Justin Flynn takes a look at the Geelong Cricket Association Division 1 state of play at the halfway mark of the season.
Ladder
Newtown & Chilwell 40.62
North Geelong 38.18
Grovedale 31.68
Highton 29.34
St Peters 28.82
East Belmont 20.11
St Joseph’s 15.52
South Barwon 13.23
Newtown & Chilwell
Nothing typifies ‘team effort’ more than the Two Blues’ season so far. With nobody in the top 10 for runs and Lachie Sperling just scraping in the top 10 for wickets (coincidentally he is the highest run scorer with 252), it’s been a collective team performance so far. Sam Allen, Noah Guida and Dylan Hodge have chipped in with the ball. Only just behind Sperling is Hodge (231 runs), Ronnie McKenna (210) and Paddy McKenna (189).
North Geelong
Another season, another North Geelong side capable of going all the way. Lefty Ned Cooper is as hungry for runs as ever with 394 and fellow southpaw Bailey Sykes is relishing a change of club with 17 poles with his orthodox spinners. Tom Mathieson (another lefty, 16 wickets) and tall spinner (yep, you guessed it, another left-armer, 13 wickets) have ensured the Pies will again be there at the business end.
Grovedale
The Tigers have had a superb first half of the season with Rohan Smith and Jack Wrigglesworth taking 17 and 16 wickets respectively. Jordan Moran is the top run getter with 259. Grovedale is not unlike Newtown & Chilwell in that the side has gotten here with a genuine all round team performance.
Highton
With Greg Willows (369 at 46.13) again making runs, teams will have to find a way to get the mega-talented Englishman out. Brady Somers (277) and Zac Wills (268) have both offered a lot as well. Bowling wise it’s been young leggie Fionn Neeson, who is having a breakout season with 19 impressive wickets – the most in the comp.
St Peters
The Saints haven’t just been happy with promotion, they are only just outside the top four. Will Ford leads the comp for runs with 406 of them with brother Luke not far behind on 375. James Stokes and Josh Sorgiavanni each have 16 wickets and a finals appearance is definitely on the cards for the boys from Walker Oval.
East Belmont
Write this team off at your peril. East Belmont may be a little different in make-up this season, but is as dangerous as ever. Shane McNamara is having another golden summer with 404 runs and James Lidgett is only seven behind and with an average of nearly 80. The team probably needs a bigger effort with the ball after the break to trouble the top few sides. Matt Miller and James McMahon have 23 wickets between them and have been good.
St Joseph’s
The Joeys need some wins early at the resumption, but their bowlers have been exceptional. Cameron Port (13), Tim Smith (13) and Ryan Simmonds (12) can’t have done much more than what they already have. Andrew Casey, with 307 runs, has led the way with the bat, but St Joseph’s need runs from others if they are to play finals.
South Barwon
Sam Ellis (369 runs) and Nick Butters (294) have been exceptional for the Swans. Ellis is also the leading wicket taker with just eight. The team needs left-arm quick Cam Egan to recover from a back injury to inject some fire into his team’s quest for a finals berth, or even to avoid relegation.
