Warragul miss GCL finals
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Sale-Maffra and Bairnsdale have won through to the senior Gippsland Cricket League final after strong performances throughout the regular season.
For Sale-Maffra, they will be looking to maintain their standing as the premier league within the Gippsland region when they meet Bairnsdale at Scorpion Park in the final on February 11.
For the remaining Associations, they will be turning their attention to Country Week and can be buoyed by the fact that, for the most part, the GCL season was played on a level playing field, giving truth to the any-given-Sunday philosophy that anyone can beat anyone on any given day.
In the final round of the home and away GCL fixture, both Sale-Maffra and Leongatha played out a competitive match at Inverloch.
Sale-Maffra posted 182, with Leongatha falling 30 runs short.
Brad Scott’s 88 at the top of the order was telling for SaleMaffra.
With the next highest score in the line up being 20, it was clear to see who the key batsman was for the visitors.
Charith Keerthsighe proved as much a handful to spell as he did with ball in hand, finishing with figures of 4/31. He received good support from Jason Wilson, who took 2/32.
In reply, Leongatha got off to the worst possible start, losing a wicket before a run had been scored, before three frustrating knocks in the forty’s by the middle order left them 30 runs stranded at the finish.
Daniel Mock, David Newman and Matt Houston were all who featured in the forty’s, while the skill of Jack Rietschel, who took 5/13 proved difficult to handle.
Keenan Hughes also chimed in, taking two scalps with the new rock..
The match between Warragul and Bairnsdale came down to the wire, with Bairnsdale edging home in the 47th over thanks to some sloppy work in the field by the Wild Dogs.
After being sent in on a hastily prepared Hallora turf, Warragul made the conditions look fine, as they posted 201.
In a scorecard that featured plenty of starts, Trevor Gardiner topped the list with 40, which included two uncharacteristic bombs. Others to score were Tom Keily (35), Damon Healy (32) and Fraser Duncan (32).
The damage with the ball was done by the Bairnsdale spinners, with Ryan Halford taking five and All-Gippsland XI probable Stephen Grobler claiming three.
In response Bairnsdale kept the game interesting, maintaining a strong run rate but at the expense of losing regular wickets.
Scott Davidson’s 88 was ultimately the difference, while Reagan Kyle’s 31 also played an important part in the chase.
For Warragul Tom Keily, Nick Fairbank and the inebriated James Williams each took a pair of wickets in what was a closely fought match that maintained that most annoying of cricket truisms that ‘catches win matches’.
Under 18s fall
Warragul have sensationally missed the under 18 GCL final.
Entering Sunday’s T20 round undefeated and well-placed to qualify, the Wild Dogs lost both its T20 matches at Bellbird Park to fall to third.
Sent in by Leongatha in the first match, the Wild Dogs could only manage 9/78. Joel Batson top scored with 22 opening up, with first drop Rhys George the only other batsman to reach double figures.
While the Wild Dogs kept it tight with the ball, they ultimately didn’t have enough runs on the board as Leongatha reached the target on the final ball of the innings.
An unbeaten 41 from Nicholas Cowling proved to be the difference. Jackson Caddy was the multiple wicket taker for Warragul.
Needing to win to secure their place in the final, Warragul won the toss in its second match and also sent its opposition in.
Tight bowling helped Warragul restrict Central Gippsland to 8/118, with Will Robertson the multiple wicket taker.
In a devastating finish the Wild Dogs finished seven runs short in the chase, despite best efforts of Batson (36) and Jonah Serong (29).
Central Gippsland will play Sale-Maffra in both the under 18 and under 16 finals. Drouin Jindivick