Moe vs Gormandale
The second ever meeting of the sides, and just 5 players in each 12 featured in the previous match. The Lions had not been batting well and were in desperate need to post a good total after recent efforts with the bat. Moe won the toss and batted first.
Moe Innings-
Mark Whitney & Braden Finn got the Lions off to a flyer, putting on 54 for the first wicket before Finn (38 off 36, three sixes & a four) was run out to give the Tigers their first breakthrough in the 11th over.
Jesse Pheeney (13 off 14) flew out of the blocks before coming undone, spooning to mid wicket at 2/72 facing all but two balls in his time at the crease. Savige & Whitney doubled the Lions total for the third wicket either side of drinks with Savige bringing up his second fifty for the campaign.
Whitney was adjudged lbw (38 off 67, one four) to start the 26th over, 3/144. Savige & Oakley added 68 from just 8 overs for the 4th stand. Savige was caught in the deep for a superb 79 off 66 balls, with ten fours. Kye Micallef missed an opportunity to get some runs, out for 2 off 4 balls in the same over as Savige, 5/214 (35). 10 overs left.
Troy Oakley & Jarryd Atkinson posted their highest B’s scores for the season adding 50 in 7 overs before Oakley (45 off 50, six fours) fell just short of a half century. 6/264 (42.1). Hayden Edwards (5 off 7) had a dip late, out in the 43rd and Atkinson followed in the 44th, out for 29 off 27 (five fours). Ben McCartney 4* off 4 & Shannon Murphy 4* off 7 were unbeaten as Moe closed with a whopping 8/281 from 45 overs. Fulham (2/21) & Farley (2/29) each took two wickets late. Gormandale used all 10 possible bowlers (excludes keeper & deso non-bowl when playing with 12), with all bar one conceding at least 5.5 runs an over. Skipper Brendan Peavey was that one, with 0/14 from 6 overs.
Gormandale Innings–
The Tigers started with a bang, White putting Robert Blunt away for four first ball. Then the Tigers were victims of their own demise for the start of the dismissals, losing their top two run scorers – behind Swan, who wasn’t playing – in the team to run outs. White (9) had survived a caught behind appeal off Blunt then ran himself out the very next ball, an easy finish for McCartney to Micallef. The next over saw Norton out for a duck (0), a lot closer than the last but again, a relatively simple run out for Blunt to Micallef. It was a 3/0 collapse the next over when Blunt had Shrubb caught by Edwards, a combination that would feature again and again shortly later.
After the biggest partnership of the innings (18), for the 4th wicket, the rot continued. Blunt had another 2 wickets caught by Edwards (Peavey 9, Scurlock 8.) and Daniel Farmer had Fulham (7) bowled, Gormandale reduced to 6/41.
Ben McCartney came on and claimed back to back wicket maidens. Blunt took a 4th wicket in his final over, 9/48. In order to switch McCartney to the other end for Edwards to get the preferred end for the left armer, Jesse Pheeney (after weeks of begging) got a rare chance to bowl one over. 10 runs came off it including 3 byes. McCartney bowled another maiden (2b) from the opposite end, the innings finishing as it started with a calamitous run out the last ball of just the 19th over, all out for 61. Extras was highest with 17, with byes (9) equaling the top scoring batsman.
Blunt finished with 4/22 from 9 overs, McCartney 2 wickets without a run off the bat from three overs and Farmer 1/20 off 6. All 3 wicket takers got an assisted run out each, all finished by Micallef with the gloves.
Edwards took 3 catches. Elsewhere, Raiders lost to Willow Grove, which brings Moe level on points with Raiders (42). The gap remains two points to Centrals (44, 1st). A huge round next week for finals implications, with Centrals hosting Moe, and Willow Grove (5th) playing Imperials (4th) – that gap now 6pts, could be just 2 if Willow Grove win
This Saturday – No Games at Home
– Premier A – Day 1 vs CATS at Traralgon South
– Centrals double header return fixture (B Grade 9am, C Grade 3.10pm)
