The Veterans Cricket Victoria over 60’s competition was back up and running for a new season on Sunday with Pakenham and District Veterans playing Kooweerup at the Kooweerup High School.
Both teams were short of regular players and were able to recruit players from teams who were not playing this Sunday in South Gippsland, Endeavour Hills and Iona.
Pakenham captain Peter Ross won the toss and elected to field first.
Kooweerup lost its first wicket in the fifth over when the score had reached 13, when Ron Wernke 8 (19) was bowled by Bob Phillips.
Shortly after the fall of the wicket, Trevor Wilson, who had chased the ball to the boundary, suffered a medical episode and was taken to hospital by ambulance…fortunately he was released after tests and is now resting at home.
The second wicket fell in the 12th over when Shane Sutton 1 (9) was caught by Alan Reitman off the bowling of Russell Vincent.
Graham Davey retired after a very slow innings of four runs off 31 balls.
Jon Martindale also retired after facing 31 balls, but he was much more aggressive in scoring 13.
At the 20-over mark Kooweerup was 2 for 58.
Steven Nadj had been living dangerously for 21 balls in scoring 27 runs, being dropped three times before he was finally caught by Alan Reitman off the bowling of Les Jones.
Jeff Ramage 9 (14) was the fourth wicket to fall as the score had reached 94 when he was bowled by David Green.
Greg Tatham (22) hit two sixes and a four off 34 balls before retiring.
When Ross Farmer, who failed to score off six balls, was bowled by Jim Gregory Kooweerup was 5 for 105.
Andrew Smith 20 (30) retired before Martindale returned to join the last batsman David Wells.
These two batters hit out taking Kooweerup’s total to 5 for 142 off 40 overs.
Both were not out…Martindale 22 (50) and Wells 19 (24).
Pakenham bowling: Bob Phillips 6-1/18, Russell Vincent 6-1/22, Les Jones 7-1/23, David Green 3-1/19, Jim Gregory 6-1/17, Carl Muscat 5-0/7, Peter Ross 4-0/19 and Michael Barrow 3-0/10.
Pakenham opened with Michael Barrow, who was run out for three off 12 balls, and Carl Muscat, who retired on 33 after facing 30 balls.
David Green faced three balls without scoring before he was bowled by Graham Davey.
The score was 2 for 32 in the seventh over.
Peter Ross 24 (30) and Bob Phillips 19 (32) had both retired by the 20th over as the score was 2 for 105 and Pakenham was on target to achieve a win. Alan Reitman 18 (25) and Russell Vincent 12 (25) both retired, so the remaining batsmen could have a hit.
Les Jones 6 (7) was bowled by Ron Wernke.
Jim Armstrong had scored two off five balls before Jim Gregory ran himself out without facing a ball.
The total was 4 for 146 in the 29th over when the game was called off.
For the second week in a row John Moore was not required to bat.
Kooweerup bowling: Ron Wernke 3-1/12, Graham Davey 6-1/35, Andrew Pattinson 3-0/11. Shane Sutton 4-0/11, Greg Tatham 3-0/12, Andrew Smith 3.4-0/12, Steven Nadj 3-0/14, Jon Martindale 2-0/8, Ross Farmer 1-0/4.
It was the start of the season and both teams were a little rusty and will have to work on their catching and fielding before the next game.
Pakenham play the Gippsland Goanna’s at Pakenham next Sunday.
Man of the match was Jon Martindale.
-John Moore-
