Tension levels were high as two McIntyre 1sts third round cricket matches hung in the balance late on Saturday afternoon.
Reigning premiers Woodend appeared in trouble against Rupertswood until a match saving eighth wicket stand between allrounders Warren Else and Hayden Ingleton produced 72 match saving runs. Rupo’s experienced Kevin Barker shone with 5-23 from nine overs.
It was a special day for Else – his 350th game with a tremendous record of 7641 runs and 539 wickets. A great club man as well.
At Macedon, the home side was revitalised when Cameron Clayton’s brilliant 94 from 101 balls against Sunbury United put the Cats on top. United, led by 58 from evergreen Upul Fernando, eventually won with just five balls remaining.
In the other two McIntyre Cup matches, Gisborne pulverised Romsey to win in 28.3 overs as classy Jarrod Vernon hammered a majestic 81 from just 57 deliveries, and newcomer Eastern Hill scored 7/232 c.c. then kept Wallan at bay for a first-time McIntyre 1sts victory.
Favourable sunny conditions were welcomed by players and spectators alike.
At Salesian College, Woodend was happy to dismiss Rupertswood for 155 with Josh Eastley and Else each claiming three wickets.
The Woodsmen’s run chase was then less than convincing, with Barker causing more trouble with the ball than anticipated.
Woodend supporters cheered every run in the Else – Ingleton partnership, and Rupo’s off-target bowlers sent down 22 very costly wides in the innings.
Else top scored with an unbeaten 41, and Ingleton was 25 not out in 7/158.
At Macedon, United was on top until all-rounder Clayton took control, with late runs from Dan Trotta as well helping put 6/189 on the board from 45 overs.
The game could have gone either way, and United went home relieved.
Eastern Hill’s top order batsmen, led by 73 from Ollie Bryant, put a healthy 7/232 c.c. on the board.
Wallan skipper Bryan Vance made 67, and Hamish Mullavey-Clark 57, but the home side’s perseverance led to a 30 runs victory.
COLLAPSE COSTLY
Romsey openers Aaron Frost 38 and Taylor Stevenson 33 gave their side momentum on the No. 2 Romsey Oval, but Riley Vernon’s break through with the ball led to Gisborne capturing regular wickets.
No. 11 Jamie Taylor contributed 29 in a last wicket stand.
Set a meagre 142, Gisborne bats played attacking cricket with Jarrod Vernon leading the way by hitting 15 fours.
The Dragons lost just two wickets for the second match in a row, and other clubs will face an uphill battle to match this side which is about to be strengthened further with the inclusion of a former English Test player (see story elsewhere).
In Johnstone Shield, Riddell’s captain Peter Cashen hammered 107 from 91 balls and Hayden Castle scored 89 in a formidable 6/259, eventually beating East Sunbury by 37 runs.
New club Merrifield again topped the day’s scoring with 8/314 with the top four batters in fine form.
Trentham opener Gavin Thomson retired on 100 in 6/229 c.c. but Blackwood took the points with the Whitehouse brothers scoring heavily.
GDCA ROUND-UP
Scores from one-day matches in the Gisborne District Cricket Association competition on Saturday included:
McIntyre Cup 1sts: Romsey 148 — A. Frost 38, T. Stevenson 33, J. Taylor 29 (R. Vernon 3-13) lost to Gisborne 2/151 — J. Vernon 82, D. Salpietro 31 n.o., R. Scott 22 n.o; Rupertswood 155 — J. Boulton 40, N. Crotty 36 (W. Else 3-23, J. Eastley 3-36) lost to Woodend 7/158 — Else 41,
H. Ingleton 25 n/o. (K. Barker 5-23); Macedon 6/189 c.c.— C. Clayton 94 n.o. D. Trotta 31 n.o. lost to Sunbury United 8/190 — U. Fernando 58, H. Knott 42 (H. Bobetic 3-52); Eastern Hill 7/232 c.c. — O. Bryant 73, B. Cox 40, B. Bryant 29, S. Feery 24 defeated Wallan 8/202 — B. Vance 67, H. Mullavey-Clark 57, H. Sandhu 34 n.o.
McIntyre 2nds: Romsey 169 — M. Hoyt 28, D. Paterson 28 n.o. d Gisborne 136 — B. Cook 33 (J. East 6-28, J. Rees 4-20); Sunbury United 8/170 — A. Billinghurst 47, J. Hughes 38, J. Dillon 37 n.o. d Macedon 9/111 — A. Munro Lawrence 29 (J. Newman 3-22); Woodend 9/217 — D. Heaney 81, B. Delaney 44, B. Warner 34 (H. O’Donovan 5-28, R. Bennett 3-32) d Rupertswood 72 — S. Dennis 39 (G. Matthews 4-17); Eastern Hill 9/153 c.c. — H. Hager 53 (B. Hanson 4-23) lost to Wallan 4/158 — T. Jeffs 51, J. Cumberland 42 n.o., Hanson 24 n.o.
Johnstone Shield 1sts: Lancefield 145 — H. Lehner 29, B. Goodwin 22 lost to Kilmore 3/146 — R. Simpson 61; Merrifield 8/314 c.c. — S. Singh 111, R. Dhillon 54, H. Bhathal 44, T. Prince 37 (J. Ballinger 3-70) d Sunbury Kangaroos 88 — P. Mann 27 (S. Brar 3-25, H. Pal 3-25); Broadford 9/146 c.c. — B. Hickey 46, T. Shell 30 n.o. (E. Long 3-17) lost to Diggers Rest-Bulla 4/147 — D. Achison 75, Long 32 n.o; Riddell 6/259 c.c. — P. Cashen 107, H. Castle 89, J. Taylor 32 (N. Dent 3-36) d East Sunbury 9/222 — D. Boorsma 62 n.o., N. Dent 45, E. Wilkins 40 ( Castle 3-35, C. Bowden 3-55).
Johnstone Shield 2nds: Lancefield 8/85 c.c. — S. Taylor 24 n.o. lost to Kilmore 3/86 — R. Audehm 36, S. Burns 27; Merrifield 7/233 c.c. — A. Chohan 62, B. Sidhu 57 n.o., A. Singh 47, V. Mehta 34 d Sunbury Kangaroos 133 — J. Patel 58, V. Badratin 34 (H. Gill 3-26, J. Singh 3-32); Diggers Rest-Bulla 8/211 c.c. — B. Fleming 56, C. Davis 45, T. Krizanic 37, A. McDonald 28 d Broadford 97 — A. Culpin 54 (Fleming 3-4); Riddell 148 — C. Woolley 34, B. Goodman 24, D. Morris 22 d East Sunbury 138 — H. Karlson 41 (L. Moore 3-19, Goodman 3-21).
Jensen Shield North A: Broadford 8/84 c.c. — P. Withers 27 lost to Malmsbury 2/86 — C. Ganim 42 n.o., M. Pruden 24; Romsey 155 — J. Day 34, S. Hanks 26 d Kilmore 78 — (J. Jenkins 3-6, J. Meehan 3-7); Wallan 73 — N. Nagpal 16 (H. Shanahan 3-11) lost to Hanging Rock 1/74 — H. Shanahan 38 n.o.; Rupertswood 8/256 c.c. — K. Sutherland 80, T. Walker 54 n.o., P. O’Donovan 38, Z. Borg 26 (M. Downey 3-43) d Gisborne 8/159 — C. Jackman 44, Z. Anderson 26.
Jensen North B: Gisborne 7/133 c.c. — W. Lasry 28, C. Kotlar 22 lost to Eastern Hill 1/135 — E. Loweke 51 n.o., O. Loweke 51 n.o.; Woodend 8/143 c.c. — O. Cumming 42, M. Schober 28, G. McDonald 27 (M. Mouser 3-18) lost to Hanging Rock 5/146 — W. Fah 36; Malmsbury 145 — D. Turner 26, B. Terbeeke 24 (S. McDonald 4-26) lost to Kyneton 1/146 — A. Idiens 99 n.o.; Trentham 6/229 c.c. — G. Thomson 100 ret., S. Hewitt 39, J. Shaw 25 lost to Blackwood 8/231 -B. Whitehouse 79, L. Whitehouse 56.
Club North: Gisborne 8/205 c.c. — J. Wallace 74 n.o., S. Sullivan 53 d Lancefield 8/201 — A. Nuttall 65 n.o., C. Stein 50 (F. Dodd 3-24); Wallan Black 8/134 c.c. M. Munday 43 (P. Connor 3-10) d Hanging Rock 102 — I. Sawyer 22 (S. Munday 4-14); Macedon 5/152 c.c. — R. Black 42, J. Meldrum 38 (J. Dodds 3-25) d Wallan White 145 — A. Bingham 54 n.o., D. Curren 37 (J. Hoskins 4-18, A. Haberman 3-21); Riddell 9/131 c.c. lost to Romsey 4/133; Kilmore v Kyneton (no scores); Woodend d Malmsbury on forfeit.
THIS SATURDAY
Fourth round McIntyre Cup one day matches this Saturday are interesting.
Woodend v Sunbury United.
Macedon v Romsey.
Eastern Hill v Gisborne.
Wallan v Rupertswood.