By Chris Anderson
YARRA VALLEY CRICKET ASSOCIATION
WHAT a treat spectators of Yarra Valley cricket had on Saturday afternoon.
Brilliant conditions were complemented with a tight battle between bat and ball on the field, in the competition’s premier grade, DJ Strachan Shield, as teams fight for crucial wins as we close in on the Christmas break.
The biggest game of the round is being played at Mount Evelyn, where the Rovers are hosting Warburton-Millgrove in a top-of-the-table clash.
The visitors won the toss and didn’t hesitate in batting on a ground that has seen significant totals posted by the team batting first in recent weeks.
Openers Ben and David Lever made the most of the early going as they managed to not only navigate through a tight spell from the opening bowlers, but ensured the scoreboard was ticking over from the beginning.
Youngster Darcy Fraser was brought into the attack and had immediate success, removing the dangerous David Lever in his first over.
The wicket saw recruit Jason King join Ben Lever at the wicket, and the pair proceeded to put the Burras in a strong position.
With Lever assuming the attacking role, and King playing the supporting role, the pair put together an impressive 54-run partnership in good time to put together the foundations of a good team score.
With King’s dismissal, Tim McKail (25) enjoyed continuing the momentum of the innings.
The Burras were able to hold firm as Kane Jones and Chad Witherdin applied the screws leading up to tea, but at 2/110 at the main break, the visitors had themselves well set for an onslaught.
That’s exactly what transpired, as the next 12 overs saw 68 runs scored as the pressure was heaped on the Rovers’ bowlers.
Lever’s innings continued to grow, and, although impatient, his stroke-play was brilliant.
Brutal drives and thundering pull shots saw the inform opener race to 89, before a mistimed drive saw his departure with the score on 4/177.
With more than 20 overs in the bank and plenty of batting force in the sheds, the visitors were still entitled to believe a score in excess of 300 was on the cards.
Brett Winzer (46) showcased a wide variety of shots on both sides of the wicket, and his contribution was significant in the context of the innings.
Unfortunately his wicket just short of a half century gave the home side an opportunity to work its way back into the contest.
An excellent partnership of bowling between brothers Darcy (4/38) and Gareth (2/77) Fraser ensured that the reins would be kept tight on the batsmen over the closing overs, while Chad Witherdin (3/14) continued to chip in with tight bowling and wickets.
Warburton-Millgrove were able to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
However, with regular wickets, this meant that the innings didn’t quite have the explosive finish to push the score towards 300.
In the end, a score of 255 is an excellent one, and at the start of most games, if you were to tell a team they would post a score beyond 250, they would gladly take it.
The focus is now on the home side’s batting as they have proven their worth over recent rounds.
This will be no easy task against an experienced bowling line up that will ensure runs are hard to come by, so a successful run chase would be a significant feather in the Rovers’ cap.
Seville hosted Woori Yallock, and after posting their first win of the season last round, the Blues were keen to keep themselves in the finals mix.
Woori Yallock on the other hand had their first bitter taste of defeat last round, and their minds were solely on correcting an unusual blip on the radar.
Upon winning the toss, Seville were keen to post a score, and co-captains Matt Hadlum and Jake McInness put their hands up to fight against the competition’s best.
The pair was able to navigate through some brilliant bowling from the Tigers, particularly from Simon Young who began with five successive maiden overs, giving their young line up some confidence that they could absorb anything the visitors threw at them.
Although the bowling was tight, the Tigers searched for a wicket-taker.
That came in the form of Hayden Smith, who was able to break the stubborn partnership, removing Hadlum with the score on 1/33.
With the fall of the first wicket, Young was brought back into the attack and had immediate success removing Harrison Byrne.
The Tigers sensed a shift in momentum, but Liam McGookin (40) joined McInness at the wicket, and the pair continued to take up the fight to the reigning premiers.
With some patience against the skill of Young, interspersed with boundaries from the spinners, the pair was able to navigate their way through the tea interval, to have their team well set at 2/113 after 45 overs.
Tigers captain Ryan Smith took it upon himself to change the course of the innings, with the vital wicket of McInness for a well made 65, followed shortly after by the wicket of McGookin.
In the space of a handful of overs Woori Yallock had their noses back in front.
With a couple of more wickets to Young, the innings began to teeter at 6/128, and the champs could sense a quick kill.
Tom Page (31) and Matthew Johnson put together a useful partnership, with Page adding some enterprising runs.
But once that partnership was broken, so too was the Blues’ resistance as their innings was wrapped up for 169 with some six overs still in the bank.
Simon Young was the pick of the bowlers with amazing figures of 4/30 off 23 overs, while he was ably supported by the rest of the bowlers, in particular the spin of Ryan Smith (3/28).
Seville would’ve been proud of their resistance against an excellent attack, and their ability to put value on their wicket has seen marked improvements in results in recent weeks.
With that said, their bowling will need to be at its absolute best if they are to keep Woori Yallock under the target.
Bowling has been Seville’s strength this season, so they will enter day two with much confidence of regular wickets to take it up to the Tigers.
In the final game of the round, Yarra Glen hosted Healesville in a crucial match where Yarra Glen are searching for their first win of the season, while the visitors are aiming to capitalise on recent form to keep themselves in the finals picture.
As was the trend on this beautiful day, Yarra Glen gladly accepted the opportunity to bat upon winning the toss.
They made the most of this opportunity with a brisk start to the innings.
The opening partnership was eventually broken by Dermott Fry, with the score on 34, but the momentum didn’t wane as Brendan Ricci joined David Brambilla at the crease.
The pair was able to construct an excellent partnership through some useful stroke-play.
Although not littered with boundaries the score continually grew with well placed ones and twos.
The Bloods became increasingly urgent in their search for not only wickets, but someone to stem the runs, as they tried their full repertoire of bowlers.
Nothing was successful as Brambilla and Ricci continued to heap on the pressure leading their team to a commanding position of 1/156 at tea.
After the tea adjournment, the ball was thrown to Matthew Peck and he had immediate success removing Ricci for a well constructed 63 in the first over after the break.
This immediately changed the momentum of the innings.
Peck (4/32) produced an excellent spell of bowling which netted him four wickets and heaped the pressure back on Yarra Glen to capitalise on their entertaining start.
Yarra Glen has proven they have the quality in the top order to establish starts, but they quickly fall away when the resistance is broken.
Unfortunately for the home side, this was again the case.
When Brambilla was dismissed for an excellent 73, with the score on 5/183, the end came fairly quickly from there.
Veteran Richard Ellisdon added some valuable runs, but Bloods’ spinner Scott Hamer (4/46) continued his good form with the ball, and he wrapped up the innings before the total got out of hand.
The final total of 213 will still take some chasing for the Bloods who have their trials and tribulations with the bat this season, but after looking down the barrel of a score beyond 250 they would be relatively pleased with the end result from day one.
If Yarra Glen can expose the flaws Healesville are experiencing with their top order, then they will give themselves a chance of a first win.
Healesville on the other hand will sense this is an excellent opportunity to iron out their problems, and a successful chase beyond 200 will give them some much needed batting confidence.
DJ Strachan Shield
Seville 169 (J. McInnes 65, L. McGookin 40, T. Page 31, S. Young 4/30, R. Smith 3/28) v Woori Yallock; Healesville v Yarra Glen 213 (D. Brambilla 73, B. Ricci 63, M. Peck 4/32, S. Hamer 4/46); Warburton-Millgrove 255 (B. Lever 89, B. Winzer 46, T. McKail 25, D. Fraser 4/38, C. Witherdin 3/14, G. Fraser 2/77) v Mount Evelyn.
RA Finger Trophy
Warburton-Millgrove 170 (A. Nelson 26, T. Walker 24, F. Saurine 22, G. Foster 2/15, J. Berri 2/30) v Seville; Coldstream 1/27 v Woori Yallock 7/83 (P. Broussard 49, D. Mock 23, D. Whelan 5/21); Yarra Junction 235 (M. Kocher 74, M. Scott 43, K. Dark 24, T. Hawkins 26, A. Pearce 5/51, J. Hellary 2/27, L. Chandler 2/34) v Healesville; Gruyere District 6/272 (J. Carroll 72, A. Waixel 60, L. Winter-Annette 2/46) v Launching Place 3/24 (R. Prouse 2/4); Wandin v Hoddles Creek 7/389 (L. Rowe 96, L. Heatherington 78, K. Tarar 2/42).
C Grade
Yarra Glen 165 (S. Patterson 65, L. Coulson 53, B. Jones 4/32, R. Wilson 2/27) v Mount Evelyn; Healesville v Seville 234 (G. Frankovic 126, P. Smith 33, G. Quilty 30, S. Fawdry 2/37, S. Gebert 2/43); Powelltown v Wandin (no scores).
D Grade
Coldstream 6/212 (A. Cummins 58, S. Kollchose 50, P. McArdle 44, A. Dalm 5/50) v Seville; Wandin v Yarra Junction 9/209 (R. Turner 58, Rhys Foley 54, D. Alderman 4/22); Mount Evelyn 160 (L. Dunn 72, C. Robertson 45, G. Ferguson 5/27, A. Tauber 2/33) v Launching Place 0/72 (A. McGill 26no, R. Thomas 32no); Hoddles Creek bye.
One Day Grade
Coldstream 5/162 (L. Robertson 41no, G. Moore 28, H. Vassallo 2/24, H. Beers 1/15) d Gruyere District 9/67ao (N. Waixel 19, M. Bluett 10no); Warburton-Millgrove 128 (R. Brown 43no, C. Newell 18, P. Osborne 17, D. Anderl 3/6, B. Green 2/5, G. McRorie 2/12) def by Powelltown 149 (B. Green 40no, G. McRorie 38, B. Simpson 14, A. Doolan 2/16, H. Bray 2/27); Marysville bye.
Under 16s
Warburton-Millgrove 9/145 (N. Anudeza 36, J. Wooley 35, D. Cerveri 30no, T. Reed 4/13, M. Anderson 3/13) d Yarra Junction 9/108 (H. Bansagi 29, M. Anderson 24, J. Wooley 3/8, C. Newell 2/8); Wandin-Coldstream 108 (L. Sinnott 22, M. Pezzimenti 19, H. Keeling 3/0, M. Gamble 1/8) def by Healesville 5/149 (D.HS 48, N. Darkin 41no, D. Hummer 2/27, J. Birnie 1/24); Mount Evelyn bye.
Under 14s
Gruyere District 6/110ao (T. Noar 32no, R. Vassallo 26, R. Gribrock 2/10, B. Olcorn 2/25) def by Warburton-Millgrove 3/210 (J. Sharp 40no, P. Huynh 40no, T. Noar 1/34); Yarra Glen 8/82 (C. Berry 17, M. Sinnott 3/4, M. Bradley 2/11, Courtney Winter-Annette 1/3) def by Launching Place 153 (M. Bradley 49no, M. Sinnott 42, A. Thompson 4/24); Healesville 9/162 (S. Gebert 42no, D. Ebbels 26, S. North 23, D. Potter 3/10, B. Hutchins 2/15, D. Finch 2/20) and 4/62 (D. Ebbels 23no, L. North 11no, D. Finch 2/11, F. Lee 1/7, J. Lee 1/12) d Mount Evelyn 8/52 (B. Jones 9, F. Lee 6, B. Hutchins 5, W. Cooney 2/6, H. Fry 1/0, C. Dennis 1/3); Yarra Junction-Hoddles Creek 30 (L. O’Dea 14, C. Frankovic 2/4, R. Foster 1/1) def by Seville 8/181 (M. Hardy 35, AJ Smith 29no, C. Hrabe 2/14, D. Clarke 2/22) and 8/81 (H. Harvey 24, T. Cumming 20, C. Hrabe 3/2).
Under 12A
Warburton-Millgrove 6/145 (R. Thompson 30no, D. Walker 24, M. Goodluck 15no, J. Thurlow 1/5, X. Richardson 1/7, D. Benson 1/10) d Hoddles Creek 116 (J. Thurlow 26, G. Vukman 13no, J. Fritzlaff 10, M. Goodluck 3/3, D. Walker 2/2, R. Thompson 2/19); Healesville 2/121 (J. Hammond 16no, M. Wallace 15no, C. Anderson 13no, H. Smith 1/9, R. Tanner 1/11) d Seville 9/86 (E. Van Been 31no, H. Smith 10, R. Lever 4/15, C. Kusnezow 2/10); Coldstream bye.
Under 12B
Yarra Junction-Gruyere 5/113 (R. Bomford 15no, L. Theobald 11no, B. Cope 2/6, L. Parker 1/2) def by Launching Place 4/128 (L. Parker 15no, E. Bradley 13no, Riley Adams 2/10); Yarra Glen 9/114 (A. Van Putten 25, B. Scott 15, J. Nicholson 2/10, J. Gleeson 1/9) d Marysville 3/109 (M. Thompson 25no, M. McLean 14no, A. VanPutten 2/3, R. Borthwick 1/15); Healesville 8/148 (J. Handasyde 21no, J. Dossor 16no, H. Birchmore 11no, T. Darvell 2/10, N. Doyle 2/16, C. Missen 1/11) d Mount Evelyn 9/104 (C. Finch 29no, N. Doyle 11no, N. Darvell 11, J. Dossor 2/4, S. Surride 2/15, T. Handasyde 2/1).
Under 10s
Wandin 3/95 (Jack D 15, Bethany 12, Brianna 1/2) d Launching Place Blue 5/76 Lucas 14, Millie 11, Jackson 3/5); Coldstream 5/42 (Jace 11, Callum 2 wickets, Ash 2 wickets) v Launching Place White 3/78 (Riley 10, William 10, Jackson 2 wickets).
