By David Nagel
Clyde (6/205) will now look to build on its slow start to the Casey Cardinia Cricket Association (CCCA) Premier Division season after chalking up its first win against Carlisle Park (172) on Sunday.
Heading into the weekend, the Cougars had lost their opening two games to Tooradin and Merinda Park, and fell to a 0-3 record after Saturday’s crushing loss to Officer (6/174 to 66).
But the Cougars bounced back hard in a high-scoring contest against the Vikings at Carlisle Park Reserve.
After skipper Brett Reid won the toss and batted, gun-recruit Michael Vandort (69) joined forces with Jason Hameeteman (59) and Kane Avard (44 not out) to post a more-than-competitive score.
Vandort cracked eight fours and a six in his classy knock, with Hameeteman also in fine form with 10 balls racing to the boundary.
The Vikings threatened after tea, but fine bowling from Avard (3/42), Roshan Bandara (2/20), Nick Miles (2/31) and Nera Wanniarachchi (2/35) guided the Cougars home.
Clyde hosts Cardinia this week in the first two-day contest of the season.
Officer, Pakenham and Tooradin were the big winners of an absorbing double-header of one-day action on the weekend.
All three teams were successful in both contests – ending a hectic weekend of cricket in top-four positions on the ladder.
At the opposite end of the scale, Cardinia failed to trouble the scorers and face the very real prospect of missing some key personnel for this week’s first two-day game of the season against Clyde.
The Bulls had five players reported, mostly for umpire dissent, in a heavy loss to Tooradin on Saturday, with another being added to the book in Sunday’s game against Pakenham.
The six Bulls faced a tribunal hearing on Wednesday night at Merinda Park to determine the outcome of the allegations.
The biggest positive to emerge from the weekend’s round of matches was the emergence of Officer, who banked their first premiership points since earning promotion from District Division last year.
The Bullants (6/174) rode a fast start to victory against Clyde (66) on Saturday, before defending for their lives in a one-run victory over Merinda Park (6/153 to 6/152).
Openers Chathura Imbulagoda (31) and Jaswinder Gill (45) set the scene for the weekend with a thumping opening stand, crushing the Cougars to all parts of the Officer Rec Reserve.
Jack James (36) then guided the Bullants to a winning score, before Cooper Pursell (3/23) and Jonty Bennie (3/10) piloted the home side to victory.
“Our openers got off to a flyer and really put them under the pump, and that really set us up from there,” said Bullants captain Ash Smith.
“I think we were 80 off 11 or 12 overs, that set the platform and we didn’t need to take as many risks after that.”
If Saturday’s win was a romp, then Sunday’s win was a classic, with Gill (69) and Aiden Pipicelli (37 not out) steering the Bullants to a defendable target at Donnelly Reserve.
Pursell (2/24), Bennie (2/26) and Leigh Boyle (2/37) then stayed strong to bowl their team to victory.
Merinda Park needed two runs off the last ball to win, but Boyle pushed one through to keeper Nick Whitelaw who threw down the stumps to move the Bullants inside the four.
“We were cooked, but the boys never ever gave up,” Smith said proudly.
“It gets us into the season and now we feel like we belong and we’re not here to be beaten.
“A lot of teams come up from District and get thumped, but we want to be super-competitive and challenge for the finals.”
Cambell Bryan (50) and Daniel McCalman (41) were best for the Cobras.
CASEY CARDINIA PREMIER SCOREBOARD
SATURDAY
Officer 6/174(cc) (J Gill 45, J James 36, CP Imbulagoda 31, K Avard 2/25, B Reid 2/29, N Wanniarachchi 2/29) def Clyde 66 (J Bennie 3/10, C Pursell 3/23, LB Boyle 2/12, A Pipicelli 2/18). Koo Wee Rup 8/167(cc) (C Bright 43, J Mathers 34, C Miller 29, T Bertrand 3/33, J Phillips 2/41) def Merinda Park 114 (L Bertrand 53, L McMaster 4/11). Tooradin 2/105 (TJ Hussey 64*) def Cardinia 104 (L Paterson 30, J Prosser 29, B Butler 3/21, K Braid-Ball 2/9, J Lownds 2/19). Pakenham 4/180(cc) (D Tormey 62, RG Elston 42, JP Williams 38*, S De Silva 2/30) def Carlisle Park Vikings CC 7/151(cc) (B Perry 53, JP Williams 3/35).
SUNDAY
Tooradin 9/156(cc) (TJ Hussey 31, T Evans 27*, D Sutton 25, L McMaster 3/24, J Mathers 2/41) def Koo Wee Rup 136 (J Lownds 4/30, B Butler 3/36). Pakenham 3/142 (J Anning 67, D Tormey 43*) def Cardinia 138 (T Wheller 53, J Prosser 35, N Sadler 3/16, S Gramc 2/23, JP Williams 2/34). Merinda Park 6/152 (C Bryan 50, D McCalman 41, C Pursell 2/24, J Bennie 2/26, LB Boyle 2/37) def by Officer 6/153(cc) (J Gill 69, A Pipicelli 37*, T Bertrand 2/40). Carlisle Park Vikings CC 172 (B Perry 39, E Davies 31, K Avard 3/42, R Bandara 2/20, N Miles 2/31, N Wanniarachchi 2/35) def by Clyde 6/205(cc) (MG Vandort 69, JA Hameeteman 59, K Avard 44*, B Perry 2/36, S De Silva 2/45).
LADDER
Pakenham 48, Tooradin 36, Kooweerup 36, Officer 24, Cardinia 24, Merinda Park 12, Clyde 12, Carlisle Park 0.
FIXTURE – ROUND 4
Merinda Park v Tooradin, Officer v Carlisle Park, Kooweerup v Pakenham, Clyde v Cardinia.
