Park, Sell help Hallora to victory
Warragul 10/112 def by Hallora 5/116 After a bye in the first round and two washouts Hallora finally made it onto the field and took out a good win over Warragul.
Chasing a small target, the Kangas bounced back after losing two early wickets as Rob Park and Daniel Sell combined to add 57 for the third wicket. Both batsmen found the fence regularly before being dismissed for 25 and 27 respectively.
Coming off a two-wicket haul Darren Humphrey scored freely with four boundaries in his 28 not out which carried the visitors across the line after just 21 overs. Luke Smith was the pick of the bowlers claiming 2/18. Earlier in the day a mediocre performance from the Gulls top order set the tone for their innings.
Jeff McBride and Thabiso Munjoma both made starts with 14 apiece before falling in quick succession to Michael Lynch (2/27). Austin Williamson broke the shackles striking four boundaries and two maximums on his way to a career best 38 while Liam Giliam helped the score reach triple figures with a handy 14. Humphrey gave little away with the new rock, snaring 2/12 off five tidy overs.
Western Park 10/120 drew Jindivick 3/49(19)
Western Park and Jindivick have split the points after rain intervened in a gripping contest where neither side was able to fully press the advantage.
Sent into bat by the visitors, the Warriors were off to a flying start as Elliot Kennedy (20) and Marc Fleming (34) piled on 62 for the second wicket. The wheels fell off for the home side however as they lost the next five wickets for just 14 runs.
Michael Talbot battled through the carnage for the Warriors on his way to a valuable 27 while Sam Laffy added 16 late in the innings. Flynn Pallot (2/32) and Shane Hoskins (2/25) did the damage early before Tim Jeffrey marked his return to the Jumping Jacks with 3/23. In reply, the visitors were just slightly off the pace, despite a typically defiant 29* from skipper Michael Dixon. Laffy was showing ominous signs with the ball finishing with 2/14 as the day came to a disappointing end.
E Grade:
The E Grade final will be contested between Yarragon and Western Park this weekend after the Warriors edged out Longwarry on net-run-rate to finish second. The Panthers took out the top spot after a comfortable win over Western Park in the final round. Longwarry 6/108(cc) def Buln Buln 10/64 Longwarry easily accounted for Buln Buln with Evan Wright again the star of the Crows innings.
Wright (46) was closing in on a half-century when Brock Sawyer (2/20) managed to get one through the gate. Finton (12) and Aiden Fox (17*) made vital contributions as the home sides middle order crumbled under a barrage from Sam Langford who claimed 4/10 off seven overs.
In reply, starts from Harley Nobelius (11), James Davidson (16), and Langford (16) weren’t enough to get the Lyrebirds home as the new ball combination of Jesse Lafrantz (2/28) and Rohail Rafat (2/18) dismantled their top order. Finton Fox chimed in with 2/3 off three overs to complete the rout.
Yarragon 5/207(cc) def Western Park 10/167
Western Park fell short in their quest to chase a big total set by Yarragon. It was a tough day for the Warriors bowlers as wickets proved very hard to come by while the scoreboard continued to tick over at a good rate.
In their reply, Raman Gautam (22) provided the consistent start he is known for, but the visitors lacked the depth to counter the experience of Jake Green who had an absolute day out for the Panthers.
Chris Wettenhall’s nine boundaries were a highlight of the chase as the skipper battled in vain, top scoring with a hard earned 48. Jimmy Burke (35) ensured the home side would need to bowl all but three balls of their quota of overs.