DCA – B Grade
CASTERTON District has cemented a top four finish with four rounds still to play in the Hamilton and District Cricket Association B grade competition after defeating St Andrews at Wando Vale Recreation Reserve on Saturday by eight wickets.
The Maroons won the toss and elected to send the Drews into bat and had the visitors all out for 157 inside the allotted 40 overs.
The home side only had to wait until the first ball of the second over of the day before tasting success as jake Tomkins send Theo Lehmann (1) on his way.
From there the visiting batsmen made starts but none were able to go on and post a score the rest of the order could bat around.
Damein Logan (12), J Lehmann (18), Chad Logan (33), Craig Dimond (16), and Zach Grenfell (23) all looked good before getting out just as they were starting to dominate the bowlers.
Justin Carlin (67-not-out) and Kyle Carlin (56) added 84 for the first wicket and from there Justin Carlin guided the home side to a bonus point victory and that all important finals spot.
In the other B grade game, College was all out for 202 against Grampians at Monivae Turf with James Cole (68), Heath Schmidt (37), and Elton Brinkman (34) batting well in the top order as Ryan Burgess led from the front in taking 4-28 for the Pumas.
After the tea break Grampians could gain a toe-hold in its chase and finished 9-154 when stumps were called as the Eagles gained yet another bonus point as Greg Millard (34), Mark Lazzari (27) warmed up for the O/40’s rep team.
A GRADE
Blue Caps post new high
TAHARA had posted its highest score of the summer on day one of the round 11 Hamilton and District Cricket Association A grade game at College Turf against College on Saturday.
The Blue Caps lost the toss and were invited to bat first as the Eagles looked to dismiss the visitors cheaply and hopefully gain an outright victory and possibly gain a top four finish.
Jordy Anthony had the early wicket of Brad Gauci (duck) in only the third over of the day as opening bowler gave his side the early edge, but from there on the home side had to dig deep to oust the Tahara batsmen.
The visitors changed up the batting order with Gauci and Nathan Slaughter (20) walking to the middle first while Fletcher Wheeler (43) and Harry Armstrong (55) took advantage of being promoted from lower grades and look to Have cemented a spot in the top grade.
Slaughter and Wheeler ground down the College new ball bowlers with a second wicket partnership of 42 before failed to get over the top of a delivery from veteran Eagles all-rounder Lachie Brown and was well caught for 20.
Wheeler watched from the bowlers end as Taine Morris posted a run-a-ball 19 but he ran past a Jude Alexander ball and was stumped by Angus Brown with 71 on the board, while Wheeler would follow only 23 runs later after a stoic 101-ball knock of 43.
To date this summer, Tahara has been known to collapse after the first four wickets have fallen, but not this day as Harry Armstrong and Liam Tonissen stood tall in the middle order to repel the attack from the Eagles.
The pair batted with confidence and they turned the strike over to stop the College bowlers gaining and extended period of attack at the one batsman.
They took the score to 170 after a stand of 76 for the fifth wicket before Armstrong (55 from 72 balls) offered Adrian Burn a return catch, but Tonissen then found another ally in James Povey (22) as he helped take the score to 252.
Tonissen fell agonisingly three runs short of a well-deserved century, but his knock of 97 from 119 balls with 14 boundaries and three maximums was easily the highest individual score from Tahara batsman this summer.
From there the Blue Caps proceeded to bat out their overs and finish day one in commanding position with 8-284 on the board when stumps were called.
Anthony (3-70) was the only multiple wicket taker for the Eagles, who will have to bat deep if they are to chase down this target next week.
A GRADE
No home ground bonus for Maroons
ISLAND Park offered no home ground advantage to Casterton District as the Maroons hosted reigning A Grade premiers Tyrendarra this weekend as the visitors made the road trip home with the points safely tucked away.
The two clubs had agreed to play this game over Saturday and Sunday due to the Tyrendarra Show being staged next Saturday and the number of players from both teams that have been selected in the Melbourne Country Week squad which travels next Sunday.
Further, the teams also decided to start each day early so as to beat the forecast heat and the visitors lost the toss and were asked to bowl first as the Maroons looked to post a target that would trouble the Darras.
It proved not to be for the home side as the batsmen formed a procession walking too and from the wicket as wickets fell seemingly at will.
Both openers (Ben Holmes and Oscar Foster) were back in the hutch with ducks against their names and there would be another three other batsmen to record that score.
Only Kane Forbes (21), Ricky Killey (14) and Logan Gibbs (32) managed to register double figures as the final wicket fell just after the tea break with only 91 on the board.
Darren Killmister grabbed the honours with the ball for the visitors with 3-24, while Ben Menzel, Sam Wilson and Mitch Arnold added a brace of wickets apiece to rout the home side.
With 26 overs to bow, to end the first day, Tyrendarra reached stumps with 3-60 on the board as Casterton District remained in the contest, but come day two the visitors lost only two more wickets in reaching and passing the target.
Hamish Withers called a halt with the score on 5-135 when he declared and then let his bowlers loose for a chance at outright points.
A GRADE
Other games …
Grampians and St Andrews called the day off due to a lack of light after only 50 overs on day one with the bushfires in the Grampians impacting the game.
When play was halted, Grampians had reached 4-121 with Donald Collins (45) and Carl Joyce (31) continuing their good form, while Russell Elton with 2-22 was the best of the St Andrews bowlers.
Gorae-Portland posted 169 at cavalier Park against South Portland as Damien Compton (60), Noah Greene (42) and Zac Duncan (24) batted well for the visitor’s, but in reply South Portland finished day one on 3-64 needing another 106 runs next Saturday.
A brilliant display with the ball from Portland Tigers bowler Llewellyn Oakley (739) held Portland Colts to 190 all out at Hanlon Park as Luke Evans (70) and Matthew Belden (36) led the way with the bat for the visitors.
Macarthur will resume at 1-13 at dahl Turf next Saturday still needing 165 runs to grab the points from Hamilton who batted well to reach 179 all out as Xavier Stevens and Anthony Read each posted 48 and Isaac Shaw 39.
Pigeon Ponds has the bye.
C GRADE
Tahara suffers surprise defeat
THIRD placed Tahara suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of fourth placed Branxholme at Branxholme Recreation Reserve on Saturday in the Hamilton and District Cricket Association C Grade match of the round
As the Blue Caps failed to hunt down the target set down by the Bulls, it allowed the home side to narrow the gap between the teams on the ladder to only two points with five rounds remaining in the home and away season.
Tahara was a different team than normal as many first choice players were missing either through promotion to the A grade team or unavailability.
The visitors won the toss and elected to send Branxholme into bat with the aim of dismissing Bulls run-machine Andrew McFarlane cheaply.
McFarlane was looking the goods again with the bat but with his score on 21 he failed to defend an Archie McKay delivery and he was castled by the Tahara opening bowler.
Laurance Lonie continued his good form of late with yet another half century as he posted 53-not-out with the home side finishing on 5-169.
In reply, only Jon Tonissen (34), Brandon Disson (24) and Jayden Dark (20) managed to register double figures for the Blue Caps as the side was dismissed for only 109, handing the Bulls a bonus point.
In other games, Matt Timms (108) and Brayden Buchanan (108-not-out) shared a stand of 152 for the second wicket at Macarthur Recreation Reserve to steer Macarthur to 2-294 against Hamilton North who were dismissed for only ‘126 in reply.
An innings of 74 from College opening batsman Jason Schmidt allowed the Eagles to defeat Byaduk at Christie Oval as the visitors posted 176 all, while Byaduk was dismissed for 151 in reply.
Dylan Bensch (101-not-out) steered Tarrington to a commanding 4-228 against St Andrews at Tarrington Recreation Reserve with the Tigers bowlers then dismissing the Drews for 176.
D GRADE
Coleraine keeps Pumas at bay
COLERAINE has kept hold of the second rung on the Hamilton and District Cricket Association D grade ladder with a convincing victory against fourth placed Grampians at Turnbull Street Oval on Saturday in round 12.
Coleraine won the toss and elected to bat first looking to post a target the Pumas could not hunt down.
The home side had struggled to be 5-61 before Xavier Dwyer posted his highest senior grade score with 68-not-out and Christian Barker with 53-not-out added an unbeaten stand of 124 for the sixth wicket to see the home side finish with 5-185.
Grampians were dismissed for only 102 as Archie Templeton grabbed career best figures of 6-17.
D GRADE
Hamilton defeats Pigeon Ponds
DESPITE dismissing Hamilton skipper Rory Steff for only 24 as he chased his fourth century on the trot, Pigeon Ponds failed to grab the points against Hamilton at Pigeon Ponds Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
HAMILTON won the toss and elected to bat first with Jay Casey (53) and Lachlan Walker (48) leading the way for the Blues with a total of 6-236 for the Pigeons to chase.
Even with a great knock of 90 from Brendon Preston opening the batting for the home side, Ponds could only muster 6-194 in reply.
Led by 71 from Stephen Hadden, Tarrington defeated St Andrews at Pedrina Park 1 as the visitors posted 7-151 and then held the Drews to only 117 in reply.