The inaugural trial of B & C Grade double header matches took place with Moe facing Centrals at Ted Summerton Reserve.
🕘 – B GRADE: MOE V CENTRALS
MOE INNING
Breakfast cricket started with Moe being sent in by Centrals. Zammit (1/22) got the away side off to a great start, dismissing Randy Straughair (8) early. Jesse Pheeney (29 off 80 balls) & Jarryd Atkinson (30 off 88) added 60 for the 2nd pairing before Pheeney was undone by Centrals skipper Dean White. Atkinson was caught shortly after to make it 3/92. Coach Paddy Spiteri, finally captaining B Grade for the first time as he intended at season’s start, added 45 with Mustafa Glibanovic (12) for the 4th wicket before the latter was run out with 3 overs to go. Spiteri hit a couple of 4’s in the 43rd over before the innings finished tamely. Evan Sheekey 🦆 was unable to trouble the scorers as just 4 runs came off the final two overs. Spiteri finished unbeaten on 47* off 41 balls, with 4 fours & a six in a solid captains knock. Aaron Johnstone 1* of 4 was also unbeaten. Moe posting 5/149 (45). Centrals had 4 wicket takers all with consistent figures – Whitehead 1/19, White 1/22, Zammit 1/22 & Morton 1/25, all off their allotted 9 overs.
CENTRALS INNING
Josh Pickering (1/17 off 7) got the opening breakthrough of Slimmon (8). Mark Phoenix got a start with 25 (48) before falling victim to Daniel Farmer. Numbers three to five on the batting card weren’t able to contribute much (Hourigan 11, C.White 7, Morton 4) with McCartney, Atkinson & Farmer grabbing their scalps, reducing Centrals to 5/62. The away side made a fightback in the form of Shankland (22) & Dean White (36) adding 45 for the 6th wicket. At 5/107 off 39 overs, Centrals needed 43 from 36 deliveries with a hurry on required. Farmer picked up his 3rd wicket with Shankland in his 8th over and Zammit (4) in his final over. Now 33 off 22 was required. 7 balls later, Atkinson dismissed White to render any doubt of the result away, 8 down and 29 off 15 required. Centrals scored another 8 runs off the final 15 deliveries to close on 8/129, Moe winners by 20 runs. Farmer was pick of the bowlers with 4/17 (9) whilst Atkinson 2/26 (9) also got multiple wickets
Moe Bowling
A.Johnstone 0/32 (9) – J.Pickering 1/17 (7) – D.Farmer 4/17 (9) – J.Atkinson 2/26 (9) – B.McCartney 1/18 (5) – M.Glibanovic 0/17 (6)
🕒 C GRADE – MOE V CENTRALS
CENTRALS INNING
The third toss Centrals won for the day but batted this time. Foley (45) did the majority of the early work as Ibrahim Glibanovic & Ron Whitney picked up the wickets of Gibbons (3) & Dorsett (6). Foley became Whitney’s 2nd wicket at 3/65 & Glibanovic claimed his second (Canny 12) at 4/76. Miles Verschuur (1/33) got in on the action before Brandon Hansch (3/11) & Aiden Savige (2/19) wrapped up the tail. Brad Howlett (20) & Sean Petrie (12*) reached double figures from Centrals middle & lower orders. Whitney (2/9 off 6) & Hansch (3/11 off 7) were the picks of the bowlers
Moe Bowling
H.Edwards 0/17 (4) – I.Glibanovic 2/30 (8.) – M.Verschuur 1/33 (8.) – R.Whitney 2/9 (6) – B.Hansch 3/11 (7) – A.Savige 2/19 (4)
MOE INNING
Chris De Vent (4) fell early in the chase to a blinder of a catch. Brandon Hansch (21 off 46) & Mark Micallef added 65 for the second wicket before Howlett undid Hansch’s good work to that time, rattling the poles. Centrals got a sniff nine runs later when Shannon Murphy was lbw for 4 (off 18 balls) and it was 3/78, with 47 required. Hayden Edwards joined Micallef to put on an unbeaten 50 run stand to win game. Edwards finished on 21* off 29 balls whilst Micallef produced a fine knock of 67* off 104 balls including nine fours, the last of which won the game.
Summary
The inaugural double header came off as a success with even more opportunity to make it bigger and the better in future (one idea is to have the A-Grade match in close proximity to the B/C double header. – Eg between the sides at Traralgon West’s ground – practically next door to Apex – if the next double header is at Centrals. Or A’s at the Racecourse if B/C at Ted Summerton).
We thank Centrals Cricket Club for also putting their hand up to this new Latrobe Valley & District Cricket League trial and look forward to the next occurrence.
🎄CHRISTMAS BREAK
B Grade will return Jan 7, away to Morwell
C Grade returns a week later on Jan 14
