Catani keeps hopes alive
Division 1:
Catani v Warragul
A late charge from Warragul wasn’t enough enabling Catani to keep its faint WDCA finals hopes alive with a tight victory at the weekend.
Batting first, Catani, through the in-form Josh Bethune and skipper Liam Adams, got the ball rolling after the early loss of Ned Harrison for eight.
The pair was ruthless in attack, Bethune (58) the main aggressor as the run-rate began to accelerate rapidly.
Their partnership of 94 set the Cats up for a massive total.
Adams (51) continued the onslaught after Bethune was dismissed before Daniel Vela (44) and Riley McDonald (30) tore into the rest of the tired Warragul attack.
Catani reached 3-201 and seemed destined to breach 250, before a late flurry with the ball from Tyler Constantine (4-59) reigned in the home side slightly but was still able to amass 7-231 off their allotted overs.
In reply, Warragul’s chase started poorly. Daniel Whitten fell to the first ball of the innings and proceedings didn’t get much better.
Lachie Gregson (2-27) proved too hot to handle as Warragul slipped to 4-85 with the required run-rate skyrocketing.
Patty Mulqueen (47) played his best knock of the year to steady the ship as did Matt Bow (38), the pair outlining Warragul’s future beyond this year.
James Vela (3-47) continued to wrench any momentum away with timely wickets as Catani seemed home until one last push put the match on the brink.
Tyler Constantine, surprisingly batting at number eight, played a whirlwind knock of 47 off just 28 balls to see the match into the final over.
Josh Bethune (1-14) would have the final say, however, claiming Constantine to leave Warragul 12 runs short.
Drouin v Hallora
Hallora’s mesmerising batting form continued over a COVID-affected Drouin.
Losing the toss and sent into bat the Kangas made the under-manned Drouin, that had lost seven starters through COVID, pay in a big, big way.
Brett Williams (13) missed out on the Hallora batting frenzy for a second week as Damon Healy and Fraser Duncan went nuclear on the Hawks attack.
The pair followed up last week’s monster partnership with an even greater one.
They each tore into Drouin bowling combining for 23 boundaries and one six in a partnership of 188. Duncan (70) was the first dismissed, missing out on consecutive tons, but his partner in crime passed triple figures and then some.
Hallora’s skipper has produced one of the great seasons in recent memory, and it continued against the club he had previously won a premiership with, this time making a lazy 143 off just 110 deliveries before Paul Timewell (453) claimed his wicket.
The visitors ended up making a ridiculous 5-274 off their overs, Timewell’s effort with the ball the only saving grace for Drouin.
The writing was clearly on the wall regarding the result although Drouin fought hard.
Jonathan Bell (54) produced an innings of class as did Matt Kouris (32 not out, as the game petered out leaving Drouin at 7-160 and finals hopes resting on their match with Western Park next week.
Hallora shared the wickets around with Natsai M’Shangwe (2-26) the pick of the bowlers, the result retaining its position on top of the ladder.
Ellinbank v Buln Buln
Ellinbank sewed up the double chance with a comfortable victory over Buln Buln.
Batting first, the hot favourite Eagles slipped early as Sam Reid (2-58) and Wilson Pollock (3-50) put pressure on with the ball and having Ellinbank four wickets down before drinks.
The Eagles’ strength all year has been contributions from everyone and it was no different on Saturday.
All but opener Matt Brewer made double figures; Troy Ferguson (33), Amal Mahathelge (26), Daniel Pandolfo (23), Curtis Howell (18) and Matt Farthing (16) holding up the top order.
Ellinbank’s uniqueness comes from their lower order. Coming in late in the innings Sean Masterson and Nick Fairbank turned Ellinbank position from strong to a nightmare one for Buln.
From 6-134, the pair wreaked havoc, Fairbank (42) batting at an above 150 strike rate and Masterson (48*) only needing 32 balls to change the game and push Ellinbank’s total to an unassailable 7-239.
In reply, Buln were overmatched but still fought hard to stave off another defeat.
Corey Jagoe (39) wound back the clock, as did Ricky Mckerrow (28) and Wilson Pollock (26), as Ellinbank was forced to toil.
Curtis Howell (4-51) made the big breakthroughs with his medium-pace but the highlight of the day came from Tom Robertson (317), the spinner turned pace-bowler, taking a sensational hat-trick, as Buln made 170 before being dismissed.
Neerim District v Yarragon
Yarragon caused an upset stunning fourth placed Neerim in a thriller.
The inconsistent Panthers looked on early in their innings as Kusan Ranasinghe (45) and Jake Borsato (16) pushed the score past 50 with a productive opening stand.
Both were dismissed in quick succession but Gamini Kumara and Amal Athulathmudali (34) were able to pick up the slack, punishing the ball to all parts on a pristine Neerim ground.
They added 57 in no time at all to put Neerim firmly on the back foot before Kumara became the aggressor and tore the Stags to shreds.
In his best innings of the season the WDCA legend made 81 not out at a run-a-ball to see Yarragon to an imposing 4-212.
In reply it was Neerim’s own most productive partnership that put them in the box seat to pull off another thrilling chase.
Kody Wilson (42) and Jack Ward (41) added a sensational 95 for the first wicket, slaying Yarragon’s thin bowling attack.
Both were dismissed in quick time by young gun Liam Smith-Butterworth (2-31) to shift momentum again, as Amal Athulathmudali (3-42) went to work on the new batsmen for Neerim.
As the overs dwindled Yarragon’s squeeze became tighter.
Nathan Bayne (36) fought to keep Neerim’s head above water but it was the experience and skill of Kumara (2-33) which proved the difference at the death as Neerim was unable to pull off another miracle, falling 11 runs short in the chase.