By Tyler Lewis and Jonty Ralphsmith
A GRADE
It was a round of thrashings in A Grade of Casey Cardinia Cricket Association.
Kooweerup, Tooradin and Pakenham all secured big wins, while Cardinia’s win over Merinda Park was the only match to resemble a contest.
After posting 176 last week, Clyde was no match for Kooweerup, with the Demons charging on to a mammoth score of 9/302.
It was a matter of who and how many for the Demons, as each of the top six reached 26 or more.
Brannon Harrison was the best of the lot however, crunching 70 from just 79 balls with 12 fours and one towering six.
Clyde’s William Round fought hard with the ball, claiming 2/28 from 15 overs.
Tooradin (8/278 off 57) too batted well beyond its required total before sending Carlisle Park back in pursuit of maximum points.
Each batter inside the Gulls top eight all reached double-figures, as they took a lead of 221 into the second innings.
Tooradin proceeded to make light work of the Vikings, courtesy of a magical spell from Shane Somers, who remarkably didn’t bowl in the first innings.
Somers finished with 5/27 from 13 overs, as the Gulls dismissed the Vikings for just 114 in the 50th over.
A Tommy Tyrrell inspired Pakenham, meanwhile, eventually defeated Officer with ease, despite posting a lean first innings score.
The Lions managed just 139 in the first innings, but rolled through the Bullants for 88 as Tyrrell snared 5/17 from 17 overs.
In the ‘tightest’ game of the round, Cardinia surpassed Merinda Park by five wickets.
The Bulls chased down the Cobras’ 7/127 inside 36 overs with five wickets in hand.
The match was transformed to a one-day game, after conditions last week derailed the two-day return.
B GRADE
Despite a late scare, Upper Beaconsfield held its nerve to clinch an impressive victory over Emerald.
The Maroons posted just 138 last week, but managed to collect early wickets and place immense pressure on the Bombers.
At one stage, the Bombers sunk to 6/33, courtesy of some neat bowling from youngster Tyler Astle (20-12-3-24).
The Bombers fought back into the match through Sam Booth, who struck 53 batting from number eight.
Booth’s knock almost stole victory for Emerald, but the task ultimately proved to be too great, with the Maroons finishing the home side off 13 runs shy of the target.
Clyde, meanwhile, completed an expected victory, defeating Tooradin by 166 runs.
The Cougars piled on 312 last week and restricted the Gulls to 166 and called the game in the 48th over.
Clyde used eight bowlers with five of them jagging a wicket.
Though Pakenham Upper Toomuc fielded a side in the bowling innings last Saturday, the Yabbies forfeited overnight to Cranbourne Meadows.
Chaisng just 160 and already being 1/43, the Yabbies were in a sublime position.
Devon Meadows had the bye.
C GRADE
Batters beware.
The C Grade competition was owned by bowlers on Saturday, with a trio of hauls with five wickets or more.
NNG/Maryknoll’s medium-pacer Ash Bailey capped off one of the most extraordinary performances with yet another amazing accomplishment.
Bailey – who claimed 9/14 last week – was tossed the ball once again in the second innings of his sides clash with Cardinia and he completed the task once again.
With 68 runs to play with, the Marygoons plowed through the Bulls with for 60.
And for Bailey, well… he took 5/28.
Winning a comfortable outright, Bailey finished with match figures: 24.2 overs, 15 maidens, 14/42.
After taking just one wicket in his first four outings, Bailey’s season bowling average is down from 59 to 6.73 in just one match.
Bailey didn’t have the figures of the weekend however, with Officer’s James Quinn grabbing a stunning 8/28 from his 18.5 overs.
The much-loved Bullants figure stormed through the Lang Lang line-up, after his side posted 7/181 in the first innings.
Quinn steered the Bullants to victory by rolling the Swamp Tigers for 134.
Devon Meadows’ David Fisher didn’t miss out on the fun either, collecting a Michelle of his own.
With 197 to defend, Fisher jagged 5/39 from 20.1 overs to guide his Panthers to victory.
Panthers’ skipper Corey Coupar had no intention of taking Fisher off, as his star bowler bowled the entire set from one end on the hop.
D GRADE
Emerald was able to claim an outright win over Cardinia on the weekend, bowling the Bulls out twice for below 100.
Set an imposing 305 for victory, Cardinia was no chance once the 23-run opening stand was broken, as it opened the floodgates for Emerald to feast on.
First change bowler Alex Barbour did the most damage in Cardinia’s first innings, claiming 4/12 from 3.2 overs.
Cardinia was skittled for just 65 inside 18 overs; only three batters reached double figures and they didn’t fare much better the second time around.
This time, extras top-scored with 17 in the total of 70, Barbour claiming another three wickets from his 5.2 overs.
Jack Scalora, opening the bowling, took three wickets in each innings.
The second innings lasted 21.2 overs.
Meanwhile, a score of 67 from Steve Pursell for Officer turbocharged the Bullants to 7/157 declared against Pakenham.
Having already claimed the first innings win after bowling Pakenham out for just 52 the previous week, Officer sought an outright win.
Jake Webster got an immediate breakthrough in Pakenham’s second innings to have the Lions on the ropes, but they recovered and dug deep to remain five down at the day’s conclusion, avoiding the outright defeat.
In the other game, Clyde was never a chance in pursuit of Kooweerup’s 362, as it was bowled out for just 74 – the only form of resistance being a 116-ball 26 from Shelton Nathan.
Adam Wilkinson (3/15 off 10) and Gerrad Gilmore (0/12 off eight) were dominant opening the bowling before 1.4 over spell to Campbell Wood netted him 4/2 and finished the game off.
E GRADE
Lang Lang got over the line in a tight chase against Pakenham Upper Toomuc.
Defending just 123, it was always going to be about wickets for the visitors and a five-for to Jonathon Rewell gave his side a fighting chance.
Rewell claimed the top five men in Lang Lang’s batting line-up but it didn’t prove enough, despite denying the Yabbies to form a formidable partnership.
Contributions from Nicholas Peake (31 off 81), Tangata Dean (24 off 9) and Shaun McLean (36) saw them to a two-wicket victory off 59 overs.
Ray Perkins was the star of the show for Pakenham against NNG/Maryknoll, taking 6/6 off eight overs, a spell which included five maidens.
He ran through the Marygoons’ middle order, denying them a shot of victory in pursuit of 174 as Pakenham won by 62 runs.
F GRADE
Merinda Park proved too strong for Upper Beaconsfield, winning by five wickets with 24 balls remaining.
A 90-run opening partnership between Michael Blaby (38) and Glen Ward (51) set the game up for Merinda Park, before Ward’s dismissal brought about three more wickets in a relatively short time.
But a steadying 28 to Rodney Morrison, to go with Gerard Healy’s 29, both unbeaten, got Merinda Park to victory.
In the other game: Devon Meadows, led by an unbeaten 102 to Ryan Hosking which contained 19 fours, outclassed Pakenham.
Needing 135 to win, Jason Brzezowski hit nine fours on his way to 49 in an entertaining opening partnership that put Devon Meadows in the driver’s seat.
Brzezowski’s dismissal brought the centurion to the crease, who combined with Lee Thomas (67) for a 156 run partnership which allowed the hosts to declare and seek a sneaky outright.
But both Pakenham openers survived 20 overs to put paid to those hopes.
