After a first round cancellation due to wet grounds, Gisborne District Cricket Association’s 2026-27 season opened in favourable conditions on Saturday.
The one-day fixture brought wins for reigning McIntyre 1sts premiers Woodend, Gisborne, Romsey and Rupertswood.
Woodend, comfortable at Gilbert Gordon Oval, did not get everything its own way against Wallan although the final scores indicate otherwise.
The Woodsmen were off to a brilliant start with opening bat and specialist coach Jacques Du Toit hammering 56 (five sixes) from just 42 balls to stun the opposition attack.
Wallan persevered with the ball and in the field, and at 6/123 Woodend was far from secure.
All-rounder Hamish McDonald came to the rescue with a free scoring unbeaten 54, in a final tally of 8/208. Hamish Mullavey-Clark claimed three wickets.
Confident with runs on the board, Woodend contained the Magpies, gaining the crucial wicket of skipper Bryan Vance for 40.
Runs dried up, and the match fizzled out, with Wallan being restricted to 122.
Warren Else, as he does so often, collected three wickets when it mattered, and McDonald’s two wickets capped off a fine afternoon for the all-rounder.
RUN SPREE AT GISBORNE
Gisborne has been in pre-season training for weeks, and came out with a stunning batting display at Gardiner Reserve after Sunbury United had compiled 8/182 (Damien Edwards 50, Upul Fernando 39 — Leigh Brennan 4-30) from 45 overs.
Openers Jarrod Vernon and Spencer Jones scored quickly before the latter was dismissed for 25; Reegan Scott joined Vernon and they embarked on a scoring spree to hearten loyal supporters and teammates.
In an ominous display for all other sides, Gisborne rattled up 1/183 from 26.5 overs.
Vernon remained unbeaten on 81, and Scott compiled 63 not out with new Dragons’ coach Riley Vernon undoubtedly very pleased with the afternoon’s work.
This Saturday, Gisborne head to Romsey in anticipation of securing another victory.
TWENTYMAN STARS
Rupertswood’s talented captain Matthew Twentyman was the difference between his side winning and losing at Macedon.
He scored an unbeaten 87 from 97 balls as Rupo battled to reach 156 — Henry Bobetic claiming 4-28 for the Cats.
Macedon skipper Gareth De Rosayro scored 49 in the run chase, but other bats could not make an impact. Losing Cam Clayton to a run out was a big blow.
Eventually the Cats were dismissed for 127 from 42.3 overs.
ROMSEY RECOVERY
Promoted Eastern Hill pressed Romsey all the way at Kings Park, Seymour.
The home side scored 7/152 c.c. with opener Seamus Ferry 60 and captain Ben Bryant 39 the main contributors.
As usual, the Redbacks used various bowlers, with Corey Day’s three wickets coming with only 17 runs being conceded.
When Eastern Hill captured the fifth wicket, the match was in the balance.
Romsey skipper and head coach Ben Way has saved his side so many times it’s not funny, and this time he found a worthy ally in newcomer Matthew Stonier.
A big partnership carried the score to 5/153 with just two overs to spare — Stonier scored an unbeaten 51 and Way remained 41 not out.
MERRIFIELD IMPRESS
Newcomers to the GDCA, Merrifield Cricket Club, impressed with two wins.
In Johnstone Shield 1sts, Merrifield hit up 8/252, with Talwinder Prince dismissed in the final over for 96. Broadford was restricted to 9/185 in reply.
Merrifield kept Broadford to 6/113 in Johnstone 2nds, then rattled up 5/115 in reply.
Scorers at some grounds wrestled with the task of fitting extremely lengthy names of several newcomers to the GDCA into the scorebooks.
At a quick count, the longest name had 32 letters!
GDCA ROUND-UP
Scores from one-day matches in the Gisborne District Cricket Association competition on Saturday included:
McIntyre Cup 1sts: Woodend 8/208 c.c. (39 overs) — J. Du Toit 56, H. McDonald 54 n.o. (H. Mullavey-Clark 3-43) d Wallan 9/122 — B. Vance 40 (W. Else 3-5); Rupertswood 156 — M. Twentyman 87 (H. Bobetic 4-28) d Macedon 127 — G. De Rosayro 49 (O. McAliece 4-30); Sunbury United 8/182 c.c. — D. Edwards 50, U. Fernando 39, S. Perera 34 (L. Brennan 4-30) lost to Gisborne 1/183 — J. Vernon 81 n.o., R. Scott 63 n.o., S. Jones 25; Eastern Hill 7/152 c.c. — S. Feery 60, B. Bryant 39 (C. Day 3-17) lost to Romsey 5/153 — M. Stonier 51 n.o., B. Way 41 n.o.
McIntyre 2nds: Wallan 8/170 c.c. — C. Dimech 48 n.o., B. Fowler 40, A. Connors 37 (Angus Black 3-9) lost to Woodend 3/171 — B. Delaney 69, B. Warner 41 n.o., B. Gardner 36 n.o.; Macedon 105 — (Tom Sharp 5-17) lost to Rupertswood 3/108 — W. Honner 50 n.o., W. Bond 37; Sunbury United 8/180 (40 overs) — J. Dillon 62, S. Hateli 38 n.o., J. Hughes 30 (C. Jackson 3-24) lost to Gisborne 8/181 — B. Cook 40, M. Green 36, G. Hall 26 n.o. (R. Billinghurst 3-18); Eastern Hill 102 — J. Kennedy 23 n.o., J. Say 20 (J. East 3-9, C. Marienfeld 3-19) lost to Romsey 3/105 — B. Norris 51 n.o.
Johnstone Shield 1sts: Eynesbury 134 — L. Patterson 57 lost to Lancefield 7/135 — A. Sinclair 39, N. Budde 22 (Z. Micallef 4-30); Kilmore 7/181 — D. Tassone 78, S. Partridge 32, R. Callaghan 27 n.o. lost to Sunbury Kangaroos 6/182 — P. Singh 87, A. Fearnley 35 (Tassone 3-30); Diggers Rest-Bulla 5/221 — E. Long 68 n.o., N. Crosland 63, D. Achison 38 d East Sunbury 152 — D. Boorsma 25 (M. Ciunik 5-34); Merrifield 8/252 — T. Prince 96, H. Bhathal 61, S. Singh 31 (B. Hickey 3-56) d Broadford 9/185 — A. Wood 48, H. Wood 31, R. Nolan 29, Hickey 26 (R. Sharma 3-13).
Johnstone 2nds: Lancefield 51 — J. O’Meara 31 (C. Connelly 5/22 (inc. hat-trick)) lost to Eynesbury 2/52; Kilmore 172 — C. Patridge 65, B. Proctor 37 (A. Singh 4-32) lost to Sunbury Kangaroos 6/174 — J. Patel 60 n.o., G. Singh 54 (B. Dawson 3-29); Diggers Rest/Bulla 5/213 — B. Fleming 60, J. Clear 48, C. Davis 39 d East Sunbury 36 — (D. Rodger 3-12, A. Edwards 3-17); Broadford 6/113 lost to Merrifield 5/115 — K. Singh 34, A. Singh 28.
Jensen Shield North A: Gisborne 9/150 — A. Sankey 38 n.o., J. Lang 30, W, Mooney 27 d Wallan 120 — A. Avola 26; Romsey 122 — Fill-in 41 (C. Sutton 3-19) lost to Hanging Rock 3/123 — L. Vincent 39 n.o., O. Plunkett 36 n.o.; Malmsbury 135 — J. Lewer 35 n.o. (S. Smith 3-19) d Kilmore 79 — G. Fairweather 40 (P. Wickramasinghe 3-6, I. Kosmac 3-15); Broadford 169 — A. Culpin 81, D. Saunders 54 (P. O’Donovan 4-22, D. Ahmed 3-13) lost to Rupertswood 3/171 — B. van den Heuvel 84 n.o., K. Sutherland 33, Z. Borg 24.
Jensen South A: Western Lions 106 — Y. Suresh 38 lost to Aintree 1/109; Sunbury United 7/127 — M. Anderson 47 n.o., T. O’Connor 34 lost to Diggers Rest/Bulla 7/129 — C. Goforth 51 n.o, L. Ruff 31; Melton Centrals 8/125 lost to Melton South 4/126; Sunbury v Melton not listed.
Jensen North B: Trentham 5/193 — PP 55, G. Thomson 49, Fill-In 38 d Kyneton 55 — (A. Prewett 3-3); Gisborne 133 — W. Lasry 75 (B. Whitehouse 4-37, J. Hand 3-21) lost to Blackwood 2/134 — Whitehouse 57 n.o., B. McNiven 32, S. Taylor 28; Eastern Hill 118 lost to Woodend 6/119 — O. Close 42, A. Cavric 31 n.o.; Malmsbury 9/172 — J. Mooney 47, C. Ganim 42 (M. Shanahan 4-24) lost to Hanging Rock 4/174 — W. Fah 62,L. Robinson 60 n.o.
Club North: Kyneton 9/149 — R. Mether 84 n.o., T. Rowles 33 (J. Meldrum 3-7) lost to Macedon 6/150 — R. Black 51 ret. (Mether 3-16); Riddell 83 — T. Hatt 20 lost to Hanging Rock 8/84 — L. Watt 24, P. Connor 21; Kilmore 9/139 — R. Toussaint 47 n.o., T. Peggie 24 lost to Romsey 6/142 — Fill-in 53 ret., T. McCarthy 34 (M. Arnott 3-22); Wallan Black 8/119 (L. Freeth 3-28) lost to Gisborne 4/121 — S. Sullivan 47 n.o.; Woodend 8/153 — G. Sullivan 50 ret., C. Carnes 38 (A. Dodd 4-18) d Wallan White 72 — D. Curran 25 (H. Kost 4-15); Malmsbury v Lancefield no scores listed.
Club South: Gisborne 6/256 — T. Williams 54 ret., M. Quinn 52 ret., G. Hall 50 ret., N. Warner 50 d Diggers Rest/Bulla 128 — Fill-in 55 n.o., P. Quick 47 (M. Schappacher 4-14, C. Brown 4-19); Sunbury United 6/222 — D. George 47, S. Bradfield 43, J. Zarcos-Fisher 38 n.o., A. Srivastava 34 d Eynesbury 7/116; Sunbury 7/157 d Melton Centrals 119. No scores listed for other two matches.
next weekend’s GAMES
Gisborne District Cricket Association McIntyre Firsts third round matches this Saturday, October 17, are:
Romsey v Gisborne.
Rupertswood v Woodend.
Sunbury United v Macedon.
Wallan v Eastern Hill.