Teams flex muscles
Fancied teams all won games up for grabs in the latest round of Grampians Cricket Association.
Buangor-tatyoon, despite conceding 137 runs to Chalambar, was able to comfortably run the total down while surrendering just two wickets.
Chalambar’s cause was hindered by three runouts, particularly as they were top scorers Luke Walker, 54, and Guddie Singh, 44.
The Hawks lost both James Phillips and Shaun Allen before passing Chalambar’s score and James Arney registered an unbeaten 65.
Despite the game being on turf, all bowlers struggled.
At Stawell’s Central Park, Youth Club batted to reach a par score of 6-152 against Pomonal with Nic Baird, 29, Deaken Hemley, 24 and Matt Healy, 23, all getting starts but failing to capitalize.
Lachy Dalkin and John Thewlis each took two wickets.
Faced with the task of scoring four runs an over the Tigers batsmen succumbed for 119 due to the work of Harvey Evans, 3-29 and Baird 3-18.
The win left the Clubbers comfortably in third spot on the ladder with challenging matches against Swifts-great Western and the Hawks to come.
Swifts-great Western won the toss and batted at Halls Gap against Halls Gap and registered 225 from its 40 overs.
Young gun Jack Cann recorded his first A Grade half-century with 59 and Will Clough, 35, and Sam Cocks, 32, contributed to the score.
In reply, the Gappers were all out for 86 off just 24 of the 40 overs. Will Clough completed a fine game with 4-23.
A penultimate round on Saturday sees Swiftsgreat Western playing Youth Club at Central Park, Pomonal hosting Buangor-tatyoon, and Halls Gap at home to Chalambar.
This is the weekend the Combine has organised a reunion of players who played for either Swifts or Great Western in the period from 1985 to 1995.
Club officials have been overwhelmed by the response and are expecting more than 50 people to attend. Unfortunately two ex-players who were coming from Western Australia are prevented by the continuing lockdown there.
Youth Club would like nothing better than to topple the Combine in front of the ex-players.
If Baird, Jarrod Illig and Matt Healy can get among the runs, and bowlers Healy, Baird and Evans are on song, a win is not out of the question.
Pressure will be on Sam Cocks, Eckel brothers Tom and Jesse, Will Clough and Matt Heffer and others to perform in front of yesterday’s heroes.
Buangor-tatyoon will be mindful of the last match against Pomonal, where the Tigers toppled the Hawks prior to Christmas, and will be out to avenge that result.
James Phillips, James Arney, the Cronins Tyler and Sam, Michael Harricks and Jarrod Blandford will know that they must play well to get over the Tigers.
Halls Gap will look for an important win against Chalambar, which will be looking to secure another win.
This result could go either way because both teams have potential match winners Charlie Mcintosh, Josef Martin and Riley Thomas for the Gappers and Sam Pilgrim, Singh and Walker for Chalambar.
Grampians has continued its dominance of Horsham with a narrow inter-association victory.
This follows on from a good win over Wimmera Mallee the week before.
Oh for the good old Country Week competitions! This week: Pomonal v Buangor-tatyoon, Swifts-great Western v Youth Club, Halls Gap v Chalambar. Last week: Buangor-tatyoon 2-140 (J. Arney 65no, S. Allen 50) d Chalambar 137 (L. Walker 54, G. Singh 4), Youth Club 6-152 (N. Baird 29) d Pomonal 119 (T. Spry 34, P. Frawley 29; N. Baird 3-18, H. Evans 3-29), Swifts-great Western 225 (J. Cann 59, W. Clough 35, S. Cocks 32; R. Mcintosh 3-48, T. Ripper 3-50). Ladder: Buangor-tatyoon 57 points 2.02 percent; Swifts-great Western 48, 2.08; Youth Club 36, 1.25; Pomonal 24, 0.60; Chalambar 12, 0.55; Halls Gap 12, 0.52.