By DAVID NAGEL
A SEAMLESS spell of bowling from Merinda Park’s Jess Mathers was the sensational highlight of round three of West Gippsland Premier Division Cricket on Saturday.
In fact … it wasn’t seamless … Mathers’ masterful use of swing and cut proved too much for Upper Beaconsfield (100) to handle, the Maroons sitting ducks as Mathers took 8/5 – with six maidens – in eight overs of devastation.
Mathers’ brilliant spell protected the Cobras; impressive score of 200, built on the back of solid innings from Jarrod Armitage (40), Danny Diwell (38) and opener Jason Pongracic (31).
Tooradin’s (2/124) top-versus-bottom clash with Pakenham Upper-Toomuc (122) proved a breeze for the Seagulls, rounding up the Yabbies total in just 27 overs of calm and compliant batting. Tom Hussey (61) and Brenton Adams (32 not out) were the architects of the chase, capping off the good work of Aaron Avery (3/17), Adams (2/13) and Cal O’Hare (2/25) from earlier in the day. Stephen Boltong and Ben Clough made 23 runs each … preventing the Yabbies innings from turning into a rout.
Pakenham (1/118), with Dom Paynter (4/27) in form with the ball and Russ Lehman (54no) and Chris Smith (47) solid with the bat, proved too good for Emerald (9/115), while Kooweerup (8/158cc) joined the Seagulls and Cobras on the undefeated list after a hard-fought win over Cardinia (6/150).
WGCA Premier Division Ladder
P W L PTS %
Tooradin 3 3 0 36 1.87
Kooweerup 3 3 0 36 1.64
Merinda Park 3 3 0 36 1.42
Pakenham 3 2 1 24 3.14
Emerald 3 1 2 12 .87
Cardinia 3 0 3 0 .65
Upper Beaconsfield 3 0 3 0 .56
PUT 3 0 3 0 .16
District
NNG/Maryknoll 3/82 (J. Lownds 30, T. Keily 2/26) d Catani 81 (J. Lownds 5/15, S. Somers 2/13).
Cranbourne Meadows 5/209(cc) (B. Murdoch 61*, S. Murdoch 49, J. Broomhall 29, N. Miles 2/54) d Clyde 105 (L.J. Murdoch 5/33, J. Emery 2/25).
Devon Meadows 6/258 (L. Sibley 77, S. Robinson 68, D. Steet 54, C. Leslie 30, B.T. Hunt 3/46) d SFX Old Collegians 167 (C. Shepherdson 61, B. Reiner 44, J. Collins 27, L. Carroll 3/35, P. Zauner 2/46).
Beaconsfield 6/211(cc) (B.N. Johnson 60, G. Marinic 50, R. O’Connor 40, J. Williams 25, A.L. Straughair 4/41) d Lyndhurst Vikings 9/209 (A. Bajwa 84, M. Henry 30, M. Meehan 4/25, J. Williams 2/27).
Sub-District
Cardinia 1/151 (A.L. Nooy 101*, D Salvato 34*) d Nyora 138 (A. Collis 36, D.S. Morrison 25, R. Little 3/16, T. Wheller 2/9, J. Browne 2/30).
Officer 7/142 (B.J. Nielsen 42, P. Singh 36*, B. Reid 31, R. Caddell 3/25, C. Fulton 2/28) d Lang Lang 7/138(cc) (R. Caddell 30, G. Andrews 27*, W. Wykes 26*, A. Reid 4/17).
Tooradin 4/231(cc) (B.A. Sauer 56, J. Thompson 54, M. Ralph 30*, A. Adams 25*, J. Wright 3/63) d Pakenham 6/180 (S. Webster 64, J. Wright 36, C. Pettit 33*, L. Adams 4/20).
Clyde 5/211(cc) (S. Webster 62, K. Avard 49, S. Jack 45, P. Matthews 2/20) d Upper Beaconsfield 137 (A. Haythorpe 48, C. Cutler 42, P. Lawson 4/16, J. Leontini 2/3, B. Reilly 2/31).
For a full coverage of this week’s WGCA action, grab a copy of the Pakenham/Berwick Gazette.
