Temperatures rose for the return of cricket after the Christmas break, and the cricketers from Mt Evelyn were looking to begin the new year with a hot start. With four wins for the day, the Mounters made a positive start.
The Community Bank – Mt Evelyn 1st XI travelled to Heathwood in a bid to capitalise on their good form leading into the break which saw them return to the top four in the standings. Heathwood elected to bat first upon winning the toss, and put together an excellent innings based on a fruitful approach by their top order. Star allrounder, and captain, Robert Cranmer gave the innings the impetus it needed with a well made innings of 78, and with the support of Sam Noske and Yadeesha Deerasooriya, the innings looked well set for a late innings flurry with the score on 2/159 in the 32nd over. Regular wickets to the Mounters over the closing overs ensured the score wouldn’t blow out. Darcy Fraser would be the main threat as his four late wickets saw the score reduced to 193 all out on the final ball of the innings. Fraser would be the pick of the bowlers with 4/43 being well supported by Caleb Hrabe 3/43.
Heathwood’s total would make for an interesting chase. The total was healthy, but by no means unattainable. After a solid opening stand of 41 between openers Jake Blackwell and Daniel Giblin, the innings would quickly turn as Cranmer would again assert his dominance on the game as the host cut a swathe through the Mounters middle order. The innings was left teetering at 5/56 after 15 overs. Whilst Blackwell was still at the wicket, there would be a glimmer of hope for the visitors with plenty of time to bat. Handy partnerships with Luke and Bohdie Jones would give the Mounters a chance to chase the runs late, but neither partnership would extend into a match winning effort. When Blackwell fell with the score on 8/141, the innings was all but snuffed out. Darcy Fraser would keep the flicker of victory burning with a quick fire 30, but it wouldn’t be enough as the visitors would fall 31 runs short of victory with their innings wrapped up on 163.
The Professionals Outer East 2nd XI would post an impressive victory against the top of the ladder Heathwood at home. Batting first, the Mounters openers, Darren Westaway and Jamie Shaw would navigate their way through a testing opening spell from the Lions, and it seemed to set the course for the innings, despite neither batsmen going on to a significant score. Quick middle order wickets would put a dampener on proceedings, and with score on 4/70, the innings could spill either way. The game would be won by the Mounters with an excellent partnership between Mike Mawson and TJ Hancock. The pair would firstly right the ship and ensure that the innings would fall away, and then as it progressed and the bowlers tired under the sapping sun, they wouldn’t miss the opportunity to blow the innings open. When it was all said and done the pair would put on a 178 run partnership littered with brilliant strokeplay. Mawson would post his second century of the season, whilst Hancock would add 75 of his own runs to boost the score to an impenetrable 5/257 when the innings was closed.
With the massive total on the board, the Mt Evelyn bowling ensured there would be no wobbles in defending the total. Shaw would be the chief destroyer as his five wicket haul left the Lions with no answers in the chase. Kynan Yates would also chime in with his best bowling performance of the season, capturing 3/16 off his allotted overs. Eventually the visitors would be bowled out for 154, with Mt Evelyn snaring an impressive 103 run victory.
The Rhead Group 3rd XI would score an important victory for their finals chances against South Warrandyte. South Warrandyte would start the game on the front foot through an excellent century opening stand, but the Mounters bowlers would keep their cool and kept things in check through the middle overs. Spin twins Sam Vanhoogstraten (2/27) and Ian Hawkey (2/33) would keep things tight whilst capturing wickets to keep the total to 5/170. A total that would take some chasing, but by no means unattainable after the positive start from the Hawks.
Mt Evelyn would expertly navigate their way through the chase, courtesy of a well made 62 not out from opener Kadyn Newport. Newport’s strokeplay would ensure the scoreboard continued to tick over, whilst a string of useful partnerships would ensure the innings didn’t suffer any fatal gluts of wickets. Hawkey would complete an excellent game, as his innings of 31 not out, helped support Newport to the winning total with six wickets in hand and ten overs still in the bank.
The Hop Hen 4th XI would also score an important victory for their finals chances as they hosted Bayswater Park on ‘The Postage Stamp’ at Mt Evelyn. Mt Evelyn would bat first, and would swiftly bat their opposition out of the contest. The Mounters would blast their way to an unbeatable total of 8/307 off their allotted overs. Jarrod Hartman (56 not out), Dwayne Finch (51 not out), Cambell Finch (48) and Tom Merlino (41) would all fill their boots in the batting masterclass. Although they valiantly fought through their 36 overs, the Sharks couldn’t muster the same scoring flourish as the hosts as they could only muster a score of 5/179. The Mt Evelyn bowlers would be tidy in their approach to defending the total, but the damage had already been inflicted by the batsmen.
The Mt Evelyn 5th XI would travel to Hoddles Creek in a bid to keep themselves on top of the heap in their competition. Bowling first, the Mounters didn’t give the Wombats any chance of breaking through with some scrupulous bowling. Hoddles Creek wouldn’t give their wickets away cheaply, but tidy bowling from the visitors ensured they would have no opportunity to break free and assert any semblance of domination. The arm wrestle would eventually end with Mt Evelyn taking the final wicket, on the last ball of the innings, with the score on 75. Craig Steele (3/12) would be the pick of an all round effort by the Mt Evelyn bowlers. Mt Evelyn wouldn’t have the same scoring issues as their hosts as they quickly wiped out the runs in ten overs with Alastair Churchill contributing 26 not out, and Craig Kenins scoring 39 not out.
The Flowtec 6th XI would battle manfully against the top of the table Warranwood, but found themselves a little short on class when it was all said and done. Warranwood would bat first, and despite the Mounters keeping things tight early, courtesy of some great bowling from Mason Jones, the Sharks would eventually break through against a tiring attack. The home side would eventually post a score of 3/193, by no means an unattainable target, but one that would take the Mounters absolute best. The visitors would give it a fair shake, and at times looked as though they could realistically trouble the target, however other than another excellent innings of 36 from opener Andrew Frid, none of the Mt Evelyn other batsmen could last long enough to extend the innings to really worry the home team. At 4/100 the door was open, but Warranwood would tighten the screws on the lower order to which they couldn’t respond, and the visitors would eventually be bowled out for 124.
