WE’VE GOT CRICKET COVERED!
A BREATHTAKING knock from Tim Ludeman inspired Geelong to a seven-wicket victory over struggling Greenvale yesterday.
After the disappointment of a final-over loss to Melbourne on Saturday, Ludeman crunched 93 from 63 deliveries as the Cats battered the hapless Kangaroos at Geelong Cricket Ground.
The clean-hitting Ludeman wasted no time hauling in Greenvale’s below-par total of 8-210, striking 12 fours and three sixes in his 63-ball innings.
“It was incredible,” Geelong captain Eamonn Vines said of Ludeman’s performance.
“He just put the pressure right back on the Greenvale bowlers from the get-go.
“It was unreal … he hit good balls for boundaries. We know how explosive he can be, and from the get-go he was going over a run-a-ball.
“He was just doing it effortlessly. His shots were clean strikes without a furious backswing. He just set us up perfectly. I was at the other end just nudging them around. I was a bit scratchy, but he was able to hit the ball so cleanly.
“He’s batting really well and we saw how classy he is, especially in white-ball cricket.
“I was fortunate enough just to be out the other end and watch it. They were struggling with field sets and stuff like that, just because he hits the ball so cleanly and in the gaps.”
Having lost to the Demons by six runs a day earlier, Ludeman demanded a response and his side delivered.
“We had a tough loss yesterday (Saturday) and we were challenged to respond positively as a team and as individuals, and I think we did that,” Vines said.
“We ended up getting their score, and getting a bonus point out of it as well, so it’s been a really good day.”
Vines admitted the Cats’ batsmen failed a day before in the loss to Melbourne, losing crucial wickets in chase of 265 at Albert Ground.
“I think we bowled really well, but our batting let us down,” Vines said.
“We needed six or seven (an over on Saturday) off the last 10, but myself and ‘Jacko’ (Tom Jackson) went out at crucial times and then we fell behind the eight ball, scratched away but fell six runs short, so we’re pretty disappointed with it. But then the positive thing is that we had Sunday cricket, so we had the next day to respond and we did pretty well there.”
With former Sri Lankan Test cricketer Kaushal Silva to contend with yesterday, the Cats were desperate to impress. Having made 133 against Kingston Hawthorn on Saturday, Silva was dismissed for 11 early and Geelong never looked back.
“We did a really good job to keep them to 210,” Vines said.
“We had them 4-50-odd through really good bowling.
“Dom McGlinchey started off really well; Jared Bailey in the second match bowled outstanding as a left-armer and then ‘Couchy’ (Brody Couch) came on and got two wickets.
“He got Silva, the batter that played Test cricket and made a ton in Australia three years ago, so he got the crucial wicket.
“When they got to 210, we knew that wasn’t a massive total on this ground and we weren’t too disappointed. We backed our batters in.”