B Grade – Moe v Latrobe
The sides hadn’t met for four seasons since Latrobe beat Moe in the semi final of 2019/20 and Moe were promoted as minor premiers. Now Moe are back in ‘B Grade’, the teams got reacquainted. 5 players from each side in that semi final featured, which could’ve been more on the Lions side if Oakley & Johnstone weren’t injured and Savige was available. Mick Zomer (50*) & Glen Hebbard (47) did the damage back on that day in the 9 wicket win and were two of the Sharks featuring this week, threatening to cause havoc again.
Latrobe Innings
Moe’s stand-in skipper Robert Blunt won the toss and sent the Sharks in. Three balls into the game and Don McDougall (0), skipper for Latrobe in that semi final, found himself back in the pavilion, skittled by Blunt. This brought in Hebbard to join Zomer, facing Blunt, all three being former indoor cricket teammates from the now defunct Traralgon indoor league. Zomer avoided falling victim too Blunt, but the same couldn’t be said for Hebbard (4), caught by Bailey Wilson at cover. Blunt picked up his third scalp shortly after, bowling CLV’s women’s GCL captain Stacy Rockliff for 3 to make it 3/22.
Nic Brewer (17) & Zomer (39) added 43 for the fourth wicket to give the visitors a foothold in the game but the stand was broken by Jarryd Atkinson, dismissing both just one run apart. That collapse became 4/3 when Atkinson picked up his 3rd (Gedara 0) and Daniel Farmer (1/23 off 9) bowled Tim Cranwell (2).
The Sharks were now 7/68, before Robert Borlase (25) & Mark Lawrence (6) pushed the total to just about triple figures by the time the 8th wicket fell. Blunt & Bailey Wilson wrapped up proceedings, the last 3 wickets falling for four runs, Latrobe all out for 100 in the 36th over.
Blunt finished with 4/23 from 9, Atkinson 3/18 from 9, Wilson 2/18 (4.1) & Farmer 1/23 (9). Jesse Pheeney took 2 catches in the field.
Moe Innings
The Lions got the job done in a hurry with the bat, chasing down the target at better than a run a ball, 2/101 off 15.4 overs.
The only blight was Braden Finn injuring his hamstring whilst batting. Dismissed once for the season before today, Finn still managed to hit 45 runs, with Haydn Edwards as his runner following injury. Edwards didn’t have to do too much running as Finn stood and swung, hitting 8 fours. He fell with just 21 runs to win, at 1/80.
Opening the batting also, was Mark Whitney (27*) ably supporting Finn from the other end. Jesse Pheeney made 11 off 9 balls trying to wrap up proceedings quickly following Finn’s dismissal. He was caught by Zomer to become Duncan’s second scalp with 4 runs left. Ritvik made 3* off 1 ball and Whitney hit a single to secure the win for the Lions. Duncan (2/17) was the Sharks only wicket taker.
B Grade have a first time meeting with Gormandale, home at Ted Summerton