By Keith Thompson
REGULAR cricket resumed after two weeks with no matches, with round 12 being completed in a one-day match program.
It was great to have Kinglake senior side back on the field with their match against top side Powelltown transferred to Coldstream to allow it to go ahead, sadly no scores from this match were available at time of going to press.
The Yarra Valley Cricket Association continues to work to find way to assist those affected by the fires and on Sunday 1 March at the Coldstream Cricket Ground two matches will be played.
The first is the final of the YVCA veterans competition between the winners of the qualifying final (Wandin v Warburton held Sunday 22 February) and Yarra Junction will commence at 10.15am.
This will be followed around 1.45pm with a YVCA Invitational XI playing the Sri Lanka ex-international all stars.
The Sri Lankan players will include retired test stars such as Asanka Gurusinha (41 tests/141 ODIs), Ravi Ratnayake (22 tests/78 ODIs), Athula Samarasekera (four tests/39 ODIs), Manjula Munasinghe (five ODIs) and Sanath Kaluperuma (four tests/two ODIs).
The day will include sausage sizzles, Sri Lankan food stalls, drinks and other events to assist in raising funds for the fires.
@BT Sport Sub Mail:D.J. Strachan Shield
In round 12, Woori Yallock at home made 194 all out.
Runs came from Andrew Sharp (53) and M. Stolly (49), with Dan Rogers (4/25) being the best of the Healesville bowlers.
In reply the visitors were all out for 143 being 51 runs short.
Damien Ryan took 3/32 for the winning Tigers.
Warburton-Millgrove at home to Seville proved far to strong for the visitors.
Seville were all out for 162 while in reply Warburton were 3/165 dec, with S. Darwall (52), B. Winzer (53 n.o.) performing well.
Mt Evelyn travelled to Wandin and in a closely-fought, high scoring contest Mt Evelyn 9/259cc, Ben Thiele (87) and Andrew Giblin (55) being the best with the bat, while Simon Young (3/51) and Shane Luck (2/38) did the damage for home side.
Wandin innings at the end of the allocated 40 overs was 6/286cc, with Scott Hassan (91), Gary Franovic (53) and Chris Anderson (3/53) toiling hard for the mounters.
Gruyere travelled to Yarra Junction where Gruyere were all out for just 105.
Aaron Violi (26) and Neil Waixel (19) steamed in to take on Stuart Thompson (3/9) while spinner Gerard Searle took 3/20.
In their turn at the crease Yarra Junction were dismissed for 189. Ben Lever (42), David Lever (38), Geoff Fall (31), Matt Tilney (3/21) and Matthew Cooper (2/15) tried to create a win for the visitors but the score was too small to protect.
Hoddles Creek 8/284cc (Brenton Derix (100), Michael Batten (56), S Davis (50), Cameron Hoare (4/62)) defeated Launching Place United 195 all out (Andrew Hoare (69), Jesse Ridd (42), Jeremy Derix (4/40)).
@BT Sport Sub Mail:R. A. Finger Trophy
Mt Evelyn 138 all out (Brad Darvell (37), Hans Baeukers (30 n.o.), A Oxley (6/30), A Young (2/3) defeated Wandin 129 all out (A Rowe (39), Jarred Bayliss (30), Paul Miutescu (1/12), Ian Hawkey (1/5)).
Woori Yallock were dismissed for 177, led by Tom Van Veen (44) and Ryan Smith (28).
This was not enough to hold Healesville from a win with 183 before loosing the tenth wicket, William Maile (68), G Paterson (30), M White (4/59).
Matt Walker (78) and Craig Atkins (30) were the main stays in Seville’s 7/221cc, with Dan Egan taking 4/43 as the home side batted first in their match against Warburton-Millgrove.
After the tea adjournment, Warburton-Millgrove commenced their chase but were dismissed for 113, with Egan also featuring with the batt making an undefeated 33, as Nathan McGill and Paul Dicello each took three wickets while conceding 18 and 32 runs respectively.
The final round of the programmed home-and-away series starts next weekend and in the run to the finals of the D. J. Strachan Shield, Healesville host Yarra Junction where a loss could see the home side slip from the finals.
Mt Evelyn and Woori Yallock will do battle for the top of the ladder position at Mt Evelyn.
Warburton travels to Coldstream where a win to the visitors gives them a final four opportunity depending on other matches – such as Seville looking for their chance to move off the bottom of the ladder against final-four side Wandin.
The outcome of the Launching Place v Gruyere District match will also help determine the final ladder placings.
