PAKENHAM VETERAN’S
Pakenham and District Veterans Cricket Club played Endeavour Hills Gold on the turf pitch at Endeavour Hills on Sunday.
Pakenham had two players playing their first game for the club – Andrew Smith and Maurice Esmonde – and two playing their second game in David Wright and Leigh Murphy.
Add to this a new captain in Carl Muscat, who lost the toss and Pakenham was asked to field first.
Kris Elleperuma and Norm Barnfield opened the batting and in the third over Leigh Murphy caught Elleperuma 3 (9) off the bowling of Jim Gregory.
The score raced to 30 by the 10th over, when Norm Barnfield 16 (30) was bowled by David Wright. Five runs later Sohail Nazeer 1 (6) was bowled by Andrew Smith.
A further three runs were added before Bill Allsop 2 (6) was run out, by a throw from Carl Muscat to David Wright.
Bill Davidson 13 (30) Rob Wilson 4 (30) and Ray Noon 25 (30) all retired, and then in the 29th over with the score on 99 Endeavour Hills Gold lost their fifth wicket when Phil Parsons 14 (18) was caught by Andrew Smith off the bowling of Michael Barrow.
The next batsman to be dismissed was Robert Jasakara 13 (19) who was bowled by Andrew Smith. Bill Davidson returned and took his score to 16 (41) before he was out hit wicket to the bowling of Andrew Smith.
Smith claimed his fourth wicket when Leigh Murphy caught Andy Pardalis 11(25).
With one over to go Ray Noon returned and scored 11 runs off five balls to finish not out 37 (35).
The other not out batsman was Rob Wilson 11 (59).
After 40 overs Endeavour Hills Gold finished on 8 for 141.
Pakenham Bowling: Andrew Smith 8-2-4-16, Jim Gregory 8-1/22, David Wright 6-1/24, Michael Barrow 4-1/20, Alan Ross 8-0/28, Carl Muscat 4-0/14 and Leigh Murphy 2-0/5.
The Pakenham opening batsmen were David Wright 20(30) and Carl Muscat 15 (30), they put on a partnership of 37 runs before they both retired in the 10th over.
Alan Ross 11 (30) and Michael Barrow 16 (30) both retired, then in the 25th over Pakenham lost its first wicket, with the score on 80, when Paul Dessent 4 (7) was bowled by Andy Pardalis.
Andrew Smith 15 (30) then retired.
The score had reached 100 when Leigh Murphy 9 (25) was LBW to the bowling of Kris Elleperuma. Next out was Maurice Esmonde 4 (10) when he was bowled by Ray Noon.
The score was 3 for 110 with Pakenham needing 32 runs off seven overs when Alan Reitman and Jim Gregory came together, with some big hitting and aggressive running between the wickets they took the total to 142 in the 39th over.
Reitman 20 (20) and Gregory 15 (20) were both not out and John Moore was not required to bat.
Endeavour Hills Gold Bowling: Andy Pardalis 8-1/18, Kris Elleperuma 8-1/35, Ray Noon 8-1/37 Robert Jasakara 7-0/25, Bill Allsop 2-0/12 Phil Parsons 2-0/9 and Sohail Nazeer 4-0/4.
This was a great game of over 60’s cricket, with the result coming in the second last over. Pakenham’s next game is on Sunday 15 January, 2023, when it plays Ringwood at Pakenham.
Pakenham and District Veterans Cricket Club would like to wish everyone who reads these reports a Merry Christmas and a successful 2023.
-John Moore-
