YVCA
AFTER last week’s on-again off-again day with the rain, cricketers around the Yarra Valley were greeted with blue skies and hot conditions – and they didn’t disappoint the spectators as intriguing battles between bat and ball ensued.
Making big scores is going to be key to team success this season as early indications are that teams possess the potential to amass such scores – but the batsmen’s temperaments haven’t matched this potential and thus far we haven’t seen a ‘big one’.
This was until this round as Warburton-Millgrove made hay while the sun shone as they all but batted the day out against Mount Evelyn at the picturesque Mac Spark Oval.
The Burras didn’t hesitate in batting, and opener Ben Lever was the man who broke the shackles for the under-performing batsmen around the association.
In an innings that wound the clock back to days gone by, Lever cautiously built his innings against some probing Rover’s bowling. After absorbing the best that Mount Evelyn could offer, Lever’s innings accelerated at the right time for the Burras to attack a score beyond 300.
With the support of Scott Ablitt (37) and David Lever (29), the Burras looked well on track at 2/216 with 14 overs remaining against a tiring attack.
The visitors had battled manfully in tough conditions and managed a fightback of their own as they managed to eke out the Lever boys, Ben the last for a masterful 135, and managed to run through the Burras’ middle to lower order to restrict, and eventually dismiss the Burras for 274.
Although relatively happy with the final score, the Burras would be disappointed not to have batted the Rovers completely out of this contest with a score well beyond 300.
Mount Evelyn have their work cut out with the bat, however the total is achievable if their batsmen show the same application as Warburton-Millgrove’s top order.
The match of the round would have to be the battle between two of the association’s most talented young line-ups.
Yarra Junction and Woori Yallock, both beaten finalists in 2013/14, will be looking to take another step this season on the bag of some of the brightest new talent in the competition.
Yarra Junction opened the game with the bat and struggled to match the speed and accuracy of one the best new bowling pairs in Jackson Wright and Simon Young.
The speed of Wright troubled the Eagles with his good form continuing with figures of 5/40. Just as the Tigers looked to have busted Yarra Junction’s innings wide open, Eagles captain Quinton Hodgkinson (78) was joined by Pat Ford (51) and the pair systematically repaired the innings to a point where the Tiger’s were nearly bereft of options as the pair looked as if they were going to push the score beyond 200.
Unfortunately for the visitors, the pair were the only batsmen of substance, and with their dismissals, the innings was quickly tidied away for 191. Woori Yallock then made the most of their limited time at the crease quickly pushing the score to 46 without the fall of a wicket.
Woori Yallock has established the best possible foundation to chase the moderate score, however this isn’t the first time this season the side has found itself in this position – and the last time didn’t end in success.
Yarra Junction possesses an attack that will keep the Tigers honest all day, and any lapses in concentration will result in dismissals, however one thinks 191 will be short as the Tigers will be keen not to lose another game from this position.
In the final game of the round, Seville hosted Healesville in a game that both sides needed to win to gain some momentum for the season – Seville has endured rain and byes affecting their time in the middle, while Healesville recorded their first victory of the season two weeks ago.
Healesville, with the washout last week, must start putting more wins on the board if it is to keep pace.
As mentioned, batting is going to be the key this season, and Seville had a crack first and highlighted the challenges faced by batting sides.
Adam Burns made the most of the early proceeding and put together a well made half-century, however the difference between this innings, and that of Warburton’s is that Burns couldn’t kick on like Lever and his dismissal just after raising his bat saw the home side struggle to muster any momentum of significance against a dour Bloods attack.
No other batsman could contribute another half-century, and – despite a handy 37 not out from Matt Tilney – the Blues would’ve been disappointed to be dismissed for 189 giving the visitors a manageable chase and a sniff of victory against the highly favoured reigning premiers.
Spinner Scott Hamer (3/41) was the pick of the bowlers in an attack that toiled well for their wickets.
As so often is the case against Seville, the home side relished the short stint that Healesville had to bat, and quickly had the visitors in all sorts of trouble having the Bloods teetering at 3/23 at the close of play.
One would think that with Seville’s bowling line-up, the Bloods will have trouble chasing this target, however they do have the luxury of the week to re-focus and set their goals in achieving the target.
D.J. Strachan Shield
Yarra Junction 191 (Q. Hodgkinson 78, P. Ford 51, J. Wright 5/40, S. Young 2/53) against Woori Yallock 0/46 (M. Dwyer 23 not out, D. Mock 18 not out), Seville 189 (A. Burns 51, M. Tilney 37 not out, S. Hamer 3/41) v Healesville 3/23, Warburton-Millgrove 274 (B. Lever 135, S. Abblitt 37, L. Jones 6/51).
R.A. Finger Trophy
Woori Yallock 9/188 (D. Mock 53, P. Broussard 41, A. Ferguson 34, D. Chaproniere 3/51, T. Gaskett 2/31, N. Goyle 2/34, M. Richards 2/35) v Yarra Junction, Healesville v Seville 155 (M. Johnson 23, J. McInnes 22, L. Zanatta 4/37, C. McGrath 3/34), Coldstream 9/169 dec (B. Walsh 54, S. Phillips 48, D. Chesney 3/29, M. Batten 2/27, B. Derix 2/43) v Hoddles Creek 1/20, Mount Evelyn 170 (D. Finch 28, B. Smith 26, M. Hadj 3/35, T. Appleton 2/18, J. Juffermans 2/41) v Warburton-Millgrove 3/118 (M. Hadj 53, B. Clarke 53 not out, B. Jones 2/48).
C GRADE
Yarra Glen 9/310 (A. Cowan 145, J. Orren 52, B. Davies 28 not out. M. Young 3/43, L. Winter-Annette 3/104) v Launching Place, Marysville 6/96 dec (L. Fisher 68, B. Norman 10, E. Blain 2/15, G. Sweeten 2/17) v Gruyere 7/239 dec (A. Waixel 88, G. Sweeten 55, J. Simms 3/29, B. Norman 2/38), Seville 83 (S. Buckle 18, S. Fawdry 4/16) v Healesville 4/39 (B. Wilson 2/7), Wandin 262 (B. Mckenzie 65, D. Kift 57, G. Le Broq 4/74, G. Thompson 4/70) v Yarra Junction 2/55 (G. Thompson 39 not out).
D GRADE
Yarra Junction 195 (N. Dowdell 76, S. Jordan 46, L. Sinnot 6/44, J. Colaneri 2/3) v Wandin 1/38, Yarra Glen 178 (M. Clare 85, D. Colling 3/28, C. Voigt 3/35, J. Galea 3/67) v Launching Place 5/61 (D. Colling 16, R. Beath 3/17), Seville 156 (S. Mundy 51, R. Jones 28, G. McRorie 3/18, S. Thompson 2/13, B. Dunne 2/15, P. Dunne 238) v Powelltown, Gruyere 9/114 (D. Hopkinson 63, C. Argentino 4/31, B. Westaway 2/25) v Mount Evelyn 9/187 (M. Darvell 92, B. Westaway 26 not out, D. Prouse 5/44, B. Young 3/73).
One Day Grade
Yarra Junction 10/164 (C. Fall 60 not out, B. Hawkins 21, R. Spakman 3/19, P. Ralis 2/19) d Healesville Red 106 (M. Cooper 56 not out, K. Bomford 4/10, J. Reed 2/15), Hoddles Creek 1/94 (A. Randall 40 ret, A. Edmonds 30) d Silvan 87 (R. Dipietrantonio 28, J. Lawrence 5/11, A. Randall 2/3), Woori Yallock 9/142 (J. Coombes 47 not out, H. Smith 30, R. Pearce 3/13, O. Kreoger 3/22) d Seville 6/137 (R. Pearce 36, R. Braidner 28, M. Anderson 2/21), Mount Evelyn 4/128 (T. Hancock 40 not out, A. Taylor 40 not out, J. Neale 4/28) d Warburton Millgrove 119 (C. Neale 43, J. Neale 22, B. Evans 4/12, S. Martin 2/10, R. Cowan 2/19).
UNDER 16
Yarra Glen 9/101 (A. Adamson 52 not out, P. Moors 15, D. Bailey 3/23) d Warburton Millgrove 5/93 (M. Arnold 32 not out, N. McDonald 21, A. Adamson 2/23, A. Beath 1/15), Seville 7/102 (L. Corbett 37, M. Grindley 2/19) d Launching Place 8/97 (T. Monaphai 27, M. Leeds 3/24, M. Oates 3/15), Healesville 2/94 (D. Senior 50 not out) d Mount Evelyn 5/88 (T. Williams 33 not out, D. Senior 3/15).
UNDER 14
Yarra Glen 8/71 (R. Smith 17 not out, A. Whalen 12 not out, Declan O’Dea 5/5, E. Tazzyman 2/8) d Yarra Junction 7/63 (L. Allisey 14), Mount Evelyn 2/85 (B. Westaway 26 not out, C Mole 21 not out, A. Bicknell 2/2) d Healesville/Launching Place 3/79 (D. Colling 38 not out, C. Parker 13 not out, J. Coutts 1/5, D. Coutts 1/6), Healesville 4/152 (H. Keeling 40 not out, D. Howard-Scales 34, M. Hall 23 not out, D. Vaux 1/11, O. Schelfourt 1/12) d Wandin/Coldstream 6/77 (L. Sinnott 31 not out, B. Eacott 2/10), Seville 1/133 (T. Garner 33 not out, T. Bissells 22 not out, T. Spargo 22 not out) d Warburton-Millgrove 7/72 (N. Andueza 23 not out, H. Bray 11, C. Newell 9 not out, T. Garner 2/7).
UNDER 12A
Seville 3/109 (J. Proctor 31 not out, G. Smith 18 not out, E. Bradley 1/8, G. Parker 1/12) d Launching Place 7/87 (C. Winter- Annette 30 not out, A. Smith 2/0), Healesville 3/91 (F. Lever 14 not out, H. O’Brien 13 not out, R. Thompson 1/7, T. Nicolandis 1/7, B. Humphrey 1/10) d Warburton Millgrove 10/70 (R. Gribbrock 9, K. Gay 8 not out, B. Humphrey 8, J. Hill 3/3, W. Cooney 1/5, T. Fraser 1/5, L. English 1/5).
UNDER 12B
Yarra Junction 2/53 (J. Ketelaar 9, D. Clarke 8, R. Foley 4, C. Patterson 2/12, R. Foley 1/2, J. Ketelaar 1/3) d Marysville 4/50 (P. Birtchnell 10, J. Nicholson 5, J. Nicholson 1/5, B. Fitzpatrick 1/6), Mount Evelyn 5/90 (B. Jones 17 not out, L. Shepard 12 not out, P. Murphy 10 not out, J. Lee 10 not out, L. North 2/2) d Healesville 5/84 (A. Boyle 14 not out, L. North 10 not out, H. Fry 10 not out, D. Finch 2/1).
