Local Cricket, by Jim Timberlake
Geelong Cricket Club will head in to day two of its clash with Prahran tomorrow staring down the barrel of a massive defeat after a horrid first day’s play last Saturday.
Prahran won the toss and elected to bat first, and didn’t have it all their own way early, Jake Reed snaring an early wicket in his return from injury, while Brenton McDonald removed the other opener to have the game evenly posed at 2/87.
But from there, the Cats were put to the sword as Shaun Miller knocked up 202 from just 211 balls, while Evan Gulbis smashed 136 from only 106. A 207-run partnership was finally ended when McDonald broke through, but the pain wasn’t over yet as Prahran cruised to 489 before declaring just six wickets down.
That meant Geelong had to face nine overs before stumps, and disastrously lost three wickets to go to the close of play at 3/42. It would take a miracle for the Cats to win this, but their immediate focus will be to simply occupy the crease for as long as possible in the hope of avoiding an outright defeat.
In the Geelong Cricket Association, the Division One ladder is already taking shape after three rounds, with the top sides starting to put some points on the board, while those expected to struggle are already battling to stay in finals contention.
South Barwon leapt out of the blocks with a dominant display in round one, thrashing reigning premier Grovedale, but since then have struggled to replicate that form, losing two on the trot to find themselves in seventh position on the ladder.
This round they take on eighth placed Bell Post Hill, and while there is clearly still plenty of time left in the season, this is an extremely important game for both sides’ finals aspirations, as all clubs know the value of getting wins in the bank before Christmas.
For the Swans, recruit Anthony Quarrell is showing his class, racking up 133 runs already at the top of the order, while young gun Luke Ford has racked up two classy half centuries thus far.
But it would appear too much is being left to too few, meaning skipper Brad Hauenstein will be looking to the rest of his side to start to carry some of the load, a problem the Swans have suffered from for a few years now.
For Bell Post Hill, the season hasn’t started as they would have hoped, with just the one win over newly promoted St Peter’s so far. The Panthers do have a decent side on paper, with the likes of Jason Grozdanovski who made a fine 81 last week, and Rhys Burke back in the side, but for some reason they have struggled to put it together.
They won’t want to wait too much longer to find their best form, as a loss here will see them lose touch with the top six, and make a finals berth just that little bit harder.
EAST BELMONT v Lara, NEWTOWN and CHILWELL v Murgheboluc, NORTH GEELONG v Geelong City, St Peter’s v ST JOSEPH’S, SOUTH BARWON v Bell Post Hill, GROVEDALE v Leopold
In Division Two, the match of the round will take place at Hamlyn Reserve when Bell Park hosts Highton in a game that will be a battle of two teams that will be there at the pointy end of the season.
Bell Park have won three from three, and are flying early, with some gun recruits, and a new found vibrancy making for a potent mix.
The key to their early success has been the even spread of contributors, with the likes of John Simpson who has three decent scores with the bat before chipping in with three wickets last week, while Ash Carter has already passed 150 runs. Skipper Michael Lymer will be rapt with how things have gone so far.
Highton also have been in good form, and while their two wins so far have been against a couple of the lower ranked teams in the division, they will relish the opportunity to test exactly where they’re at this round.
After a number of off season departures, the Heat has regrouped nicely with Joel Hogan stepping up to take the new ball, rewarded with a five-wicket haul last week, while Luke Buckland has slotted into the middle order nicely, top scoring with 42 not out last week.
While the Heat will be going in with winning form, Bell Parks scalps have been a little more impressive and could be too strong here.
ALEXANDER THOMSON v Modewarre, BELL PARK v Highton, Torquay v THOMSON, Marshall v NEWCOMB and DISTRICT, MANIFOLD HEIGHTS v St Albans Breakwater, Guild Saints v GEELONG WEST.
