PAKENHAM VETERANS
Last week the Australian National Over-70 Cricket Championships were held in Launceston.
During the first two days 26 teams, with players representing every Australian state – plus the ACT and New Zealand – played two games each.
Unfortunately, due of rain, the third day was washed out and on the final day only three grounds were playable.
On these three grounds the finals of each division were played.
In Division One: Victoria 8 for 133 was defeated by one wicket in the second last over, by Queensland, 9 for 134.
In Division Two: Victoria 9 for 107 easily defeated the ACT 8 for 71, with Ray Noon from Endeavour Hills taking 5/14 off seven overs.
In Division Three: Victoria 7 for 106, with Pakenham’s Bob Phillips as vice-captain, defeated South Australia 7 for 104 with six overs to spare.
On Sunday 20 November, Pakenham and District Veterans Cricket Club played Endeavour Hills Gold on the Pakenham Cricket Ground.
David Leach was asked to captain Pakenham, to help him hone his captaincy skills as David has been selected to captain a Victorian team at the Australian National Over-60 Cricket Championships in Geelong later this month.
Leach commenced his captaincy by winning the toss and asking Endeavour Hills Gold to bat first.
By the fifth over the two opening batters were back in the pavilion.
Brian Davidson 3 (11) was caught of the bowling of Dallas Wyatt and Kris Elleparuma 4 (13) was caught off the bowling of Phil Brooks.
With the score on 21, Endeavour Hills Gold lost three wickets.
Bill Allsop 4 (15) was caught by John Costello off the bowling of Wyatt, Lan DeSilva 9 (21) was caught and bowled by Costello and Rangi Fernando was run out by Alan Reitman for a third-ball duck.
Endeavour Hills Gold only had 10 players when the game commenced and it was decided that Bob Phillips would bat for the opposition.
He lasted 10 balls and made eight before he was bowled by Les Jones.
The score had raced to 40 in the 20th over before Jones claimed his second wicket when he trapped Alan Smivarin 2 (11) LBW.
In the next 19 overs, Endeavour Hills Gold added some respectability to their score with Ron Kasputtis 11 (26) Julian Jacotine 3 (25) Sohail Nazer 18 (28) and Sam DeSilva 9 (27) all retiring before Rob Wilson 3 (19) was out LBW to Jim Gregory’s bowling.
Russell Vincent 6 (26) remained not out, Pakenham’s excellent fielding and first-rate bowling restricted Endeavour Hills Gold to a total of 8 for 86 after 40 overs.
Pakenham Bowling: Phil Brooks 7-1/10, Dallas Wyatt 8-2/24, John Costello 5-1/9, Les Jones 5-2/11, Jim Gregory 3-1/4, Peter Bardwell 5-0/10 Michael Barrow 3-0/10 and David Leach 4-0/3
John Costello and Peter Ross opened the batting, taking the total to 16 in the sixth over before Costello 8 (18) was caught and bowled by Russell Vincent.
Bob Phillips did not bat as well for Pakenham as he did for Endeavour Hills Gold, because he ran himself out after making five runs off nine balls.
Peter Ross 16 (24) retired before Pakenham lost three wickets for one run when Jim Gregory 8 (14) was bowled by Kris Elleparuma, Dallas Wyatt 16 (22) was caught off the bowling of DeSilva and Alan Reitman 0 (3) was caught by Russell Vincent off the bowling of Kris Elleparuma.
The score was now 5 for 54 in the 17th over.
In the 22nd over, when the scores were level, Pakenham lost its sixth wicket when Michael Barrow 8 (13) was bowled by Bill Allsop.
When the game was called off, at the end of the 23rd over, Pakenham’s total was 6 for 91 with Paul Dessent 12 (14) and Les Jones 5 (3) both not out.
Endeavour Hills Gold Bowling: Ron Kasputtis 5-0/11, Russell Vincent 5-1/21, Kris Elleparuma 5-2/12, Lan DeSilva 5-1/19, Bill Allsop 2-1/17 and Rangi Fernando 1-0/9.
It was a game played under difficult conditions with players having to leave the field three times because of rain and this made bowling and fielding difficult.
But, unlike many other over 60’s games that were scheduled today, this game went ahead. Pakenham’s next game is against Canterbury at Pakenham on Sunday 11 December.
-John Moore-
