A catastrophic batting collapse that began with a brilliant piece of fielding and some terrific bowling inspired Waurn Ponds Deakin to a spirited Geelong Cricket Association Division 3 round 9 win.
In a low-scoring game at Jarvis Oval, Deakin University where 20 wickets fell in the space of 71 overs on Saturday 10 January, the Eagles inflicted Murgheboluc’s first loss of the season.
The win moved the Eagles to 42 points with only percentage separating them from Murghe at the top of the ladder.
An important unbeaten 30 from club coach Bennett Thomson got Waurn Ponds Deakin (WPD) to a somewhat defendable total of 123 all out. Frogs’ skipper Luke Brown (3/23) and Daniel Grozdanovski (3/30) did most of the damage.
WPD skipper Nick Phillips said his coach played a steady hand and that the side was still confident at the break despite the low total.
“He (Thomson) led by example yesterday and kept a calm head and got us to a defendable score,” he said.
“We were pretty positive. Over the five years or so I’ve been at the club, our bowlers have gotten us out of a lot of holes and we think they’re only getting better and better.
“We’ve been pretty happy with this year as a whole. We haven’t been playing our best cricket and we’re still winning games. We’re pretty stoked with the position we’re in and there’s still heaps to improve on.”
In reply, Murgheboluc was given a strong start by Sam Abley (36) and Brown (20) and at 1/49, was travelling well before the carnage occurred. The Frogs then lost nine wickets for 28 runs with accurate seamer Mitch Lester taking three and English quick Ethan Rogers, left-arm seamer Tom Carroll and spinner Zarbakhat Asim snaring two apiece.
Dhanuja Haturusingha was the only bowler not to grace the wickets column, but a superb piece of fielding to dismiss Owen Dunipace at the nonstriker’s end was the catalyst for the collapse.
“That was the second quick wicket in a row and it really gave us a bit of energy,” Phillips said.
“The bowlers were bowling pretty well, but they were just getting us away, but something like that just puts you right in it. We know it’s always possible to stay in the game regardless of how many runs you need.”
LETHBRIDGE piled on the runs against Marshall. Captain Shane Dillon smacked 86 from 71 deliveries and Hayden Spiller made 53 from just 35 while important late contributions from Matthew Thomas (39 from 35 balls) and Harry Lever (34 not out from 35) got the score to 8/297. Blayke Sadler bowled well for the Bears with 2/39 from 10 overs.
Jake Hilton (44) and Jack Burns (31) offered something for Marshall, but Jesse Sheehan’s new-ball spell found success and he finished with 3/31 from 10 overs while Dillon (2/31 from 10) had a fine all-round game and Kieran Lawton snuck in for four wickets for the Rosellas.
CORIO proved too good for Modewarre. The Devils made 9/227 with Bradley Jones (66) top scoring while Eugene Stanciu (30), Anthony Grace (28) and Jonny Boljkovac (28) contributed. Seamer Brandon Ross snared three wickets for Modda.
Mitchell Humm then starred with the ball for the Devils with 4/25 and Trey Laurie sent down five maidens on his way to 1/19 from 10 to have Modda all out for 145 although Ben Clarke (54) and Billy Bernet (48) offered resistance.
THOMSON kept its finals hopes alive with a three-wicket win against Bannockburn. Travis Weber made 49 for Banno, but Xavier Dew (3/23) and Grant Dew (2/15 from 10 overs) restricted the total to 159 all out.
Hamish Coulson (45) and Josh McDonald (40) then spearheaded Thomson’s run chase to get there in the 39th over despite some good bowling from Jamieson Jervies (3/33).
