By Keith Thompson, Secretary YVCA
IN PLEASANT cricket weather some excellent matches were played in the Yarra Valley on the weekend with some interesting results in the D J Strachan Shield.
Seville was looking to defend its 142 against home team Mt Evelyn which was 2/60 overnight, but this proved not to be as the Mt Evelyn batsmen went about their task well to amass a score of 9/370 cc (Luke Jones 133, Chris Doyle 97, Adam Burns 3/58, Conner Regan 2/41).
Mt Evelyn’s score was then beaten by a great team innings by Woori Yallock in the match against Coldstream (167 last weekend). Woori Yallock’s 9/407 included centuries to Michael King (146) and Mat Stolarchik (127).
Wandin had a good day on its home turf: with 259 on the board it wanted to bowl well and this it did, dismissing Launching Place United for 133 – Jason Rowe on 67 – and for just 93 in the second innings, Rod Norman 29, Simon Young 4/21 Jackson Wright 3/23. The outright win secured Wandin a top-four place.
Yarra Junction with 371 (David Lever 122) defeated Silvan 261, Mark Appleby 106 not out.
What a match it must have been at Hoddles Creek with visitors Healesville being 1/44 overnight, having lost on the first innings by 22 runs.
Healesville reached 9/176, then asked Hoddles Creek to bat again to see Healesville then having a lead of 154. The home side could not make the runs nor hold out and it was an outright win to Healesville. Hoddles Creek 153 and 99 (Jeremy Derix 47, Dan Rogers 4/11, Brad Chandler 3/46) lost by reverse outright to Healesville 131 and 9/176 (Ben Slater 42, Jeremy Derix 4/25).
R A Finger Trophy
Woori Yallock 9/258 (Julian Smith 50) d Yarra Glen 226
Yarra Junction 174 and 0/33 (James Rogers 29 n.o.), d Mt Evelyn outright for 87 and 119 (Jarrod Barden 31, M Healy 21, J Roberts 16, D Roy 4/27, Toby Pilton 3/30).
Healesville, visiting Seville, was 4/55 overnight chasing 107 for victory but a few quick wickets by Seville’s McGill and Morgan placed some big doubts in the Healesville minds and, with a player short in the batting line-up, only one wicket left and still some 10 runs required, finger nails were being chewed. In the end they prevailed and passed the 107 to reach 136 with Mark Powell 41 and Nathan McGill 5/34.
Valley vs Gippsland
Woori Yallock’s Ryan Smith will captain the Yarra Valley Cricket Association Under-18 side selected to play West Gippsland Cricket Association at Gruyere on Sunday.
Other Woori Yallock players are Ben Monkhorst, Adam Dunn and Glen Sanders. From Wandin, Jarrod Rowe Jackson Wright, Troy Murphy and Simon Young are in the team while Jackson Fellows from Mt Evelyn and Nigel Wilkes, Daniel Rogers and Sam Watts from Healesville and Gruyere’s Mathew Cooper as emergency complete the Yarra Valley line-up.
The game will be played at the picturesque Gruyere Cricket Ground on Sunday 1 February from 10.30am.
