By Rob Boxell
Under 12’s Yarra Junction vs Coldstream
Skipper for the evening Jordy Thornton won the toss and decided to have a bowl on what was the first game in a number of weeks due to the inclement weather.
Tyson Oates restricted the Coldstream batsmen with some tight opening bowling with support from Thornton, Luke Dark and Aidan Fogerty. Stand out was Oates though with figures of 3/5 off 4 overs. Fielding was immaculate also with Oates taking 2 great catches and Wil Joseph taking a hanger behind the sticks. Coldstream finished 6/57 off 23 overs.
Oates and Thornton opened the batting and ran really well between the wickets with both retiring to bring Wil Joseph to the crease who proceeded to find the boundary with ease with a run-a-ball 12 before getting caught. A few quick wickets followed before Oates came back in to see us home with 32* as Yarra Junction finished on 5/103 off 23 overs to take the boys to the top of the ladder.
Yarra Junction 5/103 (T Oates 32*) def Coldstream 6/57 (T Oates 3/5, A Fogarty 2/8)
Women’s Yarra Junction vs Officer
Junction travelled down to Officer on a perfect day for cricket with skipper Carly Millar winning the toss and electing to bowl first. Millar opened up with Alannah Bomford and Mille Kuth and it was Bomford who got the early breakthrough in the first over. Rachel Pilton continued her brilliant start to the season with another wicket in her first over to leave Officer reeling at 2/10 after 7 overs. Officer then started to rebuild with some good running between the wickets but it was Anelise McCracken who got the breakthrough first ball after drinks to break a good partnership quickly followed by wickets from Kuth and a great run out from Bomford to restrict Officer to 5/61 from 20 overs. Kuth and Lisa Hilton opened the batting and took the attack to Officer with a mixture of boundaries and good running between the wickets. Hilton played a great anchor roll finishing on 10* whilst Kuth carried on her good form with the bat and finished on 31* to give Junction a 10 wicket win and move to the top of the ladder.
Yarra Junction 0/63 (A Kuth 31*) def Officer 5/61
4th XI Yarra Junction vs Wandin
After three ground changes, Yarra Junction and Wandin finally found a venue to get their match underway. Yarra Junction won the toss and chose to bat first. An early collapse saw the visitors 4/17. A steadying partnership between Matt Mallick and Ken Boxell took the score 4/87 when Matt retired on 50. Ken departed shortly after for 25 which saw another collapse. Mallick would return to the crease to put on a final wicket partnership with Gary Boxell, who hit his first-ever boundary. Together they managed to take the score to 153 before Mallick was dismissed for a powerful 78, leaving Gary not out on 10. It wasn’t meant to be Junction’s day as Wandin passed the score 5 wickets down before closing their innings in the 30th over at 5/171. Best of the bowlers was the ageless Brendan Ford, finishing with 1/21 of his 6 overs.
Yarra Junction 153(M Mallick 78, K Boxell 25) def by Wandin 5/171
3rd XI Yarra Junction vs Mt Evelyn
Losing the toss, Yarra Junction was sent into the field with only 10 players. Opening the bowling with Ed Buckley and Ernie Clark, Clark got the first breakthrough before succumbing to an ankle injury in
his third over, leaving the fielding side with 9 players. The Yarra Junction boys fought hard in the field but were unable to get regular wickets to stem the tide. A glimpse of hope of keeping Mt Evelyn to a chaseable score came when young Mitch Yeoman was bought on to bowl and took 2 wickets in 2 balls, and was extremely unlucky not to get a third. Ultimately Mt Evelyn set a total of 188 to win, with Junction ruing dropped catches and loose bowling.
Needing a little bit more than 5 an over, Julian Bennett and Jai Kettelar set out to begin the chase, however both were back in the shed and the score was 2/8. Ed Buckley and Sean Jordan were able to form a good partnership before Buckley was holed out for 19. Jordan soon had his castle knocked over just before drinks for 42. After that wickets continued to fall as the run rate continued to climb and Yarra Junction would seem themselves all out for 113.
Yarra Junction 8/113all out (S Jordan 42) def by Mt Evelyn 5/187 (M Yeoman 2/11)
2nd XI Yarra Junction vs Ainslie Park
The 2nd XI were sent out to field after losing the toss. Brad Nightingale and newcomer Blayden Steedman opened the bowling and kept things tight. The first breakthrough came from Beau Hawkins which opened the floodgates. Ainslie Park struggled to form any partnerships of significance as the Junction bowling attack kept going. Each bowler chipped in with Beau Hawkins having the best return of 3/14, whilst Toby Pilton, Leigh Van Der Vlught and skipper Marcel Kocher all picking up 2 wickets each. Yarra Junction began their run chase with Kocher and Cameron Bell opening the batting. The Junction batsmen were working out their cobwebs after such a huge delayed to the start of the season, but were able to see themselves pass Ainslie Park’s score six wickets down in the 28th over. The top score was Beau Hawkins with 14 and Brad Nightingale finished 13 not out.
Yarra Junction 6/85 (B Hawkins 14, B Nightingale 13*) def Ainslie Park 82 (B Hawkins 3/14)
1st XI Yarra Junction vs Woori Yallock
Winning the toss, Yarra Junction chose to bowl first, opening the bowling with Jordan Poynton and Dan Crewe. The first wicket came via a runout from 15-year-old AJ Druitt. Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals as Woori Yallock reached 7/187 after 40 overs. The best of the bowlers being English import Will Grace taking 3 wickets for 36 runs.
Beginning the run chase, opener Nick Bark got off to a flyer hitting three boundaries in the first over, however, he was unable to add to his score, dismissed for 12. A flurry of wickets put Yarra Junction on the back foot early, whilst Travis Nightingale held up an end to etch his way to 26. Mike Ainsley and Dan Crewe put together a solid partnership that gave a glimmer of hope, however, it proved to not be enough as the visitors were bowled out for 132.
Yarra Junction 132(M Ainsley 29, D Crewe 27, T Nightingale 26) def by Woori Yallock 7/187 (W Grace 3/36)
