By Jonty Ralphsmith
A Joshua Bradley six-wicket haul wasn’t enough for Merinda Park’s E-Graders to nab an opening round victory.
Bradley interrupted Cardinia each time it looked like getting momentum into its innings, claiming 6/17 off eight overs, with the other bowlers managing just one wicket combined in the other 42 sets of six.
Restricted to 7/139, Cardinia was still able to hold on for victory, with only two Merinda Park batters reaching double digits as the visitors scuppered their way to 60.
There were also two centuries across the weekend, with Sam Webster setting the tone for Pakenham’s B-Grade season.
In D-Grade, Russell Little smacked 112 off 87 deliveries.
He was unperturbed by the early loss of opening partner Sam Crotty, playing his natural game to find the boundary 15 times, his partnership with Josh Bloor (83 off 77) helping Pakenham set 3/255.
Despite a gallant 67 off 49 from Matthew Payne, Officer fell 82 runs short.
Opening the batting after his side had been sent in, Webster took to the bowling early, his 103 defined by crisp ball-striking as he cleared the rope seven times at Toomuc Reserve.
It propelled Pakenham to 5/217, with Carlisle Park gallant in reaching 146 despite the loss of three early wickets.
Meanwhile, Pakenham’s five-run over Clyde was the highlight of A-Grade.
Pakenham’s top three each passed 20 but none were able to anchor the innings, with the rest of the batting order struggling as a four-wicket haul to Roshan Bandara helped keep the hosts to 154.
Clyde looked like it would fall well short, before a late flurry from number nine Nick Shannon and handy runs from Bandara in the middle gave Pakenham a scare, but they were ultimately able to bowl Clyde out for 149.
Merinda Park made light work of Devon Meadows, Gurpreet Singh’s 90 from number three helping the visitors to 4/234 before Ash Jenkin’s 4/13 led the bowling effort as the hosts were bowled out for 80.
Cranbourne Meadows was similarly dominant in a 112-run victory over Tooradin, as three batters were dismissed for golden ducks in chasing 218.
Kooweerup bowled Cardinia out for 137 before each of its top five got valuable overs in the middle in the eight-wicket victory.
In B-Grade, a middle-order 41 to Mitch Summers was the only resistance Upper Beaconsfield showed to Melbourne Sixers, which was led to a maiden victory by Sisith Lasakara’s 64.
Eight metronomic overs to Dan Irvine, who also claimed three wicket,s kept Emerald to 9/98, which Officer chased with aplomb.
Tooradin recovered from losing two early wickets in pursuit of Clyde’s 6/142, with Mason Dicks and skipper David Freeman absorbing 87 balls each in making 42 and 90 respectively.
Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll’s Qasim Ali made 64.
Batting time to help his team reach 7/169, which was a winning score against Devon Meadows, with Rob Morrice leading the bowling effort.
Darren Kneebone’s quickfire 58 off 41 capitalised on Brent Pullen taking shine off the new ball for Officer in its victory over Kooweerup.
No batter passed 13 as Addison Tucker and Bailey Smith combined for seven wickets to bowl Lang Lang out for 68, Pakenham Upper Toomuc helping itself to a six-wicket win.
Merinda Park’s Nathan Francis and Lachlan Milne helped Merinda Park chase Cardinia’s 190.
Shane Jack’s 82 in D-Grade helped Clyde chase down Emerald’s 7/187 in a tense thriller at Worrell Oval.
A big opening partnership between Brenton Huyskens and Chris Smith for Merinda Park helped it reach 8/143 in a 38-run victory over Tooradin.
Melbourne Sixers overcame Pakenham Upper Toomuc by three wickets in the other D-Grade fixture.
In E-Grade, Officer Green was too strong for Officer Gold, bowling it out for 50; Kerala Strikers put on 176 to beat Kooweerup by 69 runs; and half-centuries to Robert Blackwell and Adam Roseby led Pakenham to a 59-run win over Pakenham Upper Toomuc.
