THE TWELFTH MAN
HDCA – D Grade
COLERAINE has recorded a thrilling eight-run victory against Pigeon Ponds at Turnbull Street Oval on Saturday, in round 13 action of the Hamilton and District Cricket Association D Grade competition.
Led by 105-retired-not-out from Chris Young opening the batting, Coleraine posted an imposing 4-187 as Young scored his runs from only 111 balls with 15 boundaries and a six.
Young shared a wonderful stand of 114 with Archie Templeton (41) for the third wicket before he had to retire not out and Templeton went on to boost the total with Xavier Dwyer to lift the home side to its final tally.
In reply, Pigeon Ponds had a steady start and saw off the first 20 overs with 58 on the board for the loss of two wickets and it stayed a slow run rate for the five overs after the break but another two wickets were taken and at 4-79 after 25 overs the visitors were in trouble.
Lachie Stevenson and Lachie Craig came together and added 83 for the fifth wicket when Tom Rowland was brought back into the attack for the 38th over and he bowled Craig (38) with the third ball of the over to have the Ponds at 5/159.
With 15 balls remaining and five wickets in hand, Pigeon Ponds required only 29 runs, but the batsmen seemingly panicked as Coleraine held their nerve and performed two run outs that ended all hope for the visitors with Stevenson remaining 77-not-out.
In other matches …
TAHARA made light work of the run chase against St Andrews at Tahara Recreation Reserve on Saturday as the home side held the Drews to 4-156 from its 40 overs.
Tyler Gleeson continued his great form at the top or the order as he replied with 90-not-out to steer the Blue Caps to a bonus point at 3-157 inside 27 overs to claim yet another bonus point and remain undefeated atop the premiership ladder.
Hamilton secured a bonus point against Hamilton North that gives the Blues a one-point lead on the ladder over Coleraine with 9-257 to 116 all-out.
The final game in this round saw Tarrington 5-161 chase down Grampians 3-159 as Grampians continues with a worrying loss of form with four rounds to play before finals.
A Grade
TAHARA claimed its biggest scalp of the Hamilton and District Cricket Association A Grade competition since coming into the top level this Summer, with a one-run victory against College at College Turf on Saturday.
The Blue Caps started the day needing to keep College below their total of 8-284, set up on day one last Saturday, as Liam Tonissen led the way for the visitors with a great knock of 97.
The Eagles looked to former two-time premiership skipper, Charles Murrie, to get the innings away to a fast start and the opening batsman did not disappoint as his innings only lasted 29 balls, but in that time he hit seven boundaries and a further two maximums as he raced to 46 from the opening stand of 48.
His was the first wicket to fall when Tonissen held onto the catch offered from the bowling of Nathan Slaughter while George Macdonald (three) lasted only seven balls before he followed Murrie back to the pavilion, caught by Sam Brewer from the bowling of Marcus Rhook.
College skipper, Lachy Watt, had stood at the non-strikers end while the two wickets fell and he then followed suit as Slaughter had him well caught by Taine Morris for only seven and the Eagles were 3-57.
A fourth-wicket partnership was required and Hamish Bailey and Adrian Burn used all their experience to steer the game back in favour of the home side with a stand of 66 before Slaughter broke through to have Bailey caught at the wicket by Tonissen for 23.
Jack Austin (0ne) came and went and at 5-124 half the batting order was back in the hutch watching on, unable to contribute further.
Burn was joined in the middle by Cameron Cutler and the pair carried the tally forward to 166 when, just after raising his bat to acknowledge another half century, Burn fell to the Tonissen- Slaughter combination for 55.
This brought the all-rounders in the side together as Cutler was joined by Lachie Brown and the pair continued to attack the bad balls served up by the Tahara bowlers, especially Cutler who blasted his way to a half century with five fours and a pair of sixes.
They carried the tally past 220 before Taine Morris grabbed a vital wicket of Brown for 26 and then struck what appeared to be the telling blow by having Cutler caught by Rhook for 61, with only 239 on the board and only two wickets in hand.
College refused to lay down and Angus Brown and Jacob Edwards came together for the ninth wicket and forged a partnership that had the Eagles on the verge of victory with a 42-run stand.
Just as victory was in sight for the home side Edwards (16) was the fifth catch for Tonissen, as James Povey made the much-needed breakthrough with the score on 281, still four runs shy of victory.
Brown was still there and he was joined by Jude Alexander (one-not-out) with just four runs required, but after batting so well Brown handed Tonissen his sixth catch of the innings with 37 next to his name and the score on 283 – just one run shy of a tie.
Slaughter (4-83) and Morris (4-69) did the damage with the ball and shared the spoils, but the Tahara bowlers hunted as a pack and despite the Eagles refusing to be beaten, held their nerve to record the biggest win on the Summer with only one game remaining for the Blue Caps.
In other matches …
CASTERTON District was thrashed last weekend by Tyrendarra to all but drop out of finals contention, while Pigeon Ponds had the bye.
In other games, Grampians was beaten by 10 wickets as champion opening batting pair Brendan huf (88) and Michael Fitzpatrick (78) added 182 for the first wicket in St Andrews run chase of Grampians 138 all out earlier in the day.
Macarthur used the second day of their game against Hamilton as Batting practice with Simon Sharrock (73 from 47 balls), Ollie Wortley 75, Michael Brilley (61) and Charlie Summers (49) tuned up for the upcoming finals with a tally of 359.
Portland Tigers were all but out of their game with Portland Colts at 9-165 with only Tigers skipper Will Oakley and Chad Finck left to hunt down Colts’ 190.
The pair refused to be beaten as they added 53 for the last wicket to drag their team to a memorable victory and a probable finals spot with Finck (24) and Oakley (26-not-out) starring for the home side.
South Portland too seemed out of the game against Gorae-Portland at 8-135 and chasing 70 for victory, but a 51-run partnership between Rory Barry (37) and Eamon Drew (13) saw the Demons finish with 191 and lifted the team off the bottom of the ladder.
B Grade
CASTERTON District had the bye this week, but its six wins from 11 matches, bolstered by five bonus points – more than any other team – sees the Maroons edging out Hamilton for second place on the association ladder.
C Grade
TAHARA did not have the same success as its A Grade team against College in round 13 of the Hamilton and District Cricket Association C Grade competition on Saturday at JLC Young Oval, as College recorded a three-wicket victory in what amounted to a 16-point game for the two teams.
Second-placed College already held an 11-poin margin on the ladder over third placed Tahara and if the Blue Caps had won that margin would have been cut to only four, but the gap is now 19-points and it appears the top two spots on the ladder are decided with only finishing order to be determined.
Tahara batted first and an early wicket to Kane Uebergang saw Billy Rhook (five) on his way, but he was soon joined by hamish Myers (10), Brandon Disson (seven) and Jack Rhook (32) as the Blue Caps slumped to be 4-64.
It quickly became 6-78 AS Travis Rhook (duck) and Jon Tonissen (10) came and went and it looked likely that Tahara would be routed for less than 90.
Connor Lambert (29-not-out) and Luke Barnes (22) shared a 31-run partnership that took the score past 100 but when Barnes offered Lachy Patterson a return catch, he was on his way and the innings finished on 140 all out.
It was not the score the team would have been hoping for when they started but it was defendable if the bowers delivered a tight line and length and the fielders held their catches.
The early scalp of Jason Schmidt (one) gave the Blue Caps early hope and when Matt Cameron (10), Martin Clark (six), John Austin (36), Lachy Patterson (two), and Tim Wilson (13) followed the Tahara bowlers had the Eagles at 6-95.
In stepped Uebergang to take all the wind from the Blue Caps sails with s tunning knock of 62 from only 37 balls with three boundaries and seven maximums to steer the home side into second spot on the ladder.
In other games, Macarthur 2-63 made short work of St Andrews all out for only 60, Hamilton North 6-180 routed Branxholme for only 67, and Byaduk 4-159 chased down Tarrington’s 158 all out.
