By David Nagel
Even by his own lofty standards…the first four balls of the top-of-the-table clash between Kooweerup (4/266) and Tooradin (194) were quite extraordinary for champion opening batter Chris Bright (58 off 39 balls) on Saturday.
The battle between Bright and Tooradin opening bowler Brad Butler (1-0-21-1) had the potential to be one of the most explosive contests of the season, with the most aggressive opening bat in CCCA cricket taking on the quickest bowler in the comp; with an equally destructive mindset.
Within four balls; Bright had prevailed by a TKO decision!
Six, four, six, four; the Demons were well and truly on the front foot after Bright pounded his flag in the ground early.
Hitting square of the wicket is the ‘modus operandi’ for the Kooweerup top-order, who sweat on anything short or slightly wide as they look to capitalise on the key scoring areas at Denhams Road.
Butler, and his captain Mick Sweeney, knew the risks, but a short ball on the hip – the first ball of the match – was despatched over the square-leg boundary for six.
A similar delivery then followed, hit in the same direction for four, before Bright produced his opening over ‘piece de resistance’…cracking a short wide delivery over the point boundary for a maximum!
A flick over gully for four, off the following Butler thunderbolt, had the Demons off to flyer…0/20 off four balls!
All four deliveries were too short…with the third and fourth deliveries having the added blemish of being too wide.
Butler would bowl just two more deliveries for the match, with a Bright single off the last ball of the first over ending an imposing set of six at 0/21.
The Seagulls were chasing their tails from that point forward in the match.
Bright continued the carnage, bringing up his fifty with just the 31st ball of his innings after stepping across his stumps and thumping a Kallan Braid-Ball delivery through mid-wicket for four.
The Demons were 0/73 after 8.2 overs, with the sweet sound from Bright’s bat giving an indication that there would be plenty more to come.
Fortunately for the Seagulls, there would be only one more significant blow from the blade of Bright, who pulled Shane Somers (8-0-57-1) for four before ‘chopping on’ off the next delivery.
But the Demons were 1/82 off exactly 10 overs and well on their way to an impressive total.
Demons’s skipper Luke McMaster (65 off 61) then took control of the ‘second quarter’ of the innings, cracking seven boundaries and one six on his way to a mighty-fine half century…backing up his 145 not out against Cardinia before Christmas.
With McMaster steering the ship the Demons scored 0/62 off the second block of 10, but his demise, holing out to Brad Butler off the bowling of Josh Lownds (8-0-26-2), gave the Seagulls a foot in the door.
Overs 21 to 30 were reined in by the Seagulls, who took 2/27 during that period of play.
Lownds and Dylan Sutton (8-0-34-0) bowled wonderfully well in tandem to restrict the scoring rate.
Gamini Kumara (50 not out off 53) and Steven Dillon (47 off 53) then upped the ante heading towards the dinner break.
Considering the fast start, the Gulls would have been content with a score of 3/202 off 35 overs…with Russell Lehman (4-0-47-0) returning after going for 30 off three overs in the early onslaught.
Lehman has been one of the most economical bowlers in the last 15 years of WGCA/CCCA cricket and the decision to bring him back certainly appeared a wise call.
But even the champions have an off day, with Lehman going for 17 off his fourth and final over as Kumara and Dillon launched a savage last-five-over attack.
The Demons would score 64 from the last five, with overs of 17, 11, 10, 13 and 13 giving them all sorts of momentum heading into tea.
Cal O’Hare (47 off 35) threatened the Demons early with back-to-back sixes off Adam McMaster (7.2-1-46-2) from the third over of the innings, but the loss of regular wickets inevitably stalled that momentum.
Tom Hussey (33 off 44), Evans (32 off 51) and Somers (20 off 16) all made valuable contributions, but the Gulls were always in deficit when it came to the required run-rate.
Dillon (8-1-36-3) capped off a fine game for the Demons with three wickets, while Matt Bright (8-0-36-1) took the wicket of O’Hare to effectively end the game as a contest.
Bright, his captain Luke McMaster, and Cardinia skipper Dean Henwood are the only bowlers in Premier Division to have claimed wickets in eight games this season.
While Kooweerup and Tooradin still look certainties to finish top-two and host ‘home’ semi-finals, the ramifications of this win are huge for the undefeated Demons.
They face a tough challenge against Pakenham at Toomuc Reserve this week, but then face the bottom four teams over the remainder of the season.
Top-place now looks theirs for the taking, and a likely ‘home’ grand final if they do get that far.
Their bowling is dangerous, having taken at least 10 wickets in every game – except against Clyde in round two – while their batting is perfectly suited to the short-square boundaries at Denhams Road.
Two-day finals cricket will suit the Seagulls better, and they did play on Saturday without gun-recruit Peter Sweeney.
But his brother Mick has 10 weeks to find an answer…how to stop the Demons; or a remarkable ninth flag in 15 years could be headed to Kooweerup!
CLYDE 7/247 DEF MERINDA PARK 221
Corks were popping at Ramlegh Reserve on Saturday after Clyde (7/247) scored its first victory of the season – and kept its Premier Division hopes alive – with a 26-run triumph over Merinda Park (221).
The Cougars had three competitive outings to start the season, against premiership contenders Pakenham and Kooweerup – and Carlisle Park – but have since been non-competitive in four consecutive losses.
These two teams met in a two-day clash in round seven, with Clyde making 9/220 before the Cobras reply was washed-out on day two.
Despite the recent success against his bowling attack, Merinda Park skipper Mat Campbell was forced to bowl first, after winning the toss, with Liam and Tyson Bertrand both required to leave early, due to a family function.
The Cougars got off to a rock-solid start with Trevor Bauer (67 off 81) and Michael Vandort (26 off 38) scoring 35 runs after 10 overs, with Vandort the first to go with the score on 47.
Bauer and Teddy Fonseka (69 off 72) then set sail with an 83-run stand for the second wicket before Bauer became the second wicket for Raveen Kadirahettiarachchi (7-0-37-2).
The partnership between Bauer and Fonseka included 19 runs from the 26th over of the innings…with eight of those coming off one ball.
A tickle to fine leg resulted in three runs, with Cobras’ keeper Adam Fisher forced to chase the ball to the boundary.
Fisher’s return throw was off target, hitting his own resting helmet and resulting in a five-run penalty.
Fonseka and Brett Reid (43 off 33) then lifted the tempo with a 74-run partnership for the third wicket, before Nick Miles (20 off 13) put the late icing on a beautifully-baked cake.
Merinda Park was quickly two-down in reply.
Ankush Rana (7.5-0-38-2) had Rumesh Ranasinghe (1) trapped in front before Max Adams (8-2-40-3) had Kadirahettiarachchi (8) caught by Bauer to claim the first of his three poles.
Daniel McCalman (86) and Cambell Bryan (89) then shared a 167-run stand for the third wicket to bring the Cougars back into the contest.
Cougars’ skipper Zac Davis set defensive fields during the partnership, content to save boundaries instead of chasing wickets.
The plan worked in the end, with McCalman and Bryan picking off ones and twos, but scoring just 64 of their combined 175 runs in boundaries.
Fisher (24) was the only other player in double figures as Rana, Adams and Daniel Lever (8-0-33-2) bowled their team to victory.
The Cougars batted two short, with the Bertrand boys not used at the top of the order despite dealing with a restricted timeline.
Davis was delighted to finally taste victory; one that extricated his team from the bottom of the CCCA Premier Division table.
“We are hell-bent on not going down (being relegated), we don’t want to go down to District, we want to be up with the big boys in Premier and challenging the best sides,” Davis said.
“We had a big heart-to-heart after the last game before Christmas, after a bad loss to Pakenham, and a few of the boys told a few home truths.
“It wasn’t anything personal; we just had a good chat amongst each other and decided we need to be better.
“We needed to train better, prepare better, and we had a super week on the track before this week’s game.
“We made it a big focus, we put in a heap of work and our intensity went through the roof.
“We just carried that through to Saturday and everyone turned up with a really positive energy.
“We changed our mindset; knew we were going to win; it was just a matter of how we went about it.
“The new mindset and attitude obviously worked on the weekend.”
Davis made no apologies for his defensive strategies in the field.
“We played a defensive game-plan, knowing we had a big score,” he explained.
“We got a couple of quick ones, and then Danners (McCalman) and Cambell (Bryan) batted really well, but we probably allowed more singles than we normally would because we had a big target to defend.
“It was all about saving boundaries, setting the ring deep, and making sure the ball didn’t get through.
“They batted really well, and at one stage they were right in the game, but it just felt like too big a task for those guys to get 120 each.
“We just hung in there, waited for our chances to come, and then squeezed the new bats when they came in.”
The Cougars head to Devon Meadows this week, while Merinda Park will look to alleviate itself from the relegation zone in a home game against bottom-placed Carlisle Park.
CARDINIA 5/224 DEF DEVON MEADOWS 7/195
Cardinia (5/224) has continued its journey on the roller-coaster of success after the Bulls rolled Devon Meadows (7/195) in a crucial clash for both clubs at Gunton Oval on Saturday.
After nine rounds the Bulls are yet to win or lose two consecutive games, with Saturday’s triumph seeing Dean Henwood’s outfit leap-frog the Panthers into fourth place on the ladder.
A loss would have been devastating for Cardinia; slipping two games outside the top four.
Henwood called correctly and elected to bat first, a decision that backfired in the early stages of the contest.
Morteza Ali (6), Alex Nooy (13) and Bradey Welsh (14) were all back in the sheds with the score on 45, before Travis Wheller (57 off 75) put his new-found maturity to the test.
The Panthers were delighted to get Ali early in particular, after he made 154 not out against the same attack in round seven!
Wheller initially matched motors with Jacobus Hynes (19 off 22) in a well-balanced partnership that delivered 34 runs.
But with Hynes departing with the score at 4/79…Wheller still required an ally.
And he certainly found one in Matt Welsh (87 not out off 77 balls).
Welsh showed signs of his potential with 56 against the Panthers earlier in the campaign, but Saturday’s knock was definitely his break-out innings for the season.
He cracked 10 fours and one towering six, taking the pressure off Wheller as each ball sailed to the boundary.
Their 88-run stand was just what the doctor ordered, at precisely the right time, with the Panthers chipping their way towards the Bulls’ mid-to-lower order.
Dan Salvato (16 not out) joined Welsh, taking a back seat in an unbroken 57-run partnership in six overs to finish off the innings.
The Panthers required 225 to win.
Openers Will Halton (50 off 89) and gun-skipper Lucas Ligt (50 off 47) got the Panthers off to the perfect start, sharing a 94-run union before Ligt fell LBW to Ali (8-1-28-1) in the 18th over.
The Panthers required six runs per over from that point forward in the match.
The fact that Ligt was the only player in the top-six to score at better than a run-a-ball gives an indication of what happened next.
Nathan Worsteling (20 off 25) and Jakeb McVicar (23 off 29) showed promising signs for the visitors, but the Bulls had too many steady hands with the ball.
Tidy spells from Ali, Josh Browne (8-2-27-1), Wheller (8-1-32-1) and Henwood (8-0-41-2) steered the Bulls to an important victory.
The loss ends a three-game winning streak for the Panthers, who are still a genuine chance of playing finals in their first season back in the top flight.
The Bulls head to Westernport this week to take on a rebounding Tooradin, while the Panthers will look to bounce back in a home game against a rejuvenated Clyde.
PAKENHAM 3/176 DEF CARLISLE PARK 148
Bigger and broader questions are about to be asked of Pakenham (3/176) – but Dale Tormey and his Lions simply did what they had to do against Carlisle Park (148) at Toomuc Reserve on Saturday.
The Lions looked destined for a second washout in three rounds against the now bottom-placed Vikings, after rain ruined the second day of their round seven match-up…and threatened to do so again.
Ben Perry sent the Lions into bat, with Jack Anning (28 off 45) and Chris Smith (37 off 54) seeing off the new ball and looking comfortable at the crease.
Drizzling rain refused to go away as Anning showed his growing repertoire with the willow.
He neatly tucked Jaan Balasuriya over slips and gully for fours, while his leg-glancing was also boosting his account.
Smith was looking his usual classy self, with a flick over mid-wicket for four being the highlight shot in the opening 12 overs of play.
Anning’s demise…in the 13th over…well, you could see it coming!
He played and missed at a shooting delivery from Ethan Davies (7-0-35-1) before swinging and missing at the next.
He then had his stumps steamrolled by a ball that kept low and appeared to cut back into his stumps.
The Lions were 1/56 off 12.5 overs, with Anning’s dismissal triggering a 95-minute break in play.
Rob Elston (34), Dom Paynter (24) and Stuart Johnson (22 not out) then ensured the Lions had a decent total to defend in the Vikings’ 32-over reply.
The Vikings were never really in the hunt, with Davies (29), Duke Miller (24) and Dean Lyddy (20) the only players to work their way into the twenties.
Tom Tyrrell (7-1-29-1), Marcus Martini (6-0-37-2) and Tormey (7-1-30-2) ensured the Lions would secure the 12 points, before young-leggie Jordan Seers (2.4-0-11-4) cashed in late with a four-wicket haul from 16 balls as the Vikings swung hard and often.
Pakenham has bounced back well after consecutive losses to Kooweerup and Devon Meadows, with wins over Clyde and Carlisle Park, either side of the Christmas break.
The Lions face the ultimate test this week; hosting a rampaging Kooweerup, before rounding out their season with games against Devon Meadows, Merinda Park, Cardinia and Tooradin.
Meanwhile, the Vikings have a glaring weakness.
Saturday was the fifth time this season they have taken three wickets or less in an innings, with their bowling stocks exposed as thin.
They’ll need to make early inroads when heading to Merinda Park on Saturday.
