By DAVID NAGEL
PAKENHAM’s (9/151) faint hopes of playing WGCA Premier Division finals cricket have been dashed after the Lions went down to Merinda Park (6/156) at Toomuc Reserve on Saturday.
A huge crowd turned out to watch the important day-night contest, which the fifth-placed Lions needed to win to draw within two games of the top four. They are now three games out with just four rounds remaining.
Merinda Park batted first with Andrew Martin (42), Anthony Craddock (36) and Glen Ward (33) the mainstays of the innings. Martin and Ward built an important 68-run stand for the fifth-wicket that stole back the momentum after the Lions had taken three quick wickets for 11 runs.
Russ Lehman (29) and Bradey Welsh (24) then got the Lions off to a solid start in reply, but Craig Boswell (2/28) and Dylan Cuthbertson (2/34) produced some magic with the ball to restrict the Lions to a losing score. Pakenham captain Jason Williams (40) nearly got his side across the line.
Kooweerup’s (5/197) champion opener Chris O’Hara (80 not out) has piloted the Demons to one of the wins of the season in a last-ball thriller against Tooradin (5/196).
Needing four runs to win off the last two balls, O’Hara lofted Ash Adams back over his head for two before top-edging the last ball of the match past wicket-keeper Tom Hussey’s gloves to give his side a memorable victory.
Hussey (64) and Cal O’Hare (58 not out) had earlier batted beautifully for the Seagulls while Michael Giles (33) and Matt Bright (32) played key roles in the Demons’ run-chase.
A rare hat-trick from Upper Beaconsfield (137) medium-pacer Kyle Gibbs was the highlight of a surprisingly competitive affair between the Maroons and WGCA ladder-leader Cardinia (6/155) at Upper Beaconsfield on Saturday.
Gibbs joins Pakenham young-gun Zac Chaplin on the unique honour-roll this season after claiming the wickets of Simon Parrott (26), Mark Andolfatto (2) and Brayden Browne (0).
“It’s something you dream about as a bowler I suppose but it happened so quickly, I wasn’t even expecting to bowl,” a humble Gibbs said after his achievement.
Gibbs’ late flurry, at the end of the 36th and start of the 38th overs, couldn’t stop the Bulls from posting a competitive total with their mercurial skipper Neil Barfuss (78 not out) once again leading the way.
Barfuss and Parrott were joined by Daniel Strahan (28) as the three main contributors to the innings, while Gibbs (3/10) and Tommy Tyrrell (2/23) led an under-rated Maroons’ attack.
The home-side started well in reply with Robert North (57) and Tyrrell (21) adding a 36-run stand to their debut century opening partnership against Tooradin last week.
North’s wicket was the key one for the Bulls, who looked behind the eight-ball as the home side worked its way to 5/134.
But the Maroons’ lower order remains brittle -and it fractured in a big way after North’s dismissal- losing 5/3, including the last four wickets for no run to throw away a golden opportunity.
Ben Darose (3/13), Barfuss (3/20) and Travis Welsh (2/26) stood firm under fire for the Bulls.
Beaconsfield (8/129) veterans Don Kerslake and Geoff Bliss celebrated their 300th games, but the party was spoiled by Emerald (6/131) at Perc Allison Oval.
Nathan Bownds (3/18) was superb for the Bombers early before Mark Alenson (49) steered the visitors to their third win of the season. Jarrod Williams (48 and 2/17) was best for the still winless Tigers.
