Corio set up a top of the ladder clash against Murgheboluc with a strong win against Thomson in Geelong Cricket Association Division 3 on Saturday 15 November.
The Devils will go into the game unbeaten with three wins and a tie while Murgheboluc has won all four games.
“Obviously, Murghe is a good side sitting on top, so it’ll be a big game next week and we’ve just got to take everything out of what we’ve been playing this year and keep improving and keep building that consistency around our game,” Corio captain Anthony Grace said.
Grace won the toss and sent Thomson in at Thomson Recreation Reserve with Mitchell Humm in devastating form with the ball.
Humm removed the first four batters, including star Josh McDonald, to have Thomson in strife at 5/55.
At the other end, Trey Laurie was keeping the run rate to a trickle and would eventually go for just 20 from his 10 overs. Humm finished with 5/47 from 10.
“It makes it pretty easy to rotate your bowlers when they’re doing their job like that, especially in the one-day format,” Grace said.
“It’s probably more about just building pressure with dot balls, so then it brings the wickets. Mitch Humm (and) Trey Laurie at the top, always bowling a good partnership up there. One ties one end down, one takes wickets.”
Thomson rallied in the second half of the innings with Hamish Coulson (53), Josh Hartshorne (37) and Zac Smith (36 not out from 25 deliveries) getting the score up to 9/198 from 50 overs. Mitchell Grace chipped in with three late wickets for the Devils.
“My brother Mitch usually bowls more up the order but in a one-day
game, we feel like he can finish the bowling innings off in the last 10 overs,” Grace said.
“Usually if it’s a two-day format, he’ll bowl a bit higher and earlier on in the game. It’s just there’s a lot of bowlers in our team.
“It’s what we’ve built around this year with batting and bowling. Bringing in more batting and bowling to the side just so then it’s not the same blokes every week. If one fails, there’s still more to come.”
Grace and Eugene Stanciu got the Devils off to a great start with the bat, putting on 84, but both openers fell in quick succession, leaving Corio at 2/85.
Grace made 58 from just 38 deliveries while Stanciu contributed 25 from 40.
Grace said he didn’t have a preconceived plan to take on the bowling from the get go.
“I know I am a bit more of an aggressive player, but there’s a few more aggressive batters in our team as well,” he said.
“It’s more just taking it ball by ball. If it’s there to play, you play, if not just keep rotating the strike and ticking the scoreboard over.”
Christian Hewett (43 from 34 balls) and Ben Strachan (50 not out from 64) then shared a 65-run stand and Corio won the game with six wickets and almost 15 overs to spare.
“Hughie and Strachany kept moving the scoreboard along,” Grace said.
“I think Strachany was maybe only a couple of runs off 20 balls and then he started to get going.
“But there wasn’t any game plan to go out and score quickly, it was just take it as we come.”
MURGHEBOLUC kept top spot on the ladder with a two-wicket win against Marshall. The Bears made 161 batting first with Lachie Cameron (46) top scoring while Michael Grozdanovski and Owen Dunipace each took three wickets for the Frogs. Sam Abley (61) then batted well for Murgheboluc, but at 8/144 it was anyone’s game. Daniel Grozdanovski and Rasula Kankanamage kept calm and guided the Frogs to victory in the 45th over.
BANNOCKBURN also won by two wickets, chasing Lethbridge’s 183 all out in which Darcy Foran (3/34) bowled well. Skipper James Hickleton then played a match-winning knock to remain not out on 60 when his side won with two wickets and two balls in hand.
WAURN Ponds Deakin moved into the top four with an 18-run victory against Modewarre. Indushan Dinuka made 55 not out in WPD’s score of 9/168 while Ethan Rogers starred with 5/18 to dismiss Modda for 150 despite a well-made 51 from Brandon Ross.
