Both B & C Grade went to Mirboo North and won the tosses. B Grade surprised the hosts, electing to bowl whilst C Grade elected to bat.
Premier B Grade –
Mirboo North Innings:
A brilliant bowling performance from the Lions. Josh Pickering returned excellent figures of 3/9 (9) with all wickets caught on the offside. Acting skipper Robert Blunt opened alongside him and took 2/21 (9) with both scalps bowled. Daniel Farmer returned from injury with 3/14 (8.5), all three wickets being bowled, including skittling Steve Rogers (14), the only Tiger to make double figures. Mark Whitney (2/3 off 2) managed a couple of wickets from just a couple of overs. The hosts largest partnership (13) was made by the last pairing to move from 9/39 to all out for 52.
Moe Innings:
With approximately 11 overs til lunch and a constant drizzle of rain, Moe set out to knock over the runs in a hurry. Randy Straughair (19 off 10) & Robert Blunt (19 off 18) very much rode their luck, and took 32 runs off the target in 3.5 overs before Straughair was bowled by Walker. Blunt chopped on off Hughes with 11 runs required at 2/41. Kye Micallef (0) was also bowled, by a Walker full toss to make it 3/45. The constant drizzle steadily got heavier and the covers came on at 3/46 and lunch was taken. After roughly a 90min delay plus lunch break, Braden Finn (9* off 13) & Ash Savige (3* off 7) scored the last 8 runs required for the Lions to claim victory. With the three in Moe’s inning, 9 batsmen were bowled from the 13 wickets in the day.
Premier C Grade-
Moe Innings:
Experienced campaigners, Chris De Vent (11), Paul Cake (58) & Shannon Murphy (25) batted almost all of the overs getting to 3/115 at the last of their dismissals. The youngsters of the team (Duff (0), Gaut 2, A.Savige (0), H.Edwards 5*, B.Cake 0*) got brief chances to have a hit to close at 6/122 (45). George Shaw took 2/2 whilst Paul Woodall & Lucas Van Der Zalm each nabbed one. Two runs out for the other wickets.
Mirboo North Innings:
Paul Woodall (4), Rory King (0) & Andy McCarthy (4) all fell early as the Tigers were reduced to 3/21. Unfortunately that’s as good as it for the visitors. Dave Woodall (36*) & Simon Lawson (56) added 94 for the 4th wicket to seal the game. Lawson went out with 6 runs required. Jason Comrie (1*) joined Woodall to see the hosts home. Brady Cake took 2/35, whilst Edwards & P.Cake took one each.
Summary :
A sporting acknowledgment to Mirboo North Cricket Club B & C Grades for joining a combined effort on both ovals to persist through the constant drizzle of rain – and a little heavier at times – in order to achieve results in both games. Of course we’d love to have won both (what club wouldn’t?), but splitting them 1-1 in the circumstances is a fair result in reflection, with both the winning teams in each grade (Moe B’s, Mirboo C’s) winning comfortably and deservedly.
