Tuesday 17 October was the third game for the West Gippsland Wombats Over 70’s, this time against Warrandyte away.
The Wombats were hit hard by injuries and other commitments but, were fortunate to recruit the former President of Veterans cricket, Greg Johnson.
John Moore lost the toss and was hoping this could be an omen – having won the toss in the first two games but losing both. The Wombats were sent into bat.
Carl Muscat and Fred Debono opened the batting, but in the third over Muscat 4 (11) was caught by Noel Sharpe off the bowling of Steve Pascoe.
The Wombats were 2/21 in the sixth over when Greg Johnson 4 (12) was bowled by the other Johnson, Barry.
By the 20th over the Wombats were 2 for 85 after Fred Debono 17, Pieter Loos 32 and Mike Newton 19 had all retired after facing 30 balls.
John Moore promoted himself up the batting order to number seven.
He made up for not batting in the first two games by scoring 32 off 28 balls before he was bowled by John Smith.
Jon Martindale 10 (30) and Jim Gregory 13 (30) had retired and the score was 3 for 140 in the 32nd over.
Jim Armstrong 3 (19) was bowled by Noel Sharpe in the last over and this brought Barry Cain into bat, who scored a single off his first ball and was not out.
Brendon Thomas 16 (17) was the other not out batter, the Wombats finishing with the respectable total of 4/166 from their 40 overs.
Both openers for Warrandyte retired after facing 30 balls; Alan King 15 and Geoff Ofield 16.
The Wombats claimed their first wicket in the 11th over when Ray Baird 4 (5) was bowled by Pieter Loos.
Warrandyte then lost two wickets in two overs when Bob Rogers 1 (5) was brilliantly caught one handed by Brendon Thomas off the bowling of Carl Muscat and Norm Barnfield 3 (7) was bowled by Mike Newton.
The score was now 3/46 in the 15th over.
The difference between the two teams was only six runs at the 20-over stage.
Gary Skelton 27 (30), Ian Coutts 19 (30) and Noel Sharpe 18 (30) had all retired before the Wombats took their fourth wicket in the 32nd over with the score on 136 when Steve Pascoe 19 (22) was caught and bowled by Mike Newton.
Warrandyte now needed 31 runs off 48 balls.
In the 35th over John Smith 5 (6) was bowled by Pieter Loos and in the next over Paul Denton 1 (4) was bowled by Brendon Thomas.
Now the equation was 20 runs off 26 balls.
Geoff Ofield returned to join Barry Johnson and they took the total to 163 at the start of the last over, which was bowled by Brendon Thomas.
The first two balls bowled to Ofield were dots, but he swung lustily for four from the third ball to see Warrandyte win with three balls to spare.
Man of the Match Ofield was 29 not out off 50 balls and Barry Johnson 12 was not out.
Wombats bowling: Jim Gregory 3-0/7, Carl Muscat 5-1/24, Pieter Loos 6-2/17, Greg Johnson 6-0/29, Mike Newton 6-2/24, Jim Armstrong 1-0/12, Jon Martindale 2-0/8, Fred Debono 6-0/23, Brendon Thomas 3.3-1/15.
This was a great game of cricket, played in the right spirit and enjoyed by all.
The Wombats next game is against the Gippsland Goannas at Iona on Sunday 29 October.
-John Moore-
