By Justin Flynn
A brilliant run chase has breathed new life into Ocean Grove’s Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association A1 Grade season.
Needing a hefty 232 against Barrabool to win its second game of the season, Ocean Grove paced its chase to perfection after openers Shaun Fankhauser and Fletcher Long set the platform on day two of the round five encounter.
The pair shared a 119-run stand before Long was run out for 48 from 137 deliveries and Fankhauser departed not long after for 72 off 140.
Top-order run outs, however, continue to plague the Grubbers. Paul Jubber was run out for two.
“It’s starting to become a bit of a habit for us at the moment,” captain Dan Roddis said.
“They (Barrabool) rattled through their overs so fast. That was the only real concern in my mind that we were going to run out of time. It was a good partnership and got us off to a great start.”
Suman Shrestha made 24 from 59 and Nathan Taylor 33 from 51 and at 5/196, victory was within sight.
Roddis joined Mick Thornton at the crease.
“Me and Mick have batted together in that exact situation multiple times,” Roddis said.
“We both know what we both can do. I just said to him ‘I want to finish this well before the 75th (over), we don’t want to be chasing any score off the last over if we can’.”
Roddis (30 not out off 17 balls) and Thornton (15 not out off 26) then guided the Grubbers home with 15 deliveries remaining.
On day one, leg-spinner Alex Mann took 2/27 from 15 overs and Bailey Le Maistre 2/57 from 24 to prevent a massive score.
“I know they made 231, but when they were none for 70 or so off 20 overs, I was thinking ‘oh, we might be chasing 290’,” Roddis said.
“But we tied them right back. So that in the bowling aspect was the biggest thing that made me happy. And then batting, our partnerships were massive.
“It was good to see us put together a good game. The last time we did that was against Queenscliff and we won.”
ANGLESEA was ruthless in thrashing Barwon Heads by 115 runs.
Half-centuries to Steve Nicholson and Tyron Norman and 43 from Simon Umbers gave the Seas a score of 205, which would have been more if not for the efforts of leg-spinner Dan Donaldson, who took 6/72 from 28 overs. Paceman Darcy Elliott then took 4/24 on day two to rout the Heads for 90.
JAN JUC is on the board, defeating Inverleigh by two wickets. Jordy Graham took 5/40 to have the Kookaburras all out for 178 and an unbeaten 57 from Finn Bilston saw the Sharks home eight down in the 72nd over.
ARMSTRONG CREEK defeated Queenscliff and tried for an unlikely outright result. Openers Chris Marsiglio (59) and Clay Mulgrew (50) continued their run of form with the Titans declaring at 8/179, 10 runs ahead after some anxious moments. Veteran Tony Hanafin tried his best to get the Coutas into the contest with 4/23. Queenscliff lost two early wickets in its second innings, but made it safely to 3/38 to prevent an outright loss.
