the end of their 40 overs, the visitors were in prime position for their second win in as many weeks.
Hayhow was the pick of the Lions’ attack with 3/14 but, aside from Chaplin (1/27), just didn’t get enough support – particularly with gun all-rounder Chris Smith nursing a hip injury and unable to bowl.
Smith’s (7) torrid individual start to the season continued with the bat, removed early – bowled by Savage.
Russ Lehman (43) and Jack Anning (38) then set about the chase but despite their 67-run stand found momentum hard to come by.
A less than ideal run rate piled pressure on the rest of the line-up which, aside from Williams’s 53, failed to fire a shot.
Ultimately Lehman, Anning and Williams were the only Lions batsmen to reach double figures as Will Haines (3/33), Tommy Tyrrell (3/34) and Savage (2/37) worked their magic in restricting the home side to just 9/172 from their 40 overs and leaving it winless to start the season.
SUB-DISTRICT
LANG Lang’s Glenn Easton (7/19) feasted on Lion meat after a scintillating spell destroyed Pakenham (9/83 cc).
Matt Welsh (21) held up his end of the bargain while his team mates were fed to Easton’s burgeoning wicket tally one by one.
The only real fight after Welsh came as Aaron Beveridge (20 not out) and captain Shannon Mitchell (10 not out) batted out the overs and gave some respectability to the Lions’ cause.
The Lang Lang response came and went quickly as Hayden Laidlaw (33 not out) and Jess Grima (21) finished the job.
