Endeavour Hills captain coach Vaughan Baxter is considering promoting in-form opening batsman Lenard van der Werff (pictured) into his club’s first XI this weekend. 12339 Picture: Stewart Chambers.By Marc McGowan
FOUR wickets in four balls. A double hat-trick.
Endeavour Hills found itself at the wrong end of one of cricket’s rare achievements at Warrawee Park Oval on Saturday.
And, not surprisingly, the feat had deadly consequences, with Oakleigh dismissing the previously undefeated Hills for just 128.
Star all-rounder Barry Ensil (4/12), a former winner of the R.M. Hatch Medal as the competition’s best player, was the chief destroyer.
Three of the leg spinner’s wickets came in a devastating spell that ripped the heart out of Endeavour Hills’ middle order.
The Oaks then breezed past the victory target with eight wickets to spare before finishing at 3/157 at the end of their 45 overs.
The Hills’ day began well, despite losing Englishman Richard Evans cheaply early on.
Fellow opener Justin Merlino and Richard Saniga (29) took the score to 1/59 and looked likely to set a strong platform for their team-mates until disaster struck.
Oakleigh all-rounder Michael Splatt (2/32) removed Saniga on that total to spark a stunning collapse of 5/2, including Ensil’s hat-trick.
Ensil’s hat-trick victims were Chris Peake, Peter Edwards and captain-coach Vaughan Baxter – all either lbw or bowled.
Ensil added Shane Peake’s scalp soon after to leave Endeavour Hills’ innings in tatters at 7/76.
Wicketkeeper Neil Peake (27) and Kane Gillespie dug in to creep the score past 100, but their alliance ended at 32 when the latter was run out.
Peake had little help from then on and was the last wicket to fall on the last ball of the 44th over.
The Oaks’ openers, Dean Taylor (51) and Splatt (45), gave their team a magnificent start, combining for 75 runs.
Neil Peake caught both players, off the bowling of Foenander and Evans respectively, but not before the damage had been done.
Splatt was the first to go and Sam Jones came and went quickly, but Taylor guided his side past the Hills’ total before losing his wicket late in the innings.
Baxter was disappointed with the result, but found positives in the loss.
“We know they’re a fairly good side and they bowled fairly well overall,” he said.
“I was happy at 1/59 because I thought Oakleigh had bowled well, but that’s three games in a row now where we’ve lost a big chunk of wickets for no runs.
“You’ll never win games against good sides if that’s what happens.”
Baxter was also pleased with his bowlers’ performance, considering the difficult circumstances.
This Saturday’s clash with win-less Bayswater at Bayswater Oval will be Edwards’ 250th game for the club and 100th first XI contest.
The two-day match starts at 1pm.
Baxter may promote Lenard van der Werff, who is averaging 49.3 for the club’s second XI.
