Lara has thrown the Geelong Cricket Association Division 1 finals race even more wide open with a stunning outright victory against Newtown & Chilwell.
Maximum points means Lara is now third on the ladder while last season’s runner-up Newtown & Chilwell has effectively been eliminated from the finals race.
Lara resumed at 3/77 in pursuit of 179 needed for victory and there was little indication of the drama that was about to unfold.
The Cats had to work hard with the bat to even win first-innings points, being 7/140 until captain Daniel Weigl (52 not out) and Brenden Miller (29 not out) got their side over the line despite a fine 3/70 from 24 overs from Chris Williams and 2/37 from 19 from Newtown & Chilwell captain Lachie Sperling.
After consultation with Sperling, Weigl immediately declared the innings closed and both sides then set out in pursuit of outright points.
“A hundred runs for the day to get the job done (for first-innings points) was the first priority and then Lachie approached me and, given their position in the ladder, there was an opportunity rather than just batting out the game for bonus points, but to offer up a second-innings result,” Weigl said.
“From their end, to see what they could do to potentially try and flip it around and and then equally for us, there was an incentive there to get extra four points, which potentially, helps us trying to get into finals.”
At 1/57 in their second dig, the Two Blues were on track to set a score, but they would then lose 9/51 to be all out for 108 in 20 overs. Rhyce Nolan and George Blatherwick each took three wickets in the helter skelter.
Lara then required 95 to win outright, achieved in just more than 17 overs and there was no better man to help do it then Vishesh Malhotra, who clubbed an unbeaten 69 from 54 deliveries.
“It didn’t necessarily cross my mind to begin with,” Weigl said.
“(But) once he’d (Sperling) mentioned it, it made a lot of sense. It provided an opportunity for them, it provided an opportunity for us, and rather than finishing up at 3 o’clock or just batting out a little bit of wasted time, it meant that there was a bit on the line for everyone for the whole entirety of the day.
“If you just looked at the results, you’d see them being bowled out for 108, (but) they were being quite aggressive to try and put a score on the board that would create a bit of scoreboard pressure for us and potentially entice us.
“So it certainly wasn’t one of those outright results that you otherwise see. It was a really tight, close game the whole way.”
LUKE Ford capped off a player-of-the-match performance in St Peters’ win against South Barwon. Ford made 129 not out on day one and then took 4/25 as South Barwon was all out for 168, well short of the Saints’ 5/282.
NORTH Geelong has all but wrapped up another minor premiership with a 76-run win against Grovedale. Jordan Moran (85) and Josh Windus (44 not out) batted well for Grovedale, but spin again ruled for the Magpies with Alistair McCann, Victor Morrow and Bailey Sykes each taking two wickets while seamer Tom Mathieson bucked the trend to grab two of his own.
ST JOSEPH’S kept its finals hopes flickering with an 88-run win against East Belmont. Chasing 281 for victory, East Belmont was all out for 192 with Ryan Simmonds snaring 4/24 and spinner Ollie King superb with 1/20 from 17 probing overs while Shane McNamara did all he could for East with a slick 81.
