A warm, sunny Sunday for cricket saw an undermanned Pakenham over 60’s cricket team take the trip up to Wandin Oval to face Yarra Valley.
As the temperatures of the day were set to reach the low 30s, it was decided to play the game in a T20 fomat.
Pakenham’s captain, Greg Johnstone, won the toss and asked opted to bowl first.
Gary Hancock and Rick Kohlman opened the batting, and Hancock 35 (30) retired before the 11th over.
The score had reached 66 when Bob Phillips, in his first game for 18 months, bowled Kohlman 32 (26).
Next over, an excellent stumping by part time wicket keeper Johnstone off the bowling of David Wright removed Arthur Steele 4 (5).
Gary Semple 6 (4) was trapped in front by Phillips.
After John Masters posted 33 (30), he retired.
Two balls before the first break of innings, Eric Glazner 13 (8) was run out.
After the full 20 overs, Yarra Valley finished with a score of 4/138 for Pakenham to chase.
Pakenham opened with Michael Barrow and Johnstone, as Barrow made a sedate 7 off 30 balls before he retired.
Next ball after the retirement, Wright was caught by David Hancock off the bowling of John King without scoring.
Tight bowling and good fielding restricted the run rate, with Johnstone 12 (32), Gaya Suriarachi 4 (31) having both retired before the 20th over mark, leaving Pakenham at 1/40.
Yarra Valley resumed batting at 138 and took their total to 157 before they lost 3/9 over the next three overs.
Daryl Chaproniere 11 (14) was given out to LBW from Les Jones, Trevor Selby 2 (4) was caught and bowled by Peter Ross and Ernie Clark 27 (27) was caught by Jones off the bowling of Barrow.
At the 34 over mark Yarra Valley declared with their score on 7/215, with Phil Jackson 37 (26) and King 13 (25) both not out.
Pakenham Bowling: Jim Gregory 6-0/28, Les Jones 6-1/29, Peter Ross 4-1/12, Michael Barrow 7-1/50, Gaya Suriarachi 3-0/20, David Wright 4-1/29 and Bob Phillips 4-2/27.
For Pakenham to win, they were now asked to score at 8.75 runs an over for the next 20 overs, and this total appeared out of the question as they had only scored at two runs an over for the first 20 overs.
Phillips and Alan Reitman did not take up the challenge, as both only scored 8 runs off their 30 balls before they retired.
Pakenham were 2/55 in the 29th over when Jim Gregory 2 (11) was caught by Masters off the bowling of Ernie Clark.
John Moore tried to push the run rate along but he was caught by Clark off Selby’s bowling for 1 off 3 balls.
Jones 5 (10) was bowled by Chaproniere.
Gerard Healey scored 1 off 11 balls before he was also bowled by Chaproniere.
Peter Ross 12 (22) became Chaproniere’s third victim when he was adjudged LBW.
Pakenham were now 6/77 in the 36th over, this brought on Déjà vu.
The two that opened the batting were now batting together at the close of the innings. Johnstone added 16 off 10 balls and Barrow 1 off 15, both were not out and Pakenham had finished at 6/93 off 40 overs.
Each Yarra Valley bowler bowled their five overs very economically: Daryl Chaproniere 3/21, John King 1/11, Trevor Selby 1/9, Ernie Clark 1/7, Gary Hancock 0/9, Arthur Steele 0/13, Rick Kohman 0/14 and Phil Jackson 0/2.
Pakenham’s next game is away against Canterbury.
-John Moore
