THE TWELFTH MAN
HDCA – A Grade
THE final day of the 2024-25 Hamilton and District Cricket Association A Grade season awaits Pigeon Ponds and Casterton District when the teams take the field next Saturday against Tyrendarra and Grampians respectively.
Pigeon Ponds will be looking to keep ladder leader, Tyrendarra, at bay, when their visitors resume on 0-23, chasing 233 posted by the home side on day one.
The hosts failed to take advantage of a depleted Tyrendarra, which was missing five regular A Graders including the bowling stars Darren Killmister and Ben Menzel as Sam Wilsom, Mitch Arnold, Lachlan Kirk and Skay Rhodes bowled the Pigeons out, on their own.
Simon Close returned to the batting crease for the first time since his epic triple century against Tahara and the opener was again on song with his stroke play, as he continued to score seemingly at will.
Close stood at the other end as Noah Hildebrand was caught for only four then added 40 for the second wicket with his brother Michael (16) and then 41 with Ben Hanrahan, before he fell for yet another half century with 53 next to his name.
He now has 818 runs at an average of 81.90 and has assumed favouritism for the PF Christie Medal as the best player in the competition and should he win, it will be the second of his career.
Hanrahan (19) followed Close back to the pavilion with only another 10 runs added to the tally and at 4-100, the hosts were on the edge of being routed.
Ponds skipper Hamish McCrae took the long handle to the bowlers as he helped add 100 runs to the tally while he was at the wicket, but he tried once too often to lift the ball over the fence and was caught on the boundary for 65 from only 54 balls.
The home side would lose 5-42 to fall from a position of strength at 5-191, to be all out for only 233 as the Darras came back into the game and dismissed the Pigeons in the 62nd over, with Wilson 3-58 and Kirk 4-60 leading the way.
With 10 overs to bat to see the day out, Tyrendarra may well have looked to attack but Lachlan Kirk (14-not-out) and Will Kirk (six-not-out) were happy to see off the bowlers and remain unbeaten at stumps.
The irrigation at Island Park caused the game between Casterton District and Grampians to be reduced to a one-day game next Saturday as the turf wicket block was awash and did not dry in time for the game to go ahead as scheduled.
Luckily for both teams, neither can reach the final four so the loss of available playing time will not hamper a finals surge.
In other games, Portland Colts all but assured itself a semi-final place by smacking an undermanned St Andrews bowling attack with 7-354 at Clem Young Oval and Hamilton (0-13) requires less than 200 with all 10 wickets in hand against South Portland (211) at Dahl Turf.
Portland Tigers ensure it will be in the last four with a commanding tally of 8-264 against Gore-Portland at Alexandera Park in Portland, while College middle order star Adrian Burn belted 15 from 189 balls as the Eagles posted 8-327 against Macarthur at Monivae Turf.
B GRADE
MAROONS GET CASE OF THE BLUES
CASTERTON District was thrashed by Hamilton at Wando Vale Recreation Reserve, as the visitors chased down the target set by the Maroons in only 15 overs.
Casterton District won the toss and elected to bat first but prolific opening batsman, Justin Carlin, was back in the pavilion with only 16 against his name in the scorebook, while new player Anthony Maguire scored 23 opening the innings.
It was left to veteran Chris Hutchins (35-not-out) to ensure the home side had a target the bowlers could defend as the Maroons capitulated for only 121, as Archie Buck took the bowling honours with 3-9 for Hamilton.
In reply, Hamilton watched on as Steven Murphy smashed the bowlers to all parts of the ground, with 80-not-out with 13 boundaries and two maximums and Brett Ezard (32) as the pair added 99 for the first wicket inside 11 overs, before Ezard was caught.
It was only another four overs before the winning runs were scored and the players went home early.
St Andrews skipper Damien Logan (93 and 3-30) led the way with the bat and the ball as the Drews (7-183) travelled to Dunkeld and defeated Grampians (167), to keep its faint hopes of a finals place alive with one game remaining.
The Drews will claim a finals place if they defeat Casterton District and College defeat Grampians next Saturday.
C GRADE
TAHARA CLAIM BONUS POINT
TAHARA has claimed third place in the race for the finals after winning with a bonus point in the Hamilton and District Cricket Association C grade competition at Tahara Recreation Reserve against Byaduk on Saturday.
The Blue Caps were asked to bat first as Byaduk won the toss and Fletcher Wheeler (34), Jack Goodman (29), and Liam Tonissen (49) gave the team a great solid foundation to post a final tally of 9-243 as Harry Goodman (71) top-scored.
Byaduk looked to skipper Lachlan Holcombe (48), Cameron Christie (27), and Gordon Last (22) to provide their own foundation, but only Adam Mirtschin (38) could offer resistance against the Tahara bowlers as the Ducks were restricted to 7-183.
St Andrews (112) were no match for Branxholme (2-113), College (1-176) thrashed Hamilton North (8-171) with Matt Cameron posting 103-not-out, and Tarrington (5-165) caused a huge upset against Macarthur (8-161).
D GRADE
LOCALS ALL POST VICTORIES
TAHARA, Coleraine and Pigeon Ponds all claimed victories in the penultimate round of the Hamilton and District Cricket Association D Grade competition as the opposition teams failed to stake a claim in each game.
Coleraine (3-105) were far too good for Hamilton (9-102) at Turnbull St Oval as Jack Dwyer (4-3) led the rout with the ball while Xavier Dwyer led the run chase with 41.
Tahara (5-142) remain undefeated after the Blue Caps took less than 28 overs to hunt down the Grampians score of 8-141 thanks to 54 from Keith Northcott and 3-24 from Archie McKay.
Pigeon Ponds (7-191) had standout performances from Lachie Stevenson (104-not-out) and Brenden Preston (4-9) in thrashing Tarrington (89) at Tarrington Recreation Reserve.
There was a low-scoring game at Hamilton Recreation Reserve as St Andrews (9-111) claimed a bonus point in defending its total against Hamilton North (68).
