B Grade – Moe v Gormandale
Moe were looking for their third consecutive home win, but faced personnel challenges with 6 changes from last week’s side. Atkinson & Blunt took 7 of the the 10 wickets combined last week and were lost to A Grade, leading run scorer Braden Finn was injured & 3 young guns (Pheeney, Wilson, Edwards) were all unavailable. With a league wide C Grade bye, half of last week’s C Grade side moved up to B’s whilst Troy Oakley returned from injury in some relief for Moe. Gormandale were yet to taste victory this season, and the visitors were looking to capitalise.
Gormandale Innings
The Tigers won 3 of the last 4 to end last season, but this year had been bowled out for under 81 three times in four matches so far – the only exception being a thrilling one wicket loss to Rovers.
Daniel Farmer bowled Smallwood (3) early before Shrubb (16) & F.White (17) managed to take the visitors to 1/35. That stand was broken when Kye Micallef ran out White. Wickets fell in regular intervals to reduce Gormandale to 5/85 before they lost 5/12 to be all out for 97. Peavey (12) & Bull (11) were the only others to make double figures.
For the Lions, Farmer took 3/19 from 9 and Mark Whitney 3/15 off 7. Kye Micallef, Stuie Palmer & David Biggins all took one wicket each, all of which I believe are their first B Grade wickets for Moe.
Moe Innings
Moe’s batting had been the main problem to date in B Grade and it didn’t start well again. Peavey had Mark Whitney lbw first ball of the inning before Cooper White took 6/18 from his allotted 9 overs. White dismissed Straughair 7, Murphy 3, Oakley 13, Micallef 1, Blandford (0) & Ritvik (0) to have Moe in strife at 7/35.
Enter Stuie Palmer & David Biggins. Biggins (33 off 31) went at better than a run a ball individually in a 56 run 8th wicket partnership, before he was dismissed with 7 runs to win. Ryley Semmens (3*) joined Palmer to get the job done, Palmer scoring the winning runs in his unbeaten 24*. White was unbelievable for the visitors whilst Crean (1/12 off 7.1) was more than solid in support.
Moe get a lucky escape to make it 3 in a row and will hope for some personnel relief as they look to make it four on the trot when they host Rovers next week.
