Inverleigh seamer Hamish Flett took four wickets in his A1 Grade debut and helped restrict Armstrong Creek to less than 200 on the opening day of Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association round 5 on Saturday.
Flett was rewarded for his tight bowling in B Grade, where he has gone at just 2.6 runs per over in the past three games.
Flett took 4/39 from 16 overs against the reigning premiers in an impressive debut on Saturday.
“He bowled really consistently all day,” Inverleigh captain Lachie Platt said.
“I definitely didn’t have on the bingo card that he’d bowl 16 in a row, that’s for sure, but he’s been bowling really well in the twos.
“We had a couple of the Collins boys out and then Sam Haygarth was out so it was a good opportunity to give him a crack and I’d say we’ll be seeing a bit more of him.”
Armstrong Creek was eventually dismissed for 186 with Ben Robertson (40) top scoring, but it was some late-order hitting that got the Titans to that total after being 6/108 and 8/149.
Still, Platt was pleased with containing the final tally to 186 on a quick outfield at Armstrong Creek.
“Especially on that ground – that’s probably the quickest ground I’ve played on for a long time,” he said.
“They got off to a pretty hot start, but we were able to peg them back through the middle and they probably got 20 more at the end that we wouldn’t have liked.
“I think there was one partnership that might have been 40 or 50, but I don’t think there was another one that would have been over 30.”
David Peel bowled well for the Kookaburras, taking 4/33 from 13 overs of spin.
“He’s just come back from a broken finger, so he hasn’t really bowled,” Platt said.
“He got one over last week, but it was good to get him a few overs.”
Opening batter Will Collins will come into the line-up this week as sub in place of Will Stoney and Inverleigh will also look to Platt, Kieran McNally, Locke Perrett and Austin Haygarth for runs.
“Kieran McNally’s probably one to watch,” Platt said.
“He’s been a bit unlucky so far, but he’s been batting really well in the nets, so hopefully he can get a few.
“They’re a pretty tidy bowling attack. I think they’re more of a bowling side from what I’m seeing so they’ll bowl pretty similar to us I think – pretty boring outside off. I think on that ground we should be able to make that score in 75 overs.”
With only eight teams fighting for four finals spots, Platt said the evenness of the competition meant early wins were especially important.
“I think you’ll have to win at least four games to stay off the bottom,” he said.
“And then I think you’re only going to have to win maybe eight or nine games to make finals. We definitely have to win the 50-50 ones, that’s for sure.”
MILLER Moulton equal top scored for Barwon Heads in just his second A Grade game with a valuable 61 from 106 deliveries in the middle order. Max Melzer also made 61 with the Seagulls posting 9/239 against Anglesea. Seamer Ky Eskrigge (5/58) took his first A Grade five-wicket haul for the Seas.
QUEENSCLIFF is well on the way to first-innings points after Pat Mileto took 6/20 from 17 overs to have Jan Juc all out for 119. Jordan Monahan sent down 20 overs and took 2/36 and in reply the Coutas are 26 without loss from 18 overs.
BARRABOOL was dismissed in the 75th over for 192 against Drysdale. The Bulls had several batters get starts, but nobody passed 37 with new-ball pair Blake Dobbin and Mitchell Stephens each snaring three wickets for the Hawks.
