With many cricketers using the long weekend to head off for some much needed rest before the Christmas rush, the Ringwood and District Cricket Association left it to the upper grades to battle it out in perfect conditions for cricket. For Mt Evelyn Cricket Club, it left the top two grades to fight it out with Yarra Valley rivals, Seville, whilst it was a road trip to Warrandyte for the Third XI.
For the First XI, it was a trip to Seville in a key clash for early ladder positions. Seville won the toss a duly elected to put a score on the board. The early going was tough and tight as neither team looked to give the other an inch. In-form Seville opener Aaron Bermingham and fellow opener Finn Saurine held strong in the early overs seeing the opening bowlers off and setting their team up well with a 54 run partnership before Jamie Shaw would make the timely breakthrough, having Saurine caught by Daniel Giblin in the 14th over.
Unperturbed, Bermingham would continue his stout resistance against some tidy bowling by the Mounters, and another useful partnership, this time with Caleb Frankovic. The pair would put the home team in a powerful position at 1/93 after 24 overs, leaving time for a late order assault on a tiring attack. Along the way, Bermingham would bring up his third half century in a row on his way to a score of 65. Shaw, and captain Troy Hancock, would have none of it and with three quick wickets, gave the visitors a chance of keeping the final total in check.
Mt Evelyn would tighten the screws, and when Riley Foster and Jarrod Carroll fell to the hand of Will Macklin, the innings looked to have lost it’s lustre as it had been squeezed to 6/146 with just under four overs remaining. A pair of familiar faces would ensure the early work of their top order would not be in vain, as former Mt Evelyn premiership stars, Kane Jones (47 not out off 24 balls) and Jon Williams (13 not out) would push the score to a healthy 6/193. A total that was well within reach, but a lot more substantial than it looked to be in the final overs of the innings.
After an early flurry of shots from Hancock, the Mt Evelyn innings struggled to take flight. Hancock and Giblin would be dismissed on consecutive balls with the score on 30 and when Campbell Mole joined them in the pavilion, the innings couldn’t have got off to a more disappointing start with the score teetering at 3/40. Brothers Jesse and Dan Fraser would look to resurrect the innings and momentarily steadied the ship. Unfortunately, the partnership wouldn’t grow into something substantial, and when Jesse Fraser fell with the score on 4/68, the pendulum would significantly swing in the Burras favour.
Kane Jones would seize the opportunity to enter the attack, and with a four wicket burst, will swiftly reduce the visitors to 8/88 within the space of 10 overs effectively ending the contest. Dan Fraser would fight on, repelling an opposition full of confidence, and a faulty hamstring, denying the Burras an early finish, and at time pushing the onus back on the fielding team to find answers. With under 40 runs to score off the final five overs, he had given the Mounters an outside glimmer of hope. Unfortunately for the visitors, his resistance would end with the score at 9/157, and a well made 68, and with that the innings was swiftly wrapped up.
The Mounters now have some work to do after consecutive losses and need to find the rhythm of the season quickly due to the high number of one day contests before the Christmas break. They will welcome back some handy additions for their Round 5 clash against South Warrandyte, but last season’s grand finalists will provide tough opposition so the challenges will keep coming for the men in maroon.
The Second XI have made an excellent start to the season, and they would host Seville in another key clash considering the ladder positions. Mounters captain Shane Laird won the toss, and like the First XI game, would take the opportunity to put a score on the board. His openers, Adam Smith and Brad Westaway, wouldn’t let him down, and in the face of some disciplined bowling, the pair would hold their nerve, and their patience. Unperturbed by a moderate run rate, the pair would navigate the team through to the first big milestone, drinks. At 0/80, the home team were well set with wickets in hand to have a burst at a significant total in the back end of the innings.
The openers would then tick off the next goal, a century partnership, with Smith collecting an impressive half century along the way. Unfortunately for Westaway, his innings would end just shy of a half century as he was caught by Jordan Foster, off the bowling of Rowan Prowse, for 48. Smith would power on as his innings would open up with some more expansive stroke play. Despite some partners coming and going, three to the bowling of Jace Hamilton, he would up the ante. Eventually Prowse would have his measure and Smith was dismissed for an impressive 84.
New recruit, Mike Mawson, would add a little cream on top with an unbeaten innings of 30 to lead the home side to 6/211 at the end of the allotted overs. The total was a sizeable one, but with big scores being the norm at Gary Martin Oval over the opening rounds of the season, it was attainable with the right application.
Seville’s young opening pair of Jasper Barry and Elkin Croydon, approached the chase just as their opponents did, keep the scoreboard ticking over without any undue risk. In a mirroring of the first innings, the pair would safely navigate their team to the drinks break without the loss of a wicket and 82 runs on the board. Croydon would lose his wicket to Brad Westaway trying to ramp up the run rate, but Barry would continue on to a much deserved half century. With the Burras well set, Luke Shepherd would swing things in the home team’s favour within a blink of an eye.
Shepherd would remove Barry for 60, caught and bowled, bag another two wickets for himself and finish with three wickets and three catches in the space of 15 balls to stall the innings at 5/136. Seville still requiring 76 runs off 51 balls. More importantly, they needed a batsman to ramp up the challenge. Angus Nelson was that man. The big hitting left-hander blasted his way to an unbeaten 48 off 25 balls to charge his team to victory. Ably supported by Macca Hardy (23 not out), the victory target would be achieved with an over to spare. A fantastic contest with a memorable finish.
The Second XI will be buoyed by the efforts, despite the loss, and will look to regroup against Bayswater Park in Round 5 action.
The Third XI would ensure the club would not go empty handed from the weekend’s action as they travelled to Warrandyte and comprehensively eclipsed the hosts. Mt Evelyn batted first, and through an allround team effort, put together an imposing total. Daniel Meades (44) and Kadyn Newport (29) shrugged off recent struggles to give the team a great start, and despite a duck by captain Graeme Foster, Flynn Orchard (35 not out) and Sam Vanhoogstraten (66 not out) would ensure the Mounters would push to an impressive total of 5/230.
Orchard (4/35) and Meades (2/25) would immediately have the Bloods on the back foot and a long way in arrears. At 7/68, the contest was effectively over. The home team would show some fight through a gritty unbeaten half century from Nathan Croot, but the Mounters were destined for victory, and Mike Leonard brewed up the perfect finish with three wickets to wrap up the tail, and the innings, with the score at 124.
It was a much needed victory for the thirds and they will look to string together consecutive victories as they face Heathwood in an important clash for early ladder positions.
