PREMIER B GRADE vs Morwell
For the second week in a row, but with Evan Sheekey back as skipper, B Grade won the toss and bowled in the first game on Morwell Recreation Reserve since, March 12, 2022.
Morwell Innings
Like last week v Mirboo North, Josh Pickering & Robert Blunt did early damage with the new ball reducing the Tigers to 4/27 (Semmler 12, Williams 2, Spurr 2, J.Seymour 2). Pickering backed up his figures of 3/9 off 9 last week, with another superb spell of 3/10 off 9 this week. Glen Gniel (13) & Connor Seymour (20) added 16 for the 5th wicket before Daniel Farmer (1/25) bowled Gniel. Braden Finn, more acrobatically than elegantly, then ran out Cheffers (1) who was quite aggrieved at his partner. Morwell, struggling at 6/44.
Jordan Shields bowled 6 overs in his first spell with figures of 1/23 and had Seymour pick out Blunt perfectly in the deep to make it 7/60. With Whitney & Savige not bowling due to injuries and Pickering & Farmer bowled out, Sheekey only had 2 overs (Blunt) of medium pacers left to use for the game, so Ben McCartney (0/17 off 4) and Jarryd Atkinson continued the spin attack.
The next 16 overs saw Morwell’s strongest patch of their inning, adding 44 without loss with Hayden Stockdale & Shane Gniel at the crease. B Grade’s leading wicket taker Atkinson got the breakthrough of Stockdale (30) with Shields taking a brilliant catch in the deep. The next over saw Gniel (17) caught by Straughair on the final ball of Blunt’s 9th and final over, as he finished with 2/21. Shields (1/30 off 7) returned for one over at the freeway end before Atkinson had Bilic (15) caught by McCartney to close the Tigers inning on 122 from 43.1 overs. Pickering the pick of the bowlers whilst Blunt & Atkinson (2/15 off 5.1) took multiple scalps each.
Moe Innings:
Not much positive to write about here for the majority of the innings. Straughair (3) was first to go, caught behind trying to ramp the ball over the slips cordon. Savige (8.) and Finn (10) moved the total to 1/24. Then came a collapse of 6/4 courtesy of Glen Gniel (4/18 off 9) & Steven Bilic (2/8 off 9), including 3 ducks – Sheekey, Atkinson and Whitney. Duck award leader, Blandford avoided that fate, making 2. Jordan Shields batting #6, had survived a hat trick ball following Sheekey’s dismissal earlier, was joined by #9 Blunt at 7/28 and the pair survived through drinks and added 21 for the 8th pairing before Blunt (8.) was caught at gully with Seymour back on. Seymour took his 3rd scalp, dismissing Shields at 9/60. Ben McCartney (5) was last man out (Pickering 10*) as Moe were bundled all out for 74, the last 3 wickets adding 46 to make the total a bit more respectable, but still nowhere near anything good nor the 123 required. The shining light was Shields getting time at the crease, offering resistance under pressure, top scoring with 21.
Gniel took 4 wickets, Seymour 3, Bilic 2 and Shane Gniel (1/0) took the final scalp.
PREMIER C GRADE
Unfortunately Glengarry forfeited yesterday, so we get the points but not how we would like. No C Grade fixtures next week due to Australia Day weekend, but players can still fight for promotion to B Grade’s game against Churchill next week.
Sitting just half a game outside of the four, C Grade’s next game is against 2nd placed Ex Students is a big clash for their season.
