PAKENHAM OVER 60S
Glorious conditions greeted players on Sunday 17 December when the last game of Over 60’s cricket was played in 2023.
Pakenham played a classy Bayside outfit at Pakenham cricket ground and the home-captain Peter Ross won the toss and – in his wisdom – sent Bayside into bat.
Rayner Barkhoff and John Wilson got Bayside off to an excellent start by scoring 39 runs in the first seven overs before Wilson 29 (22) was caught by Warren Dummett off the bowling of David Wright.
Barkhoff 20 (30) retired before Bayside lost its second wicket in the 16th over with the score on 82, when Neil McIntyre 12 (26) was caught and bowled by Phil Brook.
The Bayside captain, Mick Aldred, was in an aggressive mood, scoring 40 runs off 27 balls before he retired.
Greg Brisbane 20 (30) also retired before Bayside lost its third wicket, when Dave Baker 2 (16) was bowled by Peter Ross.
In the 32nd over Bayside was 4 for 153 after Peter Oakford 8 (28) was caught by Alan Reitman off the bowling of David Wright.
Just 11 runs later, David Jamieson 2 (5) was stumped by Alan Reitman off the bowling of Phil Brook.
The last pair added 38 runs off five overs to take the Bayside total to 5/202 off its 40 overs.
Bruce Stammers 19 (19) and Dan Gatt 27 (24) were both not out.
Pakenham Bowling: Phil Brook 8-2/39, David Wright 4-2/15, Peter Ross 7-1/36, Les Jones 8-0/23, Carl Muscat 4-0/26, Jim Gregory 3-0/16, Greg Johnstone 6-0/31.
Needing five runs an over, Pakenham could not have got off to a worse start, losing the first five batsmen in five overs for a score of 10.
Warren Dummett 0 (2), bowled Greg Brisbane; Greg Johnstone fell first ball LBW to Brisbane; Carl Muscat 7 (13) caught and bowled by Mick Aldred; Phil Brook 0 (7) caught by Bruce Stammers off the bowling of Aldred; and Alan Reitman 3 (4) was caught by Stammers off the bowling of Brisbane.
A 37-run partnership between captain Peter Ross and David Wright ended when Ross 22 (33) was LBW to the bowling of Dan Gatt.
Wright 19 (32) was then Gatt’s second victim, when he was bowled.
Playing his first game for Pakenham, Guya Suriaranchi 2 (6) then became the impressive Gatt’s third victim.
A 21-run partnership between Jim Gregory and Les Jones ended when Gregory 9 (29) was bowled by John Wilson.
The last pair took the total to 101 before John Moore 5 (6) was caught by Dan Gatt off the bowling of David Jamieson.
Man of the match Les Jones 30 (45) was left not out after an impressive display with the willow.
Bayside bowling: Greg Brisbane 5-3/13, Mick Aldred 5-2/12, Dan Gatt 5-3/23, John Wilson 4-1/8, Dave Jamieson .3-1/2, Raynor Barkhoff 5-0/23, Peter Oakford 5-0/18.
Pakenham was completely outclassed by a far superior team on the day, but now has 21 days to regroup.
The Pakenham team will celebrate Christmas and New Year before its next game on Sunday 7 January against East Doncaster at their home ground.
On behalf of the Pakenham Over-60’s cricketers, and the West Gippsland Wombats Over 70’s players, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy start to 2024.
-John Moore-
