By RUSSELL BENNETT
WEST GIPPSLAND CRICKET ASSOCIATION
REVIEW – ROUND 7 (DAY 1)
MOMENTUM is often the irresistible force in cricket, and it seems to be even more effective in games between rivals as fierce as Pakenham and Tooradin.
Off the field, mateship rules between the two clubs – particularly their Premier sides. But on the field, a fierce battle takes place every time the Lions and Seagulls meet. It’s one of pride.
If it seemed all eyes were on the matchup at Toomuc Reserve on Saturday, it’s because they were. It loomed as the closest matchup of the four Premier games on paper and, so far at least, it has gone according to script.
After being sent in to bat, the Seagulls got off to a strong start with openers Brenton Adams (28) and skipper Tom Hussey (30) putting on 64 for the opening wicket. But despite promising starts they were both removed within five runs of each other and from 0/63 at one stage, the visitors slumped to 6/119. Thanks to a couple of excellent spells of tight, disciplined bowling from Russ Lehman (3/58 from 23 overs) and skipper Jason Williams (1/59 from 20), the Lions were right back into the contest. But there was another twist in the tail(end) … Ben Mantel made a strong 47 for the Gulls in the middle-order but it was Jarred Thompson (27), Ash Adams (33) and Steve Hamill (28 not out) who made a huge impact in the final 10 to 15 overs of the day.
Adams and Hamill in particular made good balls look decidedly average with a series of brutal blows – including one over the mid-wicket fence on to the roof of the clubrooms – that took their side’s score to 9/262 at the close of play. It’s only fitting that such an arm wrestle between bat and ball would be so evenly poised at the halfway mark.
“It was a battle of momentum and it went that way all day,” Williams said after day one.
“They got away and we pegged them back, but one side never dominates a full day really.”
Williams said he knew that once Lehman was brought into the attack, he’d do the job against a dangerous Tooradin middle-order.
But Williams’ spin was just as valuable in restricting the visitors.
“They were looking comfortable early but then I think we kept them to 25 runs in about 20 overs,” he said.
“Russ just bowls that line and length that’s always asking questions of the batsmen.”
But Tooradin had enough wickets left in the shed to put the foot down after tea, and Williams said “they batted really smart”.
“They had a couple of good hitters at the bottom there and they just found the gaps,” he said.
“Ash (Adams) has a good eye and he showed what can happen when you bowl in his area.”
Williams said anything around 250 was a par score at Toomuc Reserve, and Tooradin’s 262 fitted that bill.
But he added that he’d back his men in to chase it down.
The Lions’ batting stocks are strengthened this round with the in-form Greg Interlandi making the step up from Sub-District and James Vela taking on the wicket keeper-batsman role.
But Williams said the key this week would be “even contributions from top to bottom”.
“I’m not expecting hundreds from Russ or Smitty (Chris Smith) – we just want everyone to play their role and I’ll be confident we can get the job done.”
Unsurprisingly though, Hussey feels the same about his side’s chances.
“Our middle and lower order really batted their arses off,” he said.
“Jarred (Thompson) and Benny Mantel really valued their wickets and Ash and Hammer (Hamill) really did the job at the end.
“Overall, I’d say 262 is definitely a defendable total, but it’s not amazing.
“We’ll have to bowl well and I’d back us to do that.
“It was really just a good day’s cricket from both sides.”
The battle for the Jean-Claude Van Damme Shield resumes on Saturday.
In other local Premier scores from across the weekend, Cardinia (9/279) is in a strong position against Emerald, while Kooweerup’s modest 154-run first innings was still far too much for a worrying Upper Beaconsfield (9/26) batting line-up. The first day of Beaconsfield’s clash with Merinda Park was washed out.
In District division, Pakenham Upper-Toomuc (1/22) is in the box seat against Clyde (106), Devon Meadows (222) has the runs on the board against the Lyndhurst Vikings, and Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll (6/231 against St Francis Xavier) has started well in its first game since letting young star Josh Lownds make the switch to the Tooradin Premier side.
