By RUSSELL BENNETT
WEST GIPPSLAND CRICKET ASSOCIATION
REVIEW – ROUND 12 (day 2)
PAKENHAM (6/171) recovered from a disastrous 5/13 to claim a gritty four- wicket win at Toomuc Reserve over Beaconsfield (158) on Saturday.
Resuming at a perilous 4/6 at the start of the second day’s play, the home side lost young gun Zac Chaplin for a duck early, before Bradey Welsh and Russell Lehman combined for a 100-run stand to steady the ship.
Lehman recorded his seventh score of 35 or above this season with a superb unbeaten 63, while Welsh (60) scored his second half-century of the season.
The two were batting down the order, with some of the Lions’ younger brigade getting a chance in the top five.
“We were always going to give the young boys a bat up the order anyway,” Lions skipper Jason Williams said.
“(But) a few doubts were starting to creep in, and we could have been seven or eight down for not many but Welshy and Russ batted a treat.
“We knew we had the 80 overs to bat. I just told the boys to bat the time and put away the bad balls.
“Bradey was dropped twice, but he was really disciplined and Russ was just in that mind frame that he was going to bat all day.”
Williams, who finished on 24 not out, paid credit to the Beaconsfield attack, which he said made life tough at the crease.
“They bowled good areas and we had to work hard to get the runs,” he said.
“Us senior guys had to take the responsibility and Welshy wanted to show what he’s really all about.
“He hits the ball so well, but he just finds ways of getting out.
“He’s (got the talent of) a 400 to 500-run batsman per season and that innings was a good reward for him.”
As for Lehman, Williams is just happy he gets to call him a team mate, rather than an opponent.
“Everyone would love to have him in their side,” the skipper said.
“He likes to be the man to get the job done, and he’s second or third in both runs and wickets this season.
“I’d hate to have to bowl to him. He’s not flustered by much at all.
“He just kept his temperament and he’s got all the time in the world when he bats like that.”
Williams said the Lions put it on Lehman to have a big year, both on field and behind the scenes, and he’s stepped up to the plate in a big way.
“We wanted to share the workload a bit more and he’s been speaking up and having more of an input behind the scenes,” he said.
“He’s a pretty quiet sort of a guy normally, so it’s been a big turnaround.
“He just loves his cricket. He’s pretty competitive – he hates losing.”
The Beaconsfield attack has improved as the season has progressed, and Saturday was no different. Callan Tout, playing in just his second Premier game this season after crossing from Casey-South Melbourne, finished with 3/36 while Shameera Weerasinghe took 2/34.
In other WGCA Premier action, Cardinia (9/221) toppled last season’s grand final nemesis Kooweerup (218); in District the Lyndhurst Vikings (3/108 and 5/87) defeated Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll (55 and 4/212); Clyde (191) got the better of Officer (149); and Pakenham Upper-Toomuc (5/121 and 4/89) won outright over St Francis Xavier (79 and 126). In Sub-District, meanwhile, a half-century from Greg Interlandi (53) still wasn’t enough to save Pakenham (154) from defeat against Emerald (9/193).
