By Les Hutchings
Kilsyth’s First XI played Lilydale in Round 5 of the Trollope Shield competition. Kilsyth won the toss and sent Lilydale in to bat first in the one-day 40 overs per side fixture. Lilydale lost their first wicket when left arm opening bowler Kamal Kuruppu had Mitch Ebeyer caught behind by Captain Marcus Adams for 16 off 24 balls (3 fours). The very next ball Adams took another catch behind the stumps and Kuruppu was on a hat-trick at the end of the 7th over and Lilydale were 2/23. At the start of Kuruppu’s next over, a loud appeal for lbw was turned down on the hat-trick ball. However, Kuruppu picked up another wicket (lbw) at the end of the 9th over and Lilydale were 3/30. At drinks, Lilydale had progressed to 3/74 after 20 overs with opener Jarryd Gaskin 37 not out and Angus Adamson 10 not out. After drinks, they took the score to 114 in a steadying 84 run partnership when Gaskin, who had hit two sixes in the previous over, was caught by Mackenzie Scott-Thomas at mid-wicket off the third ball of leg spinner Jack Childs’ first over for 57 off 72 balls, including 7 fours and 2 sixes. At that stage Adamson was on 30 not out. At the end of the 28th over, Lilydale were now 4/117 and looking to continue to increase the run rate. Lachlan Volpe made a quickfire 25 off 21 balls (2 fours and 1 six) before being caught by Scott Nicholson at deep square leg off the bowling of left arm spinner Uvindu Wimaladharma, which saw Lilydale 5/158 in the 34th over. Lilydale lost their sixth and seventh wickets on 184 when Andy Solomons took two wickets with the first three balls of the 37h over. Angus Adamson was the first of the two wickets, well caught by Pasan Ganegoda at mid-wicket for a top score of 60 off 82 balls (6 fours and 1 six). After 38 overs Lilydale had reached 7/190. Ten runs came from the second last over and 11 from the last over when Kamal Kuruppu took a brilliant catch off Wimaladharma to see Lilydale finish on 8/211cc off their allotted 40 overs. At the close of the innings, Edward Saunders was an enterprising 33 not out off 17 balls (2 fours and 1 six). For Kilsyth, Kamal Kuruppu was the outstanding bowler capturing 3/20 off 8 overs. Other wicket takers were Andy Solomons 2/42 off 8 overs, Uvindu Wimaladharma 2/58 from 8 overs and Jack Childs 1/13 off 2 overs.
After the tea break, Kilsyth openers Kevin Baldsing and Jack Childs set about the run chase with an opening partnership of 59 in 16.3 overs when Jack was bowled by Lachlan Volpe for 29 off 56 balls (2 fours). This brought Andy Solomons to the crease and he cover drove the third ball he faced for four. At drinks Kilsyth were 1/79 off 20 overs with Baldsing on 33 not out and Solomons on 9 not out. The match was evenly poised as Lilydale had been 3/74 at the same stage in their innings. The second wicket partnership of 55 came to an end when Baldsing was caught on the boundary at deep square leg by Lachlan Volpe off the bowling of Shifran Muthaliph. He had made a solid 37 off 65 balls, including five boundaries. A run out from a throw by Karan Singh to Muthaliph at the bowler’s end in the same 27th over saw Kilsyth now 3/114 with Andy Solomons on 37 not out. Kilsyth needed around 7.5 runs per over off the last 13 overs. The run rate increased with Solomons striking the ball with power and precision but wickets also fell: 4/160 and then 5/171 in the 34th over when Andy Solomons was caught on the boundary for a magnificent 85 off 59 balls, including 8 fours and 6 sixes, off the bowling of Daniel Thompson. Kilsyth lost their sixth wicket (bowled by Volpe) on 176, and the seventh (run out) on 187 in the 36th over. After 37 overs it was 7/194 and then 12 runs came from the 38th over to see Kilsyth 7/206 with 2 overs remaining. Uvindu Wimaladharma 23 not out off 15 balls (3 fours) and Kamal Kuruppu 7 not out off 8 balls (1 four) got the Rebacks over the line in the 39th over when Uvindu struck a boundary with 8 balls to spare. For Lilydale, spinner Lachlan Volpe was the multiple wicket taker with 2/45 off 8 overs, whilst Shifran Muthaliph 1/22 off 8 overs and Daniel Thompson 1/36 off 7.4 overs, both bowled well. It was Kilsyth First XI’s second win in a row to lift them to fifth spot on the ladder. A special welcome to Sudhir Prabhu who played his first match for Kilsyth after coming out from England during the week.
The Second XI won the toss and elected to bat against Warrandyte at Alan Smith Oval, Pinks Reserve. After being 1/27, a second wicket partnership of 89 between Daniel Caton and Will Beard ended when Caton, playing in his 200th senior game for Kilsyth CC, was caught off the bowling of Cohen Croft for an excellent 50 off 81 balls (4 fours). Congratulations to Daniel Caton who passed his 5000 senior runs milestone for Kilsyth during this innings. Will Beard was the third wicket to fall with the score on 135, bowled by Croft for 42 off 90 balls (3 fours). Kilsyth finished on 4/158 cc with Hayden Pleming on 18 not out off 15 balls (2 fours) and Captain Matthew Coghlan 8 not out off 10 balls. The best of Warrandyte’s bowlers were Cohen Croft, 3/41 off 7 overs, and Jayden Clay 1/10 off 8 overs (3 maidens). After the first wicket fell on 0, bowled by Daniel Caton, an unbroken second wicket partnership of 161 between Captain Luke Warren 88 not out off 94 balls (13 fours), and Jack Ellis 63 not out off 106 balls (5 fours and 1 six), enabled Warrandyte to achieve a comfortable victory in 33.1 overs. Daniel Caton, with 1/17 off 6 overs, was the sole wicket taker for Kilsyth.
The Third XI journeyed down to the picturesque Yarra Junction Oval, won the toss and elected to bowl. An opening partnership of 35 for Yarra Junction came to an end when Ryan Carter was bowled by Matthew Burgess for 28 off 28 balls (6 fours). A 76 run second wicket partnership between Jack Jenkinson and Cam Bell set the Junction up for a good score. Bell was the second wicket to fall, caught by Kilsyth Captain Robert Hutchings off the bowling of Kasun Ekanayake for 37 off 62 balls (5 fours). At that stage, Yarra Junction were 2/111 off 24 overs. The third wicket fell in the next over, bowled by Trent Potter and the Junction were now 3/112. However, a 77 run fourth wicket partnership between Jack Jenkinson, 58 off 91 balls (4 fours), and Dillon Kerr, resulted in Yarra Junction progressing to 4/189 after 38 overs. They then added 18 off the last two overs to finish on 4/207cc with Kerr on 58 not out off 55 balls (7 fours). Wicket takers for Kilsyth were Matthew Burgess 2/42 off 8 overs, Trent Potter 1/21 off 3 overs and Kasun Ekanayake 1/27 off 5 overs.
After losing an early wicket on 15, Joel Harris and Kasun Ekanayake put on 58 for the second wicket when Ekanayake was unfortunately run out in the 16th over for 28 off 48 balls (3 fours). When Joel Harris was caught behind for 33 off 53 balls (4 fours), the score was now 3/82 off 21 overs. Then the Redbacks lost regular wickets: 4/100, 5/108 and 6/126 (after 29 overs). Mark Unternahrer and Matthew Burgess then lifted the score to 7/160 when Burgess was bowled by Blayden Steedman for a bright 20 off 16 balls (4 fours), with Unternahrer on 25 not out. Mark Unternahrer, who had batted well, was the next wicket to fall, caught at deep mid-wicket for a dashing 41 off 33 balls (7 fours and 1 six). Kilsyth were now 8/183 after 35 overs. Unfortunately, the last two wickets were run outs and Kilsyth was dismissed for 199 in 38.5 overs, 9 runs short of victory with still 7 balls unutilised. Yarra Junction’s best bowlers were Tyler Reed, 3/21 off 8 overs (2 maidens), Angus Gelly 2/45 off 8 overs and Blayden Steedman 1/20 off 6 overs.
The Fourth XI had an amazing game at home on Roy Baldwin Oval against St Andrews who won the toss and elected to bat. In his third over, Michael Sturt took two wickets in three balls to have St Andrews 2/14 after 5 overs. Wickets fell regularly at 3/56, 4/95, 5/110, and 6/117 in the 27th over. However, a 54 run seventh wicket partnership between opener Matthew Woodward and Brodie Rollings helped St Andrews get to a competitive score. Woodward was run out by Captain Anthony Sequeira for a top score of 74 (5 fours and 2 sixes). When Rollings was caught off the bowling of Sequeira for 26 (3 fours), St. Andrews had reached 8/176 off 35 overs. The last over saw an additional 8 runs added for the loss of one wicket with the Saints on 9/184cc and Cameron Riley 14 not out (2 fours). Chief wicket takers for Kilsyth were Michael Sturt 2/18 off 7 overs (1 maiden), and Kyle Galea 2/30 off 5 overs. Hayden Monds, 1/27 off 6 overs, Mark Rollings 1/29 off 5 overs and Tait Harper 1/29 off 3 overs, were the other wicket takers.
In the run chase, Kilsyth lost early wickets 1/27, 2/28, 3/29, 4/56, and 5/67 in the 18th over. However, a 75 run sixth wicket partnership between Michael Sturt and Matthew Harper gave the team hope. Sturt was caught off the bowling of Muhammad Ishtiaq for a well-made 45 (7 fours). Next ball Kilsyth lost another wicket and were now 7/142 in the 30th over with Matthew Harper 39 not out. When the eighth wicket fell on162 after 32.2 overs, Harper had progressed to 55 not out, and Kilsyth needed 23 runs to win with two wickets in hand, and 3.4 overs remaining. Thirteen more runs were added for the ninth wicket when Matthew Harper was caught for 64 (10 fours) in the second last over. With the last two batsmen at the crease, Kilsyth needed 10 to win off 9 balls. The over finished with a dot, then a two and a four to last man in Brett Woodward. Kilsyth now needed 4 runs to win with one over remaining. Two singles were scored off the first 5 balls of the last over leaving two runs needed off the last ball. However, Kilsyth could only manage to get a single, leaving scores tied at the end of the match. The interesting fact about this is that Kilsyth’s Hayden Monds, who played in the match, also played in a tie for Kilsyth U16-1’s in the morning on the same day! This is certainly a Club record!
The Fifth XI played South Warrandyte at Croydon Hills Primary School. Kilsyth won the toss and elected to bat, compiling 6/168cc after their allotted 36 overs. The main scorers for Kilsyth were Ravin Mehra 46 not out off 30 balls (3 fours and 3 sixes), Michael Panozzo 28 off 24 balls (3 fours), Pat Moilanen 23 off 52 balls (3 fours), and Under 14 player Ronak Mehra, who did well to score 17 off 50 balls. The best partnership of the innings was 72 runs for the sixth wicket between Ravin Mehra and Michael Panozzo. Wicket takers for South Warrandyte were Pradeep DeSilva 1/21 off 6 overs, Kushan Madugalle 1/30 off 8 overs (1 maiden) and Jacob Hansen 1/41 off 7 overs. In reply, South Warrandyte were all out for 137 in 33.2 overs. Opening batsmen Rangana Perera, 41 off 45 balls (2 fours and 3 sixes), and Kushan Madugalle 23 off 23 balls (3 fours), were the top scorers. They shared an opening partnership of 58. For Kilsyth, Ravin Mehra topped off an excellent all-round performance taking 4/7 off 7 overs (2 maidens). Junior player Louis Potter, playing his first senior game, impressed with 2/18 whilst other wicket takers were Shaun Wheater 1/13 off 2 overs, John Wilson 1/15 off 5 overs, Rhys Kearney 1/16 off 7 overs (2 maidens), and Ronak Mehra 1/19 off 4.2 overs.
On Sunday, the Women’s First XI played Yarra Junction at Pinks Reserve. Kilsyth won the toss and elected to bat. Belinda Hutchings opened the batting with Nicole Woolhouse, who was playing her 50th game for the Women’s First XI. In the fourth over Hutchings was bowled by Anelise McCracken for 13 off 20 balls (1 four) and Kilsyth were 1/15. Then Woolhouse and Captain Ashleigh Katoa put on 81 runs for the second wicket when Katoa was caught for 39 off 50 balls (7 fours). In a mini collapse, three wickets fell with the score on 96 with Anelise McCracken on a hat-trick at the end of the 19th over. Nicole Woolhouse and Avanthi Jayawickrema then took the score to 147 when Nicole was bowled by Jade Bennett for 37 off 70 balls (2 fours). It was 5/147 after 27 overs and then 6/149 when Avanthi was bowled by McCracken for 30 off 31 balls (5 fours). After missing the hat-trick earlier, McCracken took 3 wickets in 4 balls, including a brilliant caught and bowled, to have Kilsyth 7/149 and then 8/149 (after 28 overs). Lecia Baldry 5 not out and Women’s First XI Debutant Sarah Gibbs 5 not out, saw Kilsyth finish on 8/159cc after 30 overs. The outstanding bowler for Yarra Junction was Anelise McCracken who captured 6/24 off 6 overs, whilst Jade Bennett took 1/8 off 6 overs and Jessica Bennett 1/47 from 6 overs. Pace bowler Alannah Bomford, bowled economically to finish with 0/18 off her 6 overs (1 maiden). In the field Charlene Booker took two excellent catches.
After an opening partnership of 49 in 13 overs between Carly Millar, 30 off 59 balls and Maddy Bennett 13 off 44 balls (1 four), Yarra Junction replied with 8/93cc after their 30 overs. Anelise McCracken, 13 off 15 balls (2 fours) was the other batter to reach double figures. Kilsyth’s wicket takers were Stephanie Gibbs 2/9 off 3 overs (1 maiden), Sharon Sheals 2/0 off 1 over (1 maiden), Belinda Hutchings 2/21 off 5 overs and Avanthi Jayawickrema 1/17 off 4 overs. Opening bowler Lecia Baldry, playing her first game for the season, was impressive, sending down 5 overs, 2 maidens 0/6, whilst Ashleigh Katoa, 0/15 off 6 overs, Sarah Gibbs 0/7 off 3 overs (1 maiden), and Eva Gottschling 0/12 off 3 overs, also bowled well. First gamer Sarah Gibbs took two nice catches to also have an impact in the field. It was a good game for the Women’s team who will gain some confidence from the win.
On Saturday morning the Under 16-1s played a tie against Warranwood at Quambee Reserve, Number 1 Oval. Kilsyth won the toss and bowled with Warranwood posting 7/139 cc off their allotted 25 overs. Top scorers were William Sheedy who retired not out on 42 off 25 balls (6 fours and 2 sixes), and Finn Boniwell 23 not out off 30 balls (4 fours). Kilsyth’s best bowler was leg spinner Kyan Harper who took 4/22 off 5 overs. He was well supported by Lachlan Cowan 2/16 off 2 overs, Matthew Smith 1/21 off 4 overs and Will Beard 1/23 off 4 overs. Max Wills bowled a tidy 3 overs 0/7. Kilsyth replied with 7/139cc to tie the match in a tense finish with the last three wickets being run out in an attempt to achieve victory. The main scorers for Kilsyth were Joel Harris 33 not out off 27 balls (6 fours), Jack Childs 28 off 19 balls (5 fours), Will Beard 23 off 19 balls (4 fours) and Kyan Harper 22 retired not out off 25 balls (3 fours). For Warranwood, Harvey McLeod took 2/18 off 4 overs, Ayden Robinson 1/12 off 4 overs and Mitchell Caspersz 1/32 off 4 overs.
The combined Yarra Glen/Kilsyth Under 14 merged team had a win against Mount Evelyn. Mount Evelyn batted first and posted 9/94cc off 25 overs. Ezra Joyce top scored with 42 not out off 53 balls with 6 fours. Ronak Mehra took 1/10 off 3 overs, Daniel Shaw 1/3 off 2 overs, Zavier Thwaites 1/5 off 2 overs and Gabriel Donley 1/3 off 1 over. There were also four run outs in Mount Evelyn’s innings. In reply, Yarra Glen/Kilsyth chased down the target finishing on 5/113 after 20 overs. Chief run getters were Tait Harper 31 retired not out off 20 balls (4 fours), Lawson Appleton 24 retired not out off 20 balls (3 fours), and Ronak Mehra 18 off 18 balls (1 four). For Mount Evelyn, Harry Dunstone took 1/21 off 4 overs, Jacob Glover 1/3 off 2 overs, Tyler Smith 1/6 off 2 overs and Jett Gereg 1/10 off 2 overs.
Kilsyth’s Under 12s batted first in their T-20 match against Mitcham. The Redbacks scored 6/65cc, Aiden Nicoll top scoring with 9 off 15 balls (1 four). Multiple wicket takers for Mitcham were Gabe Farquhar 2/3 off 3 overs (1 maiden), and Aprameya Ravi Nandan 2/11 off 3 overs (1 maiden). Mitcham replied with 4/92 off 20 overs. Top scorers were Sebastien Di Sario 13 not out off 9 balls (2 fours), and Oscar Hooke 11 off 13 balls (1 four). Zion Solomons was the chief wicket taker for Kilsyth with 2/10 off 3 overs, whilst Bailey Kennon took 1/5 off 2 overs (1 maiden) and Isaac Joy 1/1 off 2 overs.
