All-rounder Stan Grazotis put his side in a commanding position on the opening day of round 12 with a stunning century to resurrect Collendina’s innings and possibly its season.
Grazotis made 144 from 162 deliveries, coming in when the Cobras were in trouble at 4/44 against Newcomb at Ocean Grove Memorial Reserve on Saturday 31 January.
Collendina needs to keep winning to make the Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association A2 Grade finals and Grazotis’ innings could well play a pivotal role.
Collendina was all out for 287 after being in strife early, but Grazotis hit 12 boundaries and four sixes and found a willing ally in youngster Jackson De Jong, who put together a nice 47 from 93 balls.
The Cobras were 5/114 when star bat Corey Walter departed for 33, but Grazotis and De Jong added 137 for the seventh wicket to not only steer their team out of a tricky situation, but into a position of strength going into day two.
Walter said he was pleased for Grazotis, who was a teammate of his at Marshall for several seasons.
“He’s really stepped up with the bat this year and had a few not outs when he’s looked really good, so for him to get a chance to bat all day and make a big score was great reward for him,” he said.
“Jackson played a great innings as well, supporting Stan after we’d lost a couple of quick wickets and I was most impressed with him going through the gears towards the end and he should take a lot of confidence from that.”
Newcomb skipper Dylan Ryan led by example, taking 4/56 from 21 overs.
A SUPERB bowling performance put Ocean Grove in a winning position at stumps, requiring 79 runs with nine wickets in hand against Surf Coast.
Seamers Baljinder Singh Brar (4/20 from 13 overs) and English import Zac Jones (2/14 from 11.5) were the standouts to have the Suns all out for 98 at Ray Menzies Oval.
Connor Weidemann (0/33 from 17 overs) went for less than two runs an over while spinner Tom Kent picked up two late wickets.
Six of the Suns’ top seven got starts, but nobody was able to crawl past 18.
Grove had 11 overs to negotiate before stumps and is 1/20, losing Shaun Fankhauser and with Jacob Taylor and nightwatchman Alex Mann to resume on Saturday.
ST LEONARDS posted a big total, amassing 9/261 against Winchelsea.
Troy Griffin took his season’s run tally to 556 with 67 from a typically quick 65 deliveries to set the tone early.
Paul Hassan jumped in with 49 in the middle order and James Burns (42) and Seb Harrison (48 not out) finished things off towards the end. Will Stovell’s 7 not out from 51 balls may look innocuous, but he helped add 57 for the ninth wicket with Harrison to push the score past 260.
Riley Berg and Shane Currie each took three wickets for Winch and Ricci Sauni was also good with 2/28 from 13.1 overs.
DANE Wise-Graham snared his second six-wicket haul of the season for Wallington to take his total to 25.
The Wallabies won the toss and sent Portarlington in with Cameron Gourley (32) and Joel De Bono (24) adding 66 for the opening wicket, but both departed in the space of one over without adding to the total.
Paul McGrath (25) and Brenton Toole (46) steadied the innings with an 82-run partnership, but enter Wise-Graham with his crafty slow bowling.
Port lost its last six wickets for 25 runs to be all out for 171 with Wise-Graham ending with 6/37 from 22.3 overs while skipper Mitch Sleeman’s performance should not be underrated, sending down 31 overs for 2/71.
