The in-form Vernon brothers piled on the runs again at Gardiner Reserve on Saturday, with Gisborne setting fourth-placed Sunbury Kangaroos a formidable target of 343 for an upset victory.
Opener Riley Vernon scored his third McIntyre Cup 1sts century for the season and was only dismissed when a long throw from the outfield scored a direct hit after he had scored 118 (16 fours and a six from 135 balls).
Dragons’ captain Jarryd Vernon came in at number four and scored 79 from 96 deliveries; Warren Kelly 43 and Jarrod Catania a quick 26 added to the run spree as the Kangaroos tried nine different bowlers.
This season the McIntyre Cup has knockout semi-finals with first facing fourth, and second meeting third. Places on the ladder are still undecided with a game and a half to go.
The grand final is to be played at Tony Clarke Reserve (Macedon) on the weekend of March 23 and 24.
Romsey, narrowly on top after a bonus points boost in the previous round, restricted third-placed Sunbury United to 191 all out after the visitors had made a solid start.
Captain-coach Ben Way is working to have Romsey peak come finals time in defence of its first top grade title for 40 years.
After all-rounder Taylor Stevenson removed Fabian Fernando for 56 and Damien Edwards for 32, the Redbacks’ attack largely kept the lid on the scoring.
Matt Milne and Jed Richardson survived eight overs without loss before stumps, with Romsey favoured to overhaul United.
WEDDING HELPS QUICK SCORING
Woodend opener Andrew Cullen rattled up 85 from 75 balls before retiring against Macedon – he had a specified time to get to a wedding.
The fifth-placed Woodsmen had two milestone achievers in Greg Matthews (250 games) and captain Marcus Stewart (100 games) on the ground, and the side hopes to be able to replace Kangaroos in fourth spot.
Hayden Ingleton scored an unbeaten half century, Dan Eastley 35, and the latter order hit out to enable Woodend to declare at 8/293.
Warren Else then followed up his unbeaten 144 the previous Saturday by taking the new ball and clean bowling Cameron Howlett and Anthony Grobler before stumps, with the Cats struggling at 2/19.
There were some fine individual performances in other grades.
Kilmore opening bat Darcy Mcnicholas stayed at the crease all afternoon and finished 160 not out from 218 balls against Eynesbury in Johnstone 2nds; Riddell paceman Brenton Stancombe captured 6-38 in Johnstone 1sts.
At Gilbert Gordon Oval, Macedon opener Harry Pender scored 108 and shared a huge second-wicket stand with Ivan Bobetic who made 89 in the Cats’ tally of 329.
Tristan Taylor-White scored an unbeaten 107 for Rupertswood in Johnstone 2nds, and Woodend’s Sam Deol retired on 100 in Club South.
Malmsbury skipper Matt Cox knocked up 106 (eight fours, six sixes) in Jensen 1sts, then claimed 3-18 with the ball to get the points against Rupertswood and stay in the hunt for a Jensen 1sts finals berth, where Malmsbury and Lancefield are the contestants for fourth spot.
Trentham heads the Jensen 3rds ladder, and defeated Aintree on Saturday as opening batter Gavin Thomson scored an unbeaten 100 before retiring. In the same grade Melton South’s Mark Porritt also scored a century.
RANA STARS
Kyneton leg-spinner Sahil Rana turned in the best bowling performance across the GDCA on Saturday.
Home side Rupertswood was 3/96 when he came into the attack, and in the space of five overs he bamboozled batters to collect 7/33 from five overs.
Kyneton chased down 147 with 10 overs to spare, Simon Dundas leading the was with 58 not out (seven fours, two sixes).
With one round remaining, Kyneton is third on the Jensen 3rds ladder, looking to clinch a finals berth.
Young Macedon opener Will Bobetic leaves the field not out, and will be hoping to get among the runs and defy Woodend’s attack this Saturday. Photo: Bill West 
Kyneton’s Sahil Rana bowling his craft leg spinner took seven wickets for just 33 runs.
GDCA scores
Completed scores from Gisborne District Cricket Association matches include:
McIntyre Cup 1sts: Gisborne 342 (R. Vernon 118, J. Vernon 79, W. Kelly 43) v Sunbury Kangaroos; Romsey 0-6 v Sunbury United 191 (F. Fernando 56, D. Edwards 32, S. Perura 25, A. Sandhu 23 n.o.); Macedon 2-19 v Woodend 8/293 dec. (A. Cullen 85 n.o. ret., H. Ingleton 56 n.o., D. Eastley 35; Diggers Rest/Bulla v Rupertswood 216.
Johnstone 1sts: Aintree 199 (J. Singh 69, H. Singh 45 – S. Bell 3-56) v Wallan; Eynesbury 177 (B. Shearson 53, T. Francis 29 – B. Buttler 5-44) v Kilmore 1/23; Broadford 242 (M. Collier 68, A. Wood 42, T. Shell 40 – B. Stancombe 6-38) v Riddell.
McIntyre 2nds: Woodend v Macedon 3/329 (H. Pender 108, I. Bobetic 89, T. Kean 46 n.o., C. Pender 35 – P. McBride 3-14, B. Gardner 3-31; Rupertswood 375 (B. van den Heuvel 79, T. George 53, W. Honner 47) v Diggers Rest/Bulla; Sunbury Kangaroos v Gisborne 9/321 (N. Watson 71 n.o., A. McLean 65, A. Shore 52 – M. Parker 4-59); Sunbury United 173 (A. Billinghurst 55, J. Bottomley 27, C. Boyes 22 – N. Hoy 3-30) v Romsey.
Johnstone 2nds: Kilmore 7/340 c.c. D. Mcnicholas 160 n.o, C. Bryant 67) v Eynesbury; Rupertswood 6/346 (T. Taylor-White 107 n.o., W. Hall 54,J. Hayward 47) v East Sunbury); Wallan v Aintree 7219 c.c. (G. Singh 69, K. Parmar 63, V. Sharma 48 – M. Kilbain 4-60, A. Jackson 3-23); Riddell 0/31 v Broadford 8/233dec. (C. Stute 51, A. Culpin 50 n.0., L. Withers 27 – J. Boland 3-64) .
Jensen 1sts: Hanging Rock 154 (S. Fuller 47, R. Smagh 3-23) lost to Aintree 7/189 c.c. (N. Singh 54, F. Rawat 36 – Fuller 3-50); Sunbury United 9/178 (R. Peters 54 n.o., M. O’Dwyer 36 – M. Cox 3-18) lost to Malmsbury 8/237 c.c. (Cox 106, P. Moulday 43 – J. Newman 6-48); Lancefield 4/109 (N. Malone 30, M. Caton 29 n.o.) d Romsey 9/108 c.c. C. Armstong 49 – Harvey Lehner 4-23, Malone 3-19); Melton South 6/209 c.c. (D. Liistro 117n.o. d St Anthonys 196 (G. Grewall 64, S. Singh 32 – N. Batra 3-39).
Jensen 2nds: Macedon 1/66 (D. Leatch 39 n.o.) d Diggers Rest/Bulla 9/65 c.c. (B. Greig 3-13, E. Patterson-Lade 3-14,); Blackwood 181 (B. Whitehouse 39, B. Bovell 38) lost to Rupertswood 6/280 c.c. (T. Hayes 87, N. Bond 69 n.o., M. McKenzie 67); Gisborne 9/151 (H. Mooney 24 n.o. – H. Jackson 3-15) d Wallan 4/148 c.c. (D. Fowler 44, R. Fowler 34); Melton Centrals 8/204c.c. (D. Chahal 64, S. Nielsen 46 – A. Riggio 5-60) d Sunbury 186 (Riggio 39, N. Mora 27 – P. Kumar 3-11, A. Kakani 3-39.
Jensen 3rds – Melton 9/195 (‘Fill-in’ 69 –Bielley 3-18) lost to Melton South 346 c.c. (M. Porritt 100 n.o. ret., K. Rajenbran 73); Aintree 174 (P. Gandra 27, P. Gurugubelli 24) lost to Trentham 6/210 c.c. (G. Thomson 100 n.o. ret; H. Fitzpatrick 50, J. Shaw 29 – L. Bhukya 3-34); Rupertswood 147 (A. Morrison 40, M. Howell 23 –S. Rana 7-33) lost to Kyneton 5/151 (S. Dundas 58 n.o., L. Sheahan 24); Kilmore 112 (T. Bannan 4-16) lost to Lancefield 119 (Bannan 42).
Club North: Wallan 106 (G. Fairweather 4-12, M. Lowe 3-18) lost to Kilmore 3/108 (T. Hanson 40); Malmsbury Green 8/198 (J. Murphy 57,P. De Podolinsky 85) d Gisborne 189 (P. Sankey 88,T. Mousley 27 – B. Terbeeke 3-18); Riddell 91 (J. Martin 5-10) lost to Broadford 33-96 (P. Withers 50 n.o.; Lancefield 9/117 (M. Crosland 48 n.o. – O. Shiner 3-17) lost to Woodend 7/167 c.c. (B. Thompson 49, A. Gray 29 n.o. – S. Donellan 3-31); Hanging Rock 2/170 (M. Shanahan 59 n.o., P. Legro 49) d Malmsbury Gold 7-144 (D. Ellem 43, E. Kosmac 26).
Club South: Woodend 4/220 (Sam Deol 100 n.o.ret., B. Coundon 35 n.o., P. Bosanko 40 n.o.) d Rupertswood Senior Mixed 6/135 (G. Smajila 42, M. Bergamasco 42); Eynesbury 1/145 (J. Sipthorp 64 n.o , T. Sipthorp 32 n.o.) d Melton Centrals Red 9/144 (T. Filliponi 35, K. Nengomasha 29); St Anthonys 125(N. Khan 37 – G. Fernell 3-7, M. Anderson 3-26) lost to Sunbury United 4/157 (Anderson 54, J. Ellis 46); Sunbury 122 (S. Robertson 53) lost to Melton Centrals White 3/124).
