Bill West
Certain McIntyre Cup finals participants were involved in crackerjack finishes in the second last home and away round of matches on Saturday.
Unbeaten Gisborne’s multi-talented skipper Jarryd Vernon hit a magnificent 118 (four sixes, 15 fours) at Gardiner Reserve as his side scrambled home against Bacchus Marsh.
And Romsey’s bowlers and fieldsmen did a great job to defend 180, defeating Sunbury United by five runs in a thriller.
Woodend, with 208 on the board, managed to hold off Sunbury Kangaroos by five runs.
The current ladder has the top six as Gisborne 93.52, United 80.68, Diggers Rest/Bulla 75.62, Romsey 74.34, Bacchus Marsh 70.95 and Rupertswood 57.66.
In the final home and away round over the next two Saturdays, the Sunbury United v Gisborne and Bacchus Marsh v Diggers Rest/Bulla are good lead-ups to the qualifying finals.
Romsey should be able to account for a battling East Sunbury and enter the finals with plenty of confidence.
Chasing Bacchus Marsh’s 9/218 c.c., Gisborne was heartened as Jarryd Vernon took control, but after he departed the match became a contest as the Marsh’s Trevor Wardell was heroic with 7-34 from 15 overs. Gisborne scored the required runs with two wickets in hand.
Romsey kept United’s batters in check for much of the afternoon, as visiting captain Upul Fernando contributed 54.
A late run out was vital, and Taylor Stevenson captured the final wicket for Romsey; Jamie Taylor’s 3-40 was another big effort.
Woodend captain Tom Robson took bowling honours with 4-35 and Chris Large claimed 3-37 as the Woodsmen managed to dismiss Kangaroos for 203 – a welcome victory for the largely young side.
With 286 on the board, Diggers Rest/Bulla bowled Rupertswood out for 105 (G. Welikalage 6-30) in a percentage booster, and Wallan’s 254 was too big an obstacle for East Sunbury – out for 144 (N. Dent 41 – H. Lehner 4-11).
In Johnstone Shield, Macedon compiled 228 (Gary De Rosayro 92, C. Ingleton 62 – B. Dawson 5-35) to defeat Kilmore by 90 runs. The Cats are now on the fringe of the top four.
Kyneton’s 223 proved difficult for Riddell, bowled out for 116 (D. Rakau 3-13, L. Thompson 3-37) and then compiling 5/73 in the second innings.
Romsey defended 215 easily by dismissing Sunbury United for 131 (Jake East 4-44, and ladder-leader Bacchus Marsh bundled cellar-dweller Gisborne out for 136.
Ladder: Bacchus Marsh 88.15, Aintree 63.95, Romsey 68.49, Kilmore 66.51, Macedon 66.14, Riddell 56.56, United 55.41, Eynesbury 53.76, Kyneton 52.00, Gisborne 31.35.
In Jensen Shield Malmsbury defeated Blackwood outright, with Matt Cox scoring an unbeaten 100 and David Nolte 77 in 9/329 declared.
Ladder-leader Hanging Rock gained maximum points against Sunbury Kangaroos, and Lancefield’s last chance of staying in finals contention disappeared with the Tigers bowled out for 205 (Alan Sinclair 53, D. Mallia-Hogan 42 n.o. in pursuit of Wallan’s 211.
Division 1 produced an exciting finish, as a ninth-wicket partnership enabled Kilmore to overhaul Macedon’s 296 to win by four runs.
Trentham’s Harley Forgo scored 121 in a futile pursuit of Gisborne’s 7/576, with Archie Shore capturing 5-27 to add to his century on the first day of this match at Bullengarook.
Division 2 ladder-leader Romsey scored 3/256 (R. Pitts 87, A. Chew 81 n.o.) in pursuit of Malmsbury’s 8/198 c.c. and Macedon’s 8/298 c.c. proved proved 142 runs too much for Diggers Rst/Bulla.
Only one Kyneton batter reached double figures with the Tigers bowled out for 79 by Riddell, and then reached 3/126 in the second innings.
Hanging Rock’s division 3 side scored 8/140 (Zac Watkins 58 n.o, M. Fisher 40) chasing Kilmore’s 182.
