Gulls lean on Singh’s 102*
Western Park 9/166 (cc) def by Warragul 2/171
Western Park continues to be a happy hunting ground for Warragul opening batsman Amandeep Singh.
In just three innings at Tarwin Street the hard-hitting right hander has amassed 250 runs and has only been dismissed once. His knock on the weekend saw him record his second century of the season, propelling his side into top spot on the division 4 ladder. Set a competitive 167 to win, Singh and Austin Williamson (20) got the Gulls off to an aggressive start as Williamson found boundaries were the easiest way to score. Western Park failed to capitalise on his dismissal however as Liam Giliam got settled and Singh started to find the gaps in the field. Their 36-run partnership saw the Gulls cruising at 2/73 with Singh closing in on a half-century. Matt Runnalls (26 n.o.) came to the crease and quickly adopted the role of supporting actor as Singh continued to pepper the boundary, growing in confidence as the afternoon wore on. The pair added 98 for the third wicket as Singh finished unbeaten on 102 with 17 boundaries and one maximum, giving the visitors a percentage boosting win. Earlier in the day, the home side struggled to get going after winning the toss and choosing to bat first. An invaluable 71-run fourth wicket partnership between Russell Muir and Cam Smith (27) saw the Warriors reach triple figures before the familiar curse of the ten-pin Parkers saw them lose 6/41. Muir continues to thrive in the higher-grade top scoring with 42. Josh Baker was the point of resistance with 34 not out, ensuring Warragul were required to bowl the full complement of overs. Matt Runnalls was the pick of the bowlers snaring 4/23 off eight overs, receiving good support in the latter overs from Anthony Wilkes with 2/31.
Drouin 10/157 def by Garfield-Tynong 8/217 (cc)
Big-hitting was the order of the day as the Garfield-Tynong openers plundered the Hawks bowling attack, setting the foundation for a big total. Opting to bat first, Amjinder Mann (56) set the tone early for the Titans striking seven fours and two sixes as he and Andrew Myers put on 92 for the first wicket. A nagging spell from Adin Short (3/12 off eight overs) brought his innings to a close as the visitors suffered a minor collapse to at one stage be 4/111. Myers held his nerve however, smashing the ball to all parts of Bellbird Park Oval 2 and beyond. He struck fourteen 4’s and six 6’s, narrowly missing out on a muchdeserved ton as he finished with 98 not out after batting through the entire 40 overs. Peyton Saddington battled through some issues with his radar, claiming 2/25 to be the only other multiple wicket taker. In reply, Drouin made a solid start through Jack Jarred (28) and Bailey Osseweyer (22) who put on 52 for the second wicket. Handy spells from Rahil Gandhi (3/25) and Nick McQualter (2/30) then saw the Hawks lose 4/20, a position they couldn’t recover from despite a defiant innings from Seb Amoroso who held the middle order together and top scored with 40.
Darren Roberts (2/20) and Paresh Naik (2/17) claimed late wickets as the home side were dismissed in the final over of the day.
Jindivick 10/162 def by Longwarry 8/175 (cc)
Longwarry kept their finals hopes alive with a nail-biting win over Jindivick at Kydd-Park Reserve. Batting first, the Crows made a cautious start before both openers fell in quick succession. Aiden Fox and Robert Cowan kept the scoreboard ticking with a 44-run partnership before Fox was the next wicket to fall, out for 27. Malinda Prashan (23) then joined Cowan adding a further 58 as the visitors built towards a defendable total. Quick wickets saw Prashan and Cowan both returned to the sheds, Cowan having top scored with his maiden senior half-century, finishing with 53. A wag from the tail saw Longwarry through to the end of the forty overs with two wickets in hand. Matt Ward was the pick of the bowlers snaring key scalps to finish with 3/37 while Tim Jeffrey chimed in early to claim 2/28. In reply, the Jumping Jacks put pressure on the bowlers early before Nick Pullen (2/30) and Cowan made important breakthroughs. With Kyan Boadle (24) and Aaron Larkman (25) out of the equation Longwarry pushed their advantage, reducing the home side to 5/119. Rear guard action from Jeffrey (22) and Kev Larkman set the scene for a thrilling finish before a dramatic collapse of 4/5 saw the Crows take the chocolates. Cowan rounded out a best on ground performance with 4/43 while Jesse La Frantz was brutally efficient, returning figures of 3/6 off seven overs with three maidens.