Premier A Grade – Morwell vs Moe
Back to back thrillers!
Moe travelled to Morwell looking to reverse recent form against their longtime rivals. The Tigers had won the last 4 matches over the Lions (3 one dayers & the 2022/23 reverse outright semi final). Morwell entered the match with one win & one loss since the round 1 washout whilst Moe had two wins. Morwell won the toss & sent the Lions in.
Moe Innings
The Tigers got the perfect start, sending Evan Sheekey (2) back to the sheds at 1/8. Brendan Brincat picked up the wickets of both openers, Rob Phoenix caught for 23. Benn Zomer (2) was bowled by Todd Dixon shortly after for 3/49. Andrew Philip hit 10 fours on his way to a hard earned 76 off 124 balls. He fell lbw at 6/160 in the 46th over, after losing another two partners along the way (Noah Kane 15, Laytten Smith 13).
The final few overs saw the returning Nathan Lee (4 off 5) & Jordan Shields (0) dismissed chasing quick runs. Keenan Hughes (25*) & Aaron Johnstone (7*) were unbeaten as Moe closed at 8/182. Brincat, Ford, Dixon & Dylan Day all took 2 wickets each for the home side.
Morwell Innings
Tim Ford (22) made the only notable contribution for the Tigers top order as they were reduced to 4/56. Hughes & Smith took an opener each before Shields had the wickets of Morwell skipper Campbell (8) & Ford.
Blake Mills dominated the scoring & the strike in a 32 run stand with Mark Cukier, the latter scoring 3 off just 7 balls in that time before he became Shields’ third victim, Morwell in trouble at 5/88. Mills & Brincat swung the momentum and threatened to take the game away from the visitors adding 50 to sit 5/138, needing just 45 runs to win. Overs not part of the equation, the match was only getting decided by runs or wickets.
Then the momentum swung back to Moe, Mills picking out Shields at point and Brincat finding Philip in the deep, both off of Hughes. Dylan Day (5) was caught by sub fielder Kye Micallef off the bowling of Zomer to make it a 3/8 collapse and 8/146 overall, 37 runs still required. Josh Seymour (13) helped push the chase to within 20 runs before Johnstone had him caught, the 8th Tiger batsman to be dismissed in that fashion, at 9/164.
Todd Dixon & Lachlan Day nudged the hosts closer to the total, before Dixon hit a six & a four in couple of overs otherwise filled by dots, to put the Tigers within reach. Day followed suit, with a boundary of his own at the other end to level the scores. Moe had one last chance to rescue something and tie the match, but Dixon was put in the deep for the Tigers to cross for a one wicket win.
Hughes (3/28 off 10) & Shields (3/56 off 10) were the pick of the Moe bowlers with 3 wickets each whilst Smith, Johnstone & Zomer all took one. Something the Lions will look to improve on is the concession of extras, bowling 22 wides & 4 no balls to Morwell’s 5 combined.
After a narrow one run win last week, it was a one wicket loss this week in another thrilling game. Next up, the first red ball section of the draw starts, with a two day game away to undefeated Glengarry.
