401! Leopold’s sensational fightback

SCOTT Lindsay has never seen anything like it.

Set a monstrous 401 for victory, Leopold stunned South Barwon, chasing down the total with an over to spare.

“It was an outstanding win … just amazing,” Leopold coach Lindsay said yesterday.

“I don’t know the whole history of it all, whether another GCA side has chased 400, but the feeling was amazing among the whole club.

“I’ve played at Geelong and we’ve chased 350, but just the mental figure of having 400 in front of you, it was unbelievable. I have not seen anything like it before.”

In what GCA officials believe could be one of the highest successful run chases, the Lions passed the total with two wickets in hand and just six balls to spare.

Corey Ogle and Tim Marshall were the heroes, belting centuries. Ogle’s 130 came from 160 deliveries and included 10 boundaries and four sixes.

Marshall’s 101 was sublime. Walking to the wicket at No.7 with his side needing better than a run-a-ball to win, Marshall delivered in style, smashing his ton from 92 balls.

He cleared the rope seven times and hit five fours.

“Both Tim and Corey got off the mark with a six and that’s a unique way to get off the mark,” Lindsay said.

“It was clean hitting from Tim. He’s got a good eye.”

After Joel Davies’ doubleton heroics last week, the Swans were seemingly headed for victory.

But it all unravelled at Leopold’s Memorial Park, with the Swans’ bowlers put to the sword.

“As a coach you make plans and sometimes they come off and sometimes they don’t,” Lindsay said.

“We had a set target to get to in 15 overs and another set target for 30, 45 and 65 overs.

“At 65 overs we wanted to be 250 and we needed 7.6 an over in the last 20 overs, so it was effectively a T20 game.

“We hit all of those targets and there was some extreme hitting in the end.

“Sheriff (Marshall) hit seven or eight sixes and Corey anchored the innings, and towards the end when those two boys got out, Sam Allen and Adam Bliss saw us over the line with quickfire 20s.”

Lindsay lauded the performance of Ogle and Marshall, who stood up under intense pressure.

“Corey’s 130 was fantastic,” Lindsay said.

“And it was ‘Sheriff’s’ first hundred in his entire life. When you think about it, he’s played 150 first XI games for Leopold and he’s never made a ton in his entire life — in any form of cricket. So it was a unique day.”