By Tyler Lewis and Jonty Ralphsmith
A GRADE
Tooradin has handed Carlisle Park one of the bigger shellacking’s the 2022/23 summer will offer.
The Vikings were tumbled out for just 56 in the first innings, failing to make it to drinks on day one of the season’s first two-day fixture.
Extras second-top scored for the Vikings as Daniel Quinn jagged 4/17 from his nine overs.
The Gulls went well beyond the required total with the blade, carving out 8/278 in reply from just 57 overs.
Each of the dismissed batters reached double-figures, with Ben Mantel’s 46-ball 47 headlining the big day.
While the non-declaration appears strange by the Gulls, a lead of 222 heading into the second day should lead to Tooradin collecting maximum points.
Pakenham and Officer, meanwhile, appear to be on the cusp of a tight finish.
The Lions limped to 139 in the 62nd over, but fought back to have the Bullants 3/15 overnight.
Bullants star bowler Shane White was extraordinary for the home side, snaring 6/34 from 23.1 overs.
The key-wicket of Peter Quinn is yet to be accounted for, while opening bowler Tommy Tyrrell has a tidy 2/0 from his seven overs.
Kooweerup wasted no time in the two overs it was required to face before the close of play.
The Demons bowled Clyde out for 176 and were required to face two overs before stumps, which openers Cal O’Hara and Stephen Johnson put to the fence.
Each of the pair finished unbeaten on eight, with two boundaries apiece as the Demons are currently going at 8.5 an over.
The clash between Merinda Park and Cardinia has been restricted to a one-day match this weekend.
B GRADE
An unbeaten century from Clyde skipper Josh Spittal has steered his Cougars outfit to a commanding position over Tooradin.
Batting at number six, Spittal bound to the crease with his side having just lost 2/0 and that 2/0 soon became 3/2, as the Cougars sunk to 5/92.
While Spittal combined with Sevak Singh (60 from 61) to push Clyde to 6/193, he wasn’t done there, shifting the Cougars even further ahead by finishing unblemished on 134.
His knock included 20 boundaries and came off just 149 deliveries.
Clyde was eventually dismissed in the 68th over for a whopping 312.
Combining Spittal’s 134, Singh’s 60 and opener Steven Russell’s 70, the Cougars trio accumulated 264 of the side’s runs.
Wickets will be on the top of Cranbourne Meadows’ agenda next week, as the Rebels have just a further 117 runs to defend when Pakenham Upper Toomuc take guard on Saturday.
The Yabbies rolled the Rebels for 160 in the 55th over and at stumps are poised strongly at 1/43.
The match between Emerald and Upper Beaconsfield is placed in a similar position to the Yabbies and Rebels at stumps, with Upper Beaconsfield having just 122 more runs in the bank.
However the difference for the Maroons is the wickets column; after being torpedoed for 138, Upper Beaconsfield has claimed each of the Bombers openers – both for ducks – and have the home side 2/16 overnight.
Jesse Dodd was the pick of the performers on a bowler friendly afternoon, claiming 4/17 from a 9.2-over spell that included five maidens.
Devon Meadows had the bye.
C GRADE
Devon Meadows recovered from losing two early wickets to post 197, courtesy of half-centuries to Connor Harmor, batting at four, and Mark Cosgriff who topscored with 62.
Surjeet Singh’s 3/12 off nine overs helped bowl Devon Meadows out, but Pakenham lost both openers in reaching 2/27 at stumps.
Meanwhile, an 89-run third wicket partnership between Matt Payne (69 off 113) and Jayson Dryden (35 off 85) helped Officer to 9/181.
The dismissal of Payne catalysed a collapse as Officer lost 7/27 but still sit in a formidable position ahead of the bowling innings.
Glean Easton bowled 16 overs and claimed 4/30, leading the Lang Lang bowling attack.
NNG/Maryknoll quick Ash Bailey had a day out with the ball, see page 53 for the full story.
D GRADE
Kooweerup opener Brent Wilson has relished in the return of red-ball cricket, by pumping Clyde to all parts of Ramleigh Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
Wilson carried his bat the extent of the 70 overs for a swashbuckling 197 not out from just 213 balls.
Losing opening partner Campbell Wood for a duck didn’t slow Wilson down, as he carved the ball to the fence on 25 occasions.
Adam Wilkinson followed suit with a sparkling 93 from 78 balls, but was run out tantalisingly close of the triple-figure milestone.
The Demons finished the afternoon with a sound 6/362 on the board.
The Cougars quite literally tried everything with the ball, throwing the red Kookaburra to 10 different options.
Sav Nathan was a rare spark of hope for Clyde with 4/64 from his 19 overs.
Officer, meanwhile, will look to add maximum points to its tally when it resumes play with Pakenham on Saturday.
The Bullants crashed through the Lions at the cost of us just 52 runs courtesy of a masterful spell of bowling from Steve Pursell (13-3-7-23).
Officer currently hold a 54-run lead over Pakenham after posting 1/106 on the board from the 44 overs remaining in the day.
Much like Kooweerup, Emerald too posted a mammoth score, piling 7/304 on Cardinia.
There were no triple-figure scores for the Bombers, instead three half-centuries:
Opener Ian Crosher notched 63, skipper Dale Street whacked 84 and the Bulls gifted the Bombers a staggering 52 extras.
See page 48 for comments from Brent Wilson on his magical knock.
E GRADE
Pakenham was bowled out for 123 inside 63 overs in its clash with Lang Lang.
Choosing to bat first, Phillip Brook and Dale French led the way with 30 and 36 respectively but it was slim pickings after that as the team went at a run-rate of below two, with Nicholas Peake and Tangata Dean each nabbing three wickets
Lang Lang openers Steven Stern and Peake survived a tricky five over period before stumps, navigating their way to 0/9 off five overs, in a formidable position for victory.
Cardinia forfeited its clash against Tooradin and Clyde forfeited its match against Officer.
F GRADE
A 90-run opening partnership for Merinda Park was enough to guide it to an easy win over Upper Beaconsfield.
Michael Blaby made 38 and Glen Ward 51 in the successful run chase, after Upper Beaconsfield set the visitors 118 for victory.
Upper Beaconsfield had a promising 33-run opening partnership before a mini collapse saw them lose 5/28 and they had no momentum going into the back-end of the innings.
Meaul Karunaratna was the pick of the bowlers for Merinda Park, conceding just 11 runs off his seven overs.
Meanwhile, Pakenham batted first in its clash with Devon Meadows and scrapped its way to 7/101 after being 5/33.
Jason Brzezowski claimed four wickets while Peter Zauner was reliable as always, with 1/9 off seven, opening the bowling.
Brzezowski then opened the batting and made 49 in a 75-run opening stand with Lee Thomas (46 not out).
