“Lions overcome Sharks’ openers surge”
Moe opted to take the maximum 10 additional overs offered to batting teams not dismissed on Day 1. This option rewards the team batting the full day by taking away some of the risk of loss at the concession of increasing the risk of draw if they don’t bowl the team batting second out.
MOE INNING (continued)
Resuming at 6/226 (89) – Grant 57, Savige 45, Phoenix 38, Atkinson 37*, Colgrave 24*
As expected, a fresh Gamage (3/39 off 23) & Dobson (2/55 off 23) would bowl a further five overs each for the Sharks if the Lions batted the full ten.
Due to Jarryd Atkinson being not out at stumps, his Day 2 replacement Chris Robinson was able to take to the crease. He resumed with Royce Colgrave (24* off 32) and this appeared to be the Lions most potentially damaging partnership for the Sharks to have to break.
Robinson 
fell for a 10 ball duck, lbw to Gamage and Colgrave faced four balls without adding to his scoring before he fell to Dobson, also lbw, to make it 8/228 off 92.4 overs with a maximum of 38 balls left.
From here, with Clinton Taylor (#9 on 2*) & Robert Blunt (#10) at the crease, Bailey Wilson in the shed and the Sharks using a ball that was only 10 overs old, with all due respect to those named, it wasn’t expected Moe would survive the remaining duration. To the surprise of the home team in the pavilion, – and frustration of the away team on the field – Taylor (15* off 20) & Blunt (15* off 27) not only survived the 38 balls but added an unbeaten 28* run partnership to push the total to 8/256 (99). Gamage finished with 4/51 & Dobson 3/73 off 28 overs each.
LATROBE INNING
It was a less than desirable start as Moe’s bowlers couldn’t find a rhythm or get the breakthrough as Anthony Bloomfield & Ronnie Chokununga cruised at a run rate of 3.3 an over for the first wicket. It took until the 6th bowler used in Rob Phoenix to get the scalp of Bloomfield for 43 (98), caught by Sean Spiteri at 1/94 in the 29th over. As the old adage goes, “one brings two” and Phoenix quickly followed it up with a second, bowling Benn Zomer (1).
Callum Grant returned to the bowling crease for his second spell and he & Phoenix were the first successful pairing in terms of bowling in partnership. Grant had Freshwater (1) lbw & Dobson (4) caught by Blunt and suddenly, Latrobe had lost 4/13. That became 5/18 (5/112) when Phoenix made it a son/father bowled combo, skittling Mick Zomer (4). It was slow going as Phoenix restricted Gamage (1 off 27) before he was caught behind to make it 6/126 and Phoenix’s 4th.
Clinton Taylor’s second spell proved fruitful, breaking his 2022/23 season wickets duck, taking 1 & 2 for the campaign in quick succession, having Jacob Bloomfield (2) caught behind & Adam Duncan caught by Wilson. A change of ends for Phoenix saw him finally break the resistance of opener Chokununga (81 off 145, with 14 fours) to claim the 9th wicket and his first 5-wicket haul since returning to Moe. Bailey Wilson (1/5) wrapped up proceedings with Liam Duncan (11 off 44) caught behind for Noah Kane’s 4th catch of the afternoon.
Overall, Latrobe lost 10/66 to be all out for 160 off 60.4 overs. With 18 overs left in the day, the teams rightly opted against any 2nd innings commencement. But it was Phoenix who was the star of the day, with 5/13 including 11 maidens from an 18 overs straight spell.
Moe Bowling:
C.Taylor 2/27 (9) – R.Colgrave 0/13 (6) – R.Blunt 0/9 (5) – A.Savige 0/25 (5) – C.Grant 2/33 (11) – R.Phoenix 5/13 (18) – S.Spiteri 0/26 (4) – B.Wilson 1/5 (2.4)
Moe will now head into five weeks on the road, to face CATS, Morwell and lastly a Saturday/Sunday game in Churchill.
