By Chris Anderson
Overnight rain threatened to put a dampener on this weekend’s cricket games, and for those cricketers in the lower grades it did sentence them to a day on the sidelines after many grounds proved unplayable. Fortunately for the Premier Grades, the skies opened up at midday, drying soggy outfields, for an afternoon of action packed play.
The Mt Evelyn Cricket Club Community Bank – Mt Evelyn First XI hosted Montrose in a replay of last season’s Elimination Final, and in a ploy to avoid the onslaught they felt in last season’s final, Montrose took the opportunity to get on the front foot and put the score on the board as they elected to bat upon winning the toss. Debutant Kynan Yates put his stamp on the game early with the first three wickets of the contest to have the Wolves teetering at 3/45 inside the first 10 overs.
With a need to steady the innings, and regain some control of the contest, young gun Mitch O’Neil joined Will Newey at the wicket, and the pair patiently regained control of the innings. The Mt Evelyn bowlers embraced the grind with Will Macklin and Jake Blackwell bowling extended spells giving little scoring opportunities to the batsmen. Not to be perturbed from their task, Newey and O’Neil executed their task with precision over the next 40 overs scoring excellent half centuries along the way. When Newey fell, the pair had almost added 100 to the score and had set the foundations for a late innings onslaught from the rest of the batting line up.
The Wolves looked as if they had botched their lines as Macklin got just rewards for his toil, and a glut of wickets saw the visitors wobble, and a quick finish to the innings looked possible when the score fell to 7/189. Charley Smith joined Cameron Storm in the middle, and the pair were determined to capitalise on the efforts of their top order. The partnership would plunder a tiring attack and would quickly boost the total, with their partnership ballooning beyond 100 within the space of 15 overs. Runs were scored all around the wicket as the pair would both score ‘run-a-ball’ half centuries.
Eventually, the innings would close at 8/297 as the visitors would bat out their allotted overs. Macklin (4/82) and Yates (3/55) were the pick of the bowling attack which was made to toil hard by a batting line up determined to maximise their time at the wicket. The Mounters will have to bat well to chase down the target, however, in batter friendly conditions, if they can bat out their allotted overs they know they will be around the mark.
The Mt Evelyn CC Professionals – Outer East Second XI travelled to Yarra Glen which would see a seesawing first days play. The Mounters looked to exploit the overcast conditions, as they asked Yarra Glen to bat first in humid conditions that looked likely to offer the eager bowlers some movement in the air.
The early part of the innings was a real arm wrestle with neither team gaining any meaningful advantage. The River Pigs would tick the scoreboard over with handy contributions from their top order, but they would be stifled by regular wickets and with the innings at 4/128, it could’ve swung either way. Experienced medium pacer, Darcy Fraser, would ensure it would swing the way of the fielding side as he swooped to a five wicket haul and a quick wrap up of the innings to see the home side post 155.
With nearly 30 overs still to bat, the Mounters had a great opportunity to put the game firmly in their favour, but would only open the door to Yarra Glen’s challenge. Openers Brad Westaway and Dan Fraser were bowled out cheaply to the skill of Matthew Donnelly, then like the home side, the Mounters’ middle order could not gain enough momentum to give the score enough guts.
With the visitors finishing the day at 5/69, the River Pigs would be well pleased with the finish to the day, and will enter day two knowing a couple of early wickets will quickly drive them towards victory. The Mounters on the other hand will be bitterly disappointed that they did not capitalise on their bowling efforts and now have a real challenge on their hands to rescue a victory from this contest. They fully know however, that they have plenty of experience and run scoring still left in the sheds that the 87 runs still to made is not a mountain too hard to conquer.
