Inspiring Romsey captain-coach Ben Way has done it again – rescuing his side from a precarious position against Woodend in the McIntyre Cup match of the round on Saturday.
This time Way compiled 141 (nine fours, two sixes) from 216 balls after the Redbacks were 6/129 as Woodend strived to make amends for the astonishing one-run defeat at the hands of Sunbury United seven days earlier.
Way’s innings was not completely chanceless, but his precision shot making and ability to place the ball in between fieldsmen for singles and twos was on show at the Romsey oval.
Chris Burkett chipped in with 38 in company with Way, who had elevated himself to number four for this encounter.
Woodend bowlers tried everything to break the seventh-wicket stand between Way and Adam Frost who struck eight fours in making a valuable 46 at a good run rate.
The seventh-wicket stand yielded 106 runs and Romsey went on to reach 280 before Way was caught at deep backward square leg by Harry Lawson. Yet another century in a career spanning 20 seasons for the former Melbourne Cricket Club opener.
Greg Matthews collected 4-64 from 20 overs to be the most successful bowler.
Way declared the innings at 9/280 from 75.1 overs in the hope of capturing one or two Woodend wickets before stumps.
Six overs were bowled, with openers Lawson and Cullen showing they were not overawed, playing their shots and compiling 25 runs before stumps.
Now Woodend’s batting brigade knows what lies ahead when the match resumes against the reigning premiers this Saturday.
A victory would put Woodend in a strong position to finish in the top four.
Gisborne captain Jarryd Vernon took to the Macedon attack late in the day after the Cats were dismissed for 175, with Daniel Trotta 51 and Chris Ingleton 46 leading the way.
Vernon scored an unbeaten 47 from five overs as unbeaten Gisborne raced to 1/53 by stumps. Can the Cats stop Vernon following up on his 118 in the previous round?
Third-placed Sunbury United lost four early wickets cheaply before Amrit Sandhu 80 and Senura Perera 44 came to the rescue.
Perera nabbed two wickets to reduce Rupertswood to 2/12 by stumps.
In the remaining match 14 wickets tumbled, with Diggers Rest/Bulla out for 126 and finals chance Sunbury Kangaroos struggling at 4/54.
BIG HITTING
Macedon’s football star Jason Cooke again showed his liking for batting at Clifford Reserve.
Cooke hit eight sixes and seven fours in a whirlwind innings in the Jensen 2nds one-day fixture against Sunbury.
In the same grade, Gisborne youngster Simon Shaw showed his abundant talent by scoring an unbeaten 123 against Blackwood in an afternoon that yielded 460 runs.
In McIntyre 2nds, Romsey’s Sean Day raced to 75 not out from 65 balls as the Redbacks took first innings points after earlier dismissing Woodend for 92.
