By Chris Anderson
With two rounds remaining, the race for finals is still well and truly in full swing.
In brilliant conditions for batting, it was the bowlers who took the honours on day one of round fourteen action.
Disciplined slow bowling seemed to be the order of the day as the slower bowlers made the batsmen work extra hard for their runs.
Warburton-Millgrove elected to field first against competition leader Mt Evelyn with an eye on strangling their opposition on a painfully slow Mac Sparke Oval.
When Pat Heaphy was the man to fall, courtesy of a neat run out, the score crawled to 139. Warburton-Millgrove will enter day two as rightful favourites to chase down the score.
Yarra Junction hosted Healesville in a key clash for both teams. Healesville needing to win their final two games if they are to be a chance to sneak into the top four.
Meanwhile, Yarra Junction has shown glimpses this season, but their inconsistencies, particularly with the bat, have proven costly to the flow of their season.
Yarra Junction won the toss and elected to field taking some pressure of their faltering batting line up.
Dale Senior was in form, and was the mainstay of the innings contributing a fine half century. His wicket with the score in 5/105 would start to push the innings towards a quick close.
Right across the day, Healesville would look threatening, only to hand the advantage back to the Eagles through regular wickets.
A quick rear-guard action from Glen Poynton at the close of the innings pushed the score to 140 when the last wicket fell.
The Eagles were well serviced by all their bowlers as they put together another disciplined performance that left the Bloods searching for runs.
Like most games across the Yarra Valley this season, it was spin that would prove the most effective with Rhys Matthews 4/33 and Kevin Bomford 2/28 stifling things through the middle of the innings.
An early wrap up of the innings, gave Yarra Junction a tricky period of 14 overs to see out the day. Despite losing night watchman Terry Ottrey, the Eagles took full advantage of the bonus overs, and closed the day on 1/41.
In the final game of the round, Seville hosted Wandin in a key clash in the race to secure a home final.
The unbeaten Blues bowled first in perfect batting conditions. Wandin simply had no answers to Seville’s plans and their execution of those plans.
The Bulldogs would fight tooth and nail, but couldn’t find the right balance between disciplined defence and attacking stroke play.
The Bulldogs had faltered with the bat for the second week running and were dismissed for a disappointing 68.
Seville did have to see out a few overs at the end of the day, and would reach relative safety at 1/15 when stumps were drawn.
Seville should comfortably reach this total and all but secure a home final with one round remaining.
For the Bulldogs, it’s as much about pride as anything. They are still well in the frame for finals, and will need to build some confidence if they are to prove themselves in the big stage.
DJ STRACHAN SHIELD
Healesville 10/140 (D. Senior 52, G. Poynton 20, R. Matthews 4/33, B. Nightingale 2/16, K. Bomford 2/28) v Yarra Junction 1/41 (M. Kosher 16*, A. Cowan 13*, J. McKenna 1/10)
Seville 1/15 v Wandin 10/68 (L.Chandler 17, M.Smith 3/24, L.Kay 3/29, M. Sandfort 2/23)
Mount Evelyn 10/139 (A. Giblin 40, J. Fraser 27, D. Fraser 26*, J. Nelson 3/32, C. Darwall 3/38, S. Thompson 2/43) v Warburton-Millgrove
RA FINGER TROPHY
Seville 10/174 (M. Byrne 43, D. Gale 35, M Peck 5/55, A. Jakubowicz 3/37) v Healesville 1/13 (S. North 5, J Cooper 5*. M. Hadlum 1/5)
Yarra Junction 10/155 (J. Nightingale 59, R. Turner 31, R. Prouse 4/41, J Harding 2/20) vs Gruyere District 4/160 (A. Waixel 74, J Carroll 62*, R. Boxell 2/37, M. Richards 2/37)
Wandin 48 (K. Marshall 15, A. Dunn 3/8, M.Edwards 2/7) defeated by Woori Yallock 0/50 (L. Winter-Annette 30*, R. Smith 15*)
Mount Evelyn 10/197 (TJ. Hancock 85 T.Williams 30 C. Dikschei 4/51 D. Whelan 2/20) vs Coldstream
C GRADE
Hoddles Creek 9/159 (S. Robertson 54, B. Cole 52, C. Parker 4/13, B. Bradley 2/26) defeated by Launching Place 5/175 (M. McConnell 51, S. Parker 35*, S. Robertson 3/24)
Yarra Glen vs Warburton-Millgrove (no scores)
Wandin vs Marysville (no scores)
Seville vs Bye
D GRADE
Launching Place 7/200 (C. Voight 50*, T Darkin 41, B. Carvill 29, H. Baxter 2/4, C. Handasyde 2/28, D. Anthony 2/36) defeated Healesville 9/193 (B. Louw 60*, C. Handasyde 33, G. Drummond 28, T. Darkin 3/37, S. Heatherrill 2/9, C. Voight 2/49)
Gruyere District 3/135 (R. Morrison 42*, S. Lowe 31, N. Waxiel 25, M. Cummins 2/19, T. Noar 1/14) defeated by Coldstream 6/136 (P. McArdle 50*, A. Cummins 40*, L. Mckay 3/23, M. Bluett 1/14)
Seville 5/169 (C.Barry 52*, B. Pereira 41, J. Kneebone 28, J. Geary 3/30, C. Newell 2/29) defeated Warburton-Millgrove 10/164 (B. Geary 56*, S. Hargrave 38, C. Newell 32, J. Mullins 4/33, C. Trainor 2/18)
Woori Yallock 129 (P. Broussard 28, A. Ferguson 25, D. Worlley 24, T. Pilton 2/20, M. Robinson 1/2) defeated by Yarra Junction 3/131 (L. Thompson 37, S. Jordan 32*, M. Robinson 28, N. Worlley 1/13)
Powelltown 10/157 (S. Sanders 31 K. Dunne 27 L.Shepherd 3/31 L. Cook 3/30) defeated Mt.Evelyn 10/81 (L.Shepherd 22* D. Meades 18 S.Sanders 4/16 D. Anderl 3/16)
Wandin vs Bye
16 & UNDER
Healesville 8/173 (S. Gebert 50*, A. Boyle 32, J Rhodes 2/18, L. Riddiford 2/27) defeated Coldstream 7/160 (A. Steele 51*, D. Pezzimenti 40, S. Gebert 4/10)
Mount Evelyn/Launching Place 9/85 (S. Van Hoogstraten 24, L. O’Dea 4/24, M Berry 2/10, R. Foley 2/27) & 2/72 ( B. Podesta 24*) defeated by Yarra Junction/Gruyere 9/161 (R. Foley 100*, J. Chamberlain 4/16, B. Podesta 3/13)
Warburton-Millgrove vs Yarra Glen (no scores)
Seville vs Bye
UNDER 14
Healesville 8/145 (17*, H. Baxter 32*, C. Anderson 22) defeated Hoddles Creek 10/102 (J. Friztlaff 31*, J. Johnson 2/4, M. Wallace 2/10, C. Anderson 2/14)
Seville 10/35 (H. Smith 13, D. Walker 2/0, C.Lee 2/0, R. Haymer 2/3, E. Crowley 2/3) defeated by Warburton-Millgrove 8/178 (R.Thompson 31*, C. Crowley 28*, D. Walker 26*, H. Murphy 2/2, E. VanBeek 2/4)
Yarra Junction defeated Mt. Evelyn/Coldstream (forfeit)
UNDER 12
Healesville White 3/98 (J. Ferris 19*, M North 10, C. Kaempkes 2/7, J. Cowell 1/12) defeated Marysville 8/73 (T. Moate 21, K. Bennett 13, J. Ferris 2/4)
Healesville Red 8/105 (T. Handasyde 42, S. Drummond 22*, C. Ewan 2/4,) defeated by Yarra Glen Red 2/118 (J Hamilton 34* C. Kenally 21*, L. Pearse 18, J. Dossor 1/5)
Launching Place 8/83 (A. Bradley 16* G. Lyons 2/10) defeated by Hoddles Creek 7/131 (M. Blunt 21* W. Pearse 20 L. Dunne 3/15 E. Bradley 2/5)
Warburton-Millgrove 7/71 (B. Caneva 18* M. ONeill 11 J. Kneebone 2/8) defeated Seville 6/67 (Jp. Barry 10* N. Lucas 1/6), Yarra Glen Black vs Wandin (no scores), Yarra Junction/Gruyere vs Bye
UNDER 10
Wandin 9/72 (Mandarla 10, R Morcombe 5/4) defeated by Healesville Red 4/150 (R Morcombe 45*, Lachie G 2/6)
Healesville White 8/104 (C Duff 10*, L Miles 8, Billy 2/6) defeated by Mt Evelyn 11/122 (Billy 12, Lachie 11, M Ferris 2/10, H Duff 2/17)
Seville 141 (Lachie 19, Alby 14, Jensen 12, Mitch 12) defeated Wandin 130 (Dylan 21, Jack 21, Will 14, Ethan 13, Tyler 13)
Warburton Blue 121 (Sumba Meredith 26, Josh Holmes 16, Nate Lucas 15, Jack Darwall 14, Tyler Ormsby 2/16, Cooper White 2/10, Brodie Ormsby 1/11) vs Woori Yallock 164 (Cooper White 35, Tyler Ormsby 32, Sam Hyndman 18, Brodie Ormsby 17, Sumba Meredith 1/12, Jack Darwall 1/13, Kaylee Archer 1/30)
Wandin Blue 9/72 (Mandarla 10 Lachlan G 16 Raff 5/4) lost to Healesville Red 4/150 (Raff 45 Monty 12, Lachlan G 2/3, Oliver W 1/7)
Yarra Junction 6/58 (Dean 8, Kobe 7, Paddy 6, Robby 2/19, Mitch 1/1, Rhys 1/5) vs Warburton White 3/91 (Zane 22, Jai, 12, Mitch 12, Dean 2/4, Charlie 1/14)
