Runs flow in battle
The battle for top spot in Grampians Cricket Association will continue to unfold at Stawell’s Central Park when competition resumes on Saturday.
Youth Club and Swifts-great Western are gripped in battle with the Combine in command.
Swifts-great Western, having elected to bat last week, amassed 9-396 with captain Sam Cocks top-scoring with 126 in a knock that produced two century-plus partnerships.
Cocks’ innings included 16 fours and three sixes and shared a 136-run stand with Rick Peters and 111 with Travis Nicholson.
The Combine’s middle order batsmen all scored half centuries, with Damon Folkes the only Clubbers bowler to make any impression with 3-81.
Cock’s century took his season tally to 711 runs. With one round and a possible two finals to come, he is at the grail of 1000 runs in a season.
The task of scoring at five runs per over will create huge pressure on Clubbers batsmen Folkes, Nic Baird, Cam Kimber and Clinton Slorach.
The Combine bowlers of James Heffer, Jayden Mccartney, Will Clough, Rick Peters and spinner Matt Fitzgerald will all enjoy so many runs behind them.
The Clubbers might be tempted to sub in Bailey Taylor who scored a century in the seconds on Saturday.
The Clubbers are also too good a team to be dismissed twice in the one day, but will have to bat most of the day or find themselves back out in the field chasing leather.
At Ararat’s Alexandra Oval, St Andrews must win against Pomonal to keep its finals hopes alive.
St Andrews have dismissed Pomonal for a below-par 132, with only Grady Slocombe, Matt Grinham and Clinton Mackley managing to get into the 20s.
However, St Andrews lost 2-12 in the last seven overs of the day and now Tom Mills, who resumes nine not out, will have to carry most of the task of scoring the runs needed.
The Tigers seem to have unearthed an exciting young bowler in Lachlan Dalkin who has taken 15 wickets in just four A Grade games. Dalkin is a famous name in Grampians cricket circles and Lachlan is the nephew of former star players Chris and Brett.
Aradale, in its quest to secure outright points against Halls Gap, sits just behind the Gappers score of 148, on 2-131 at the end of day one.
The Gappers posted their highest score of the season, thanks to Josh Leith, 40, and Marcus Elliot, 33.
The primary destroyer for Aradale was Sam Fulton with 5-53.
Aradale will be looking to not-out batsmen Scott Turner, 39, and Mark Fulton, 2, to push the scoring rate along to give the team enough time and runs to dismiss the Gappers again.