Mixed bag in Grampians action
After the opening day of a Grampians Cricket Association two-day fixture, top spot is still up for grabs, one match is in the balance and two are forgone conclusions.
Youth Club and Aradale are locked in a tense struggle for competition leadership and the match is poised to go either way.
Batting first and with one player short last weekend, Aradale scored 158, thanks to veterans Cameron Ralph, 35, and Clinton Rodger, 36.
Youth Club dismissed Aradale in 46 overs, Cam Kimber the best of the Clubbers bowlers with 3-26.
In reply the Clubbers are 5-101 with another 58 runs required for a first-innings result.
The bulk of Youth Club’s runs have come from Koby Stewart, 30, and Kimber, 36, in a 51-run unbeaten partnership.
Travis Horvetech has so far been the best of the Aradale bowlers with 4-28.
Youth Club will be hoping the Stewart-kimber partnership can continue for a while yet and leave the tail little to do. It will be an intense first session that could go either way.
Swifts-great Western has some work to do if it is to chase down Pomonal’s 192.
The Combine is 1-38 with 155 extra runs required to claim victory. Grady Slocombe’s 69 and Scott Spark, 55, anchored Pomonal’s innings, putting on 114 runs for the third wicket, more than half of the overall total.
Best of the bowlers was young Jayden Mccartney with 3-34 off 17 overs. The other bowler to take three wickets was Jon Parkin with 3-45.
At the crease for Swifts-great Western is recruit Brady Miller and Travis Nicholson.
Captain and danger batter Sam Cocks was dismissed for just eight.
Popular opinion would say the Combine would make the runs, although history would show it does not chase runs that well.
Buangor has already secured six points for a first-innings win over Halls Gap, leading by 199 runs with five wickets in hand, and no doubt will be confident of securing the extra four points from an outright win.
Jacob Bates sits on 96 not out, so Halls Gap can look forward to fielding first as Buangor seeks to provide A Grade’s first century maker.
Batting first, the Gappers again displayed their brittle batting by being dismissed for just 81.
Best of the bowlers for Buangor was recruit Daniel Allen, who has joined the club from Donald, with 5-37.
In reply, Buangor was able to score at nearly eight runs an over.
In addition to Bates’ score, captain Chris Jerram scored 82.
Buangor will probably declare after Bates scores his century or is dismissed, and try to win the match outright.
Tatyoon needs to score just 16 runs to defeat Navarre on first innings, and like Buangor will be hopeful of an outright defeat.
Navarre, batting first, was all out for 98 with captain Tom Hannett top-scoring with 33.
Best of the Hawks bowlers was young Ben Beer with 3-18.
Tatyoon sits on 1-82 with captain Michael Harricks on 58.
An outright victory could see the Hawks climb to second spot on the ladder.