West Gippsland Warriors player Clinton Marsh threw himself into this chase against Kyabram on Monday. The Warriors need a big finish to the week to make Friday’s final. 77208
By David Nagel
THE West Gippsland Warriors are living on the edge after splitting the first two matches of their 2012 Country Week campaign against Kyabram and Ferntree Gully earlier this week.
The Warriors (9/168 dec) got their week rolling in impressive style on Monday with a comfortable win over Kyabram (122 and 2/29) at Central Reserve, Waverley.
Warriors skipper Aaron Avery won the toss and sent Kyabram into bat on a pitch that had been covered all weekend and would improve as the day unfolded.
Avery threw the ball to his Tooradin team mates Callum O’Hare and Lukas Hoogenboom and a gruelling week of cricket was under way.
The Warriors had the run-rate under control throughout Kyabram’s innings but it wasn’t until the introduction of Spin-Twins Dwayne Doig and Sugeesha Dinushan that the wickets began to tumble.
Kyabram’s Alex Young was looking dangerous and at 3/92 the run-rate was improving but Doig put a halt to that with a brilliant caught and bowled. From there Doig and Dinushan took over.
The pair ripped the heart out of the Kyabram mid to lower order claiming four wickets for just 10 runs.
Doig’s right arm mix of pace and flight had the opposition in a spin while Dinushan’s darty left armers were the perfect foil for the Country Week stalwart.
Kyabram’s last wicket fell on 122 in the 50th over with Doig (4/22 off 10), Dinushan (2/16 off 10) and O’Hare (2/16 off 10) the pick of the bowlers.
The Warriors smallish run-chase didn’t start well but was soon on track as Hussey (43), AJ Walker (31), Dom Paynter (23) and O’Hare (19) all found form for the week ahead.
On Tuesday the Warriors (118) took on Ferntree Gully (7/163) at the Bayswater Oval and Avery once again sent the opposition in on a greenish wicket.
At 5/54 the Warriors were all smiles and looked headed for its second straight win but its opponents then rallied to register a competitive score.
O’Hare (3/17 off 10) continued his brilliant recent form with a spell that included five maidens while the brave Mick Floyd chimed in with a crucial wicket.
In reply the Warriors found themselves in a similar predicament to its opponent, slumping to 5/35 but couldn’t build partnerships to challenge the required total.
Pakenham’s Dinushan (44) top-scored for the Warriors while Ollie Brown (26) and Clinton Marsh (22) stays at the crease were hard-hitting but brief.
