After the Christmas break, Kilsyth Cricket Club’s men’s teams resumed playing last Saturday with mixed results (two wins and three losses). One of the highlights of the round was Mark Unternahrer scoring his eighth senior century for the Club. Playing for the Third XI against Wonga Park, he hit 107 off 91 balls, including 17 fours and one six. In the same match, Brodie Goodwin took 3/33 to reach the 50 senior wickets milestone for the Club. Additionally, Michael Panozzo (Fourth XI) played his 100th senior game, and Matt Harper, promoted to the Second XI, celebrated his 50th match with another half-century. It is interesting to note that Kilsyth’s Third XI fielded a very experienced team with the 12 players totalling 2465 KCC senior games between them (i.e. an average 205.4 games per player) and it is believed that this is a Club record!
The First XI played against Mount Evelyn at Alan Smith Oval, Pinks Reserve in the Wilkins Cup competition. The visitors won the toss and elected to bat. The first wicket fell on 15 in the third over after Chris Pahi took a good catch in the slips off the bowling of Nuwan Sampath. It was soon 2/23 when Isuru Umesh took a brilliant, juggling catch at mid-off to give Sampath his second wicket in his third over. Opener Daniel Fraser and Daniel Giblin then consolidated Mount Evelyn’s position, adding 31 for the third wicket. However, spinner Kolitha Hapuarachchi achieved the breakthrough when he caught and bowled Giblin for 15 (two fours), and Mount Evelyn were now 3/54 after 16 overs. At the drinks break after 20 overs, the score had reached 3/67. In the 28th over with the score on 98, Captain Campbell Mole was the fourth wicket to fall, lbw to medium pacer Dylan Smith for 18. In the next over, opener Daniel Fraser was stumped by ‘keeper Andy Solomons off the bowling of Mackenzie Scott-Thomas for a solid 49 from 79 balls (three fours). Mount Evelyn were now 5/105 with 11 overs remaining. After Andy Solomons captured the sixth wicket (lbw), Mount Evelyn had reached 6/139 off 34.3 overs. Later, on the last ball of the innings, Jett Hartman, who had played a very good innings of 55 off 42 balls (four fours and two sixes) with powerful and attacking stroke play, was out lbw to Isuru Umesh and Mount Evelyn finished on 7/185cc off their allotted 40 overs. Callum Dooley remained 10 not out off 16 balls. For Kilsyth, opening bowler Nuwan Sampath took the bowling honours with 2/23 off eight consecutive overs (two maidens). The single wicket takers were Kolitha Hapuarachchi 1/31, Mackenzie Scott-Thomas 1/34, Isuru Imesh 1/51 (all off eight overs each), whilst Dylan Smith took 1/15 and Andy Solomons 1/22 off four overs each.
After the tea break, Kilsyth lost a wicket in the first over to be 1/1, lbw to fast bowler Chris Hrabe. Then Jack Childs and Mackenzie Scott-Thomas shared a second wicket partnership of 82 before Scott-Thomas was well caught at slip by Jett Hartman off the bowling of spinner Malinga de Silva for a sparkling 48 off 56 balls (eight fours). Then, in the 23rd over, with the score on 110, Kolitha Hapuarachchi was trapped lbw for 14 off 17 balls (three fours) by left-arm medium pacer Darcy Fraser. In the following over, opener Jack Childs was bowled by de Silva for a patient 33 off 60 balls (2 fours) and Kilsyth were now 4/113. Andy Solomons and Pasan Ganegoda then took the score to 155 when Ganegoda unfortunately ran himself out for 12 with a misjudged attempted single. Kilsyth then cruised to victory with Andy Solomons hitting the last two balls of the match for consecutive sixes to finish on a scintillating 48 not out off 33 balls (three fours and four sixes). When stumps were drawn, Kilsyth had scored 5/186 off 33 overs with Isuru Umesh remaining five not out off three balls (one four). For Mount Evelyn, Malinga de Silva captured 2/35 off eight overs, Darcy Fraser 1/34 off eight overs, and Chris Hrabe 1/51 off six overs. Congratulations to Sanjeev Rana, who made his debut for Kilsyth’s First XI.
The Second XI played Templeton at Templeton Reserve in the Meehan Shield competition. Kilsyth won the toss and elected to bat. After losing an early wicket on 14 after 4.5 overs, Tim Asbury and Daniel Caton took the score to 46 when Asbury was out for 24 off 41 balls (one four) at the end of the 14th over. It was 3/85 after 21.4 overs when Daniel Caton was caught and bowled by former Kilsyth player Ben Pietz for 31 off 51 balls (one four). Matt Harper then shared a 52-run fourth wicket partnership with his son Kyan, who was stumped by Ben Henderson off Pietz for 24 off 33 balls (two fours). At that stage, Kilsyth were 4/137 off 31.4 overs. From there, the Redbacks went on to score 9/194cc off the allotted 40 overs. Matt Harper’s innings was the highlight, scoring 60 off 62 balls (four fours and two sixes). It was great that Matt was able to play his 50th senior game for Kilsyth with both his sons, Kyan and Tait.
The multiple wicket takers for Templeton were Kye Tasevski 3/26 off four overs, Ben Pietz 2/37 and Adam Veljovic 2/42 (both off eight overs each). Templeton comfortably chased down the target and finished on 2/196 off 31.4 overs. Nick Ascenzo, 57 off 45 balls (seven fours and one six), and Zarack Durrani 29 off 44 balls (three fours), shared an opening partnership of 86. Furthermore, Cam Graham, 58* off 56 balls (eight fours), and Ben Henderson 29* off 47 balls (two fours), put on an unbroken third wicket partnership of 84. Kilsyth’s sole wicket taker was leg spinner Kyan Harper, who captured 2/35 off his seven overs.
The Third XI played Wonga Park at Roy Baldwin Oval, Pinks Reserve. Wonga Park won the toss and elected to bowl. An opening partnership of 51 in 5.2 overs between Ben Nicoll and Steve Galea got the Redbacks off to a flying start before Nicoll was stumped by ’keeper Craig Meadows off the bowling of William Hartley for 18 off 21 balls (four fours). Soon after, Steve Galea was caught by James Kimpton off Hartley for 17 from 22 balls (two fours and one six) and Kilsyth were now 2/57 after 7.5 overs. A third wicket partnership of 86 between Andrew Woolhouse and Mark Unternahrer lifted Kilsyth’s score to 143 when Woolhouse was bowled by Bailey Mullens in the 23rd over for 25 off 50 balls (one four). At that stage, Mark Unternahrer was 61 not out. Captain Robert Hutchings then joined Unternahrer, and they added a further 61 for the fourth wicket when Hutchings was caught by Mason Agnew for 21 off 30 balls from the bowling of Bailey Mullens. Kilsyth were now 4/204 off 32.3 overs with Unternahrer on 97 not out. “Unters” then brought up his century and, as mentioned earlier, went on to score a magnificent 107 off 91 balls before being bowled by William Hartley. Kilsyth were now 5/220 after 36.5 overs. The Redbacks eventually finished on 5/235cc off their allotted 40 overs with Shaun Goodwin 12* and Matthew Burgess 5*. The wicket takers for Wonga Park were William Hartley 3/32 off seven overs, and Bailey Mullens 2/36 off eight overs.
In the run chase, a first wicket partnership of 45 in 7.3 overs between William Hartley and Rob Glide was broken when Hayden Monds had Glide brilliantly caught one-handed by Mark Sfiligoj for 18 off 23 balls (three fours). On the first ball of the tenth over with the score on 58, William Hartley was the second wicket to fall, bowled by Monds for 30 off 28 balls (three fours and one six). Then, Jason Lovell and Bailey Mullens added 39 for the third wicket to see Wonga reach 3/97 off 17.2 overs when Lovell was trapped lbw by Robert Hutchings for 19 off 31 balls (three fours). At the drinks break after 20 overs, Wonga Park were on track at 3/106. When Mason Agnew was bowled by Matthew Young for 15 off 15 balls (two fours), the score had progressed to 4/130 after 22.5 overs. Then, in the next over, without adding to the score, Bailey Mullens was caught and bowled by Robert Hutchings for 34 off 45 balls (four fours). A promising 53-run sixth-wicket partnership between Dean Tulloch and Craig Meadows came to an end at the start of the 32nd over when Tulloch was bowled by Brodie Goodwin for 21 off 28 balls (two fours). In the same over, Meadows was caught by Matthew Young for a quick-fire 30 off 24 balls (three fours) to see Wonga Park 7/187 off 31.4 overs. Brodie Goodwin then picked up his third wicket at the end of the 34th over, caught by Mark Unternahrer, with Wonga now 8/204 and needing 32 off the last six overs to win. When Mark Unternahrer bowled Hunter Weeks for 16 off 12 balls (one four and one six), Wonga Park were 9/217 off 36.1 overs. After 38 overs, the score had reached 9/228 with eight runs needed off the last two overs to secure victory. Then, with the tension building, Mark Sfiligoj was called into the attack for the first time to bowl the second last over. The first two balls were dots, and then an attempted big hit off the third ball resulted in a skied catch to Matthew Young at deep cover, giving Kilsyth the win. For the Redbacks, Brodie Goodwin took 3/33 off five overs, Robert Hutchings 2/26 off seven overs, Hayden Monds 2/38 off six overs, Mark Sfiligoj 1/0 off three balls, Mark Unternahrer 1/45 and Matthew Young 1/47.
The Fourth XI played Templeton Third XI at Milpera Reserve, Wantirna. Templeton won the toss, elected to bat, and compiled a massive total of 5/272cc off their allotted 36 overs. Arjun Arun Nair made a magical 102 off 93 balls (three fours) before being caught and bowled by Georgia Smith. Nair and Hamish McLean, 32 off 40 balls (four fours), shared a third-wicket partnership of 130 to set the innings up for Templeton. The other main run scorers were opener Tom Vozzo, 26 off 30 balls (three fours), Angus Gauld 61 off 26 balls (eight fours and two sixes), and James Parker 21* off 18 balls. Gauld and Parker added 72 for the fifth wicket. Kilsyth’s multiple wicket taker was Georgia Smith with 2/44 off 6.3 overs, with single wickets to Jordan Relf, Trent and Louis Potter. In reply, Kilsyth were bundled out for 68 in 25.5 overs. The top scorers were Shane Smith 15 (three fours) and Trent Potter 13 (three fours). For Templeton, Max Taylor captured 3/26 off seven overs, Ryan Morris 2/15 off seven overs (two maidens), and Thomas Edwards 2/21 off 5.5 overs. Luke Christey 1/2 off three overs (two maidens), and Jake Taylor 1/4 off three overs (two maidens).
Unfortunately, the Fifth XI had to forfeit their match against Montrose due to insufficient players being available.
