With one round to play, Gisborne secured enough bonus points on Saturday to narrowly edge back in front of Romsey in the battle for top spot on the McIntyre 1sts cricket ladder.
“Pretty happy” was how Dragons’ skipper Jarryd Vernon summed up the day’s play against Sunbury Kangaroos at Gardiner Reserve.
The Kangaroos offered some stern opposition with vice-captain Dylan Woolley playing the sheet anchor role to finish on 103 in a final tally of 261.
At one stage the visitors may have felt they had an outside chance of chasing down Gisborne’s mammoth 342, being 1/154 in pursuit before the vital breakthrough came with free-scoring Dylan Caruana dismissed for 87 (four sixes, seven fours).
Using eight different bowlers, Gisborne eventually dismissed the Kangaroos for 261, with paceman Jason Catania and Jarryd Vernon each claiming four wickets.
The Dragons then slammed the ball to all parts of the ground in 10 overs before stumps, scoring 3/105 (Jarryd Vernon 55 not out with four sixes and five fours) and Riley Vernon 30.
“Getting the extra bonus point really helps,” Jarryd said.
“We go to Woodend in the last round, while Romsey plays bottom side Diggers Rest/Bulla, so it’s an interesting situation.
The captain said Gisborne would rest free-scoring opening batter Warren Kelly as he sustained a groin injury while fielding.
“We don’t think it’s serious, but it’s a precautionary measure so he’s ready to go in the finals,” Vernon added.
FRIGHT FOR ROMSEY
Reigning premier Romsey, chasing Sunbury United’s moderate 191, was pushed to the brink after an opening partnership yielded 51 runs before quick wickets fell.
As he often does, skipper Ben Way loomed large and scored 56 before being dismissed.
Relatively slow scoring kept spectators interested, and at 8/160 United appeared to be a real chance.
A ninth-wicket stand of 32 between Aaron Paterson and Jamie Taylor carried the tally to 190 before the former was dismissed for 17.
The last pair secured victory, with the last wicket falling for 197. Jack Dillon snared 3-29, and Amit Sandhu claimed 3-54 from 28 overs for United.
Now the Redbacks are looking for a supreme effort against Diggers Rest/Bulla, with ladder positions as follows:
Gisborne 96.9 points, Romsey 96.5, Sunbury United 65.6, Sunbury Kangaroos 61.0, Woodend 59.0, Macedon 38, Rupertswood 26.4, Diggers Rest/Bulla 16.3.
Woodend had been hoping to scythe through Macedon’s batting as the Cats resumed at 2/19 in reply to 8/293 declared, but it was not to be.
Stubborn young Cats’ opener Will Bobetic played an innings he will remember for some time, and batted through the day to finish 75 not out in a tally of 7/184. Bobetic faced 268 deliveries.
Macedon was never going to win, but the Woodsmen missed he chance to capture wickets as press for quick runs in a second innings.
Now it’s do or die for Woodend at home to the powerful Gisborne combination, with Kangaroos facing United in a bid to secure fourth place.
ONE-DAY SEMI-FINALS
This Saturday, its semi-finals knockout time for various clubs spread across five grades.
The one-day semi-finals from 1pm are:
Jensen 1sts: Aintree v Lancefield, St Anthonys v Melton South.
Jensen 2nds: Rupertswood v Melton Centrals (at Salesian College) and Macedon versus Sunbury at Clifford Oval.
Jensen 3rds: Kyneton v Trentham at Trentham, Melton South v Lancefield.
Club North: Malmsbury Green v Broadford at Malmsbury CC; Hanging Rock v Malmsbury Gold.
In Club South: Woodend play Sunbury United at the Woodend racecourse.
The GDCA executive wishes all participants good luck for the finals series.
