Centrals add anotheroutright to the tally

CRICKET LVDCL AGRADE BY

LIAM DURKIN

DARE say it would have been alight sessionfor all Latrobe Valley District Cricket League AGrade clubsattraininglastnight.

Or no training at all, depending on if you could walk or not.

With the penultimate round seeing regular season matches played across Saturday and Sunday last weekend, plenty of overs were bowled as players were reintroduced to the feelingofplaying backto-back days for the first time in nearly two years. While the top four was set in stone heading into the round, therewas astill plenty to play for, as home finals and psychological edges all count for something in the race to the premiership.

TRAFALGAR and Mirboo North playedinthe match that had the most meaning.

Afoot in the door to securing ahome semi final was up for grabs on the Mirboo North Turf, and in the end, it was the Ships who prevailed. Thevisitors were forced to showcasesomeadaptability in the lead-up, as they knew from along way out they were going to be without three of their top six batsmen in Rhys Holdsworth, Brodie Burgess and Daniel Heathcotedue to life outside of local cricket (there is such athing).

With acombined350 games of AGrade experience gone in one hit, there was adegree of uncertainty about just how Trafalgar wouldfare, especially without Holdsworth, who is enjoying some season, with close to 700 runs to his name in aseason that has seen five washouts.

Taking apractical approach,the Shipsreshuffled the order to try and give key batsmen AidenGeorge and Aydan Connolly as much time in the middle stages as possible,ata time when conditionsmight have enabled scoring to be easier.

WithHoldsworth only available on Day2, Trafalgar knew Mirboo North would look to bowl first if they won the toss.

Sureenough, they did,and the Ships were told to face the music.

Needing someone to shieldthe middle order, usual number 10 Liam Durkin was sent out to open the batting.

Farewell to cricket legend

CRICKET

LVDCL

TRIBUTES flowed last week for local cricket legend Allan Mathieson.

Mathieson died peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, February 12, age 89.

Alife member of Morwell Cricket Club, he is regarded as one of the Tigers’ greatest ever players.

Mathieson made his debut for Morwell in 1955, playing until 1978.

In thattime, he played 275 club games (256in AGrade), and won six AGrade premierships.

Playing as awicket-keeper/bat, he finished with 402 dismissals and 5107 senior runs.

Off the field, he served as club secretary, and also managed Morwell CC’s successful women’s side from 2003 to 2017 (10 premierships).

He was inductedasa life memberofMorwell CC in 1976, and named in the Tigers team of the century.

Players across the LatrobeValleyDistrict Cricket League wore black armbands in honour of aman whogave alifetime of service to the game, and was named in the Central Gippsland Cricket Association Team of the Century.

Durkin had been wordedupafter training on Thursday night with what the plan was, and was given one simple instruction -‘stay in’.

He may have taken this advice abit too literally, as he went on to spend more than three hours at the crease.

Combining with his namesake,usualopening bat Liam White, the pair saw out the first session, getting to drinks with 50 on the board.

White playeda patient handof37, recovering well after apainful blow in the worst spot possible.

The two left-handers puton63for the first wicket, negotiatingsome tight bowlingfromthe home side Young Tiger Max Woodallagainbowled well with the new ball, and looks aplayer for the future, getting some appreciative movement awayoff the deck.

Mirboo Northturned the tables dramatically through the effortsofexperienced campaigners Will Cheatley and Dale Banks.

The former had White edging through, before wrapping his younger brother Riley in front.

Cheatley then took the key wicket of Connolly via areturncatch, while leg spinnerBanks did likewise to dismiss George.

At lunch, the Ships were in some trouble at 5/71.

Cooper Burgess and Durkin took the score past 100, but fell either side of each other, giving Cheatley afive wicket haul and leaving Trafalgar 7/104.

Durkin’s 200-ball stay yielded him 26 runs and acurefor insomnia.

Banks continuedtotake wicketsatthe otherend, and when the second-last pole fell, Trafalgar had 122 on the board.

Owen McLeod-Agland then decided to free his arms, and played an enterprising hand of 34 off 49 balls, which included five boundaries.

He put on amore-than-handy 32-run 10th wicket partnershipwith Zack Brown, taking the Ships total up to 154.

Banks also took five wickets, making for the very rareoccurrence of two players taking five wicket haulsinthe same innings.

Banks’ figures read 5/31, and Cheatley’s 5/43.

With half-an-hour left in the day, the Tigers had atricky period to negotiate.

Things started without much fanfare, but come the last over of the day, Trafalgar seamer Jackson Noonanensuredthe visitorstook all momentum into the following day.

Noonan started by knicking off Jed Alexander, and then,withthe second last ballofthe day, broke through Will Lawrey’s defence to have Mirboo North 2/13 at stumps.

Noonan picked up where he left off the next day, finding the perfect length to take Pedlow’s wicket with his first ball.

The Tigers did their best to stabilise from there, but two wickets in as many oversfrom McLeodAgland reduced them to 5/29.

McLeod-Agland has enjoyed ameteoric rise in senior cricket, playing in aCGrade flag with Trafalgar in 2019/20, spending two seasons in B Grade, to now be amore-than-capable all-rounder in the top flight.

Mirboo North dug in for periods, but the task eventuallybecame insurmountable, and they were bowled out for 70 just after tea.

Noonan sent down 19 overs straight and took3/15, with 11 maidens. Aherculeaneffort considering he had been at Country Week the week before.

Holdsworth chippedinwith 2/11, as did McLeodAgland (2/16) whileZack Brown was rewarded for agood opening spell, ending with 2/18.

CENTRALS won their third game outright.

The Lionsmet Willow Grove at McGregor Reserve, Yallourn North, and told the Wolves to have ahit at the coin toss.

The technically home side didn’t show agreat deal of resistance, skittled for 67 inside 40 overs.

CoreyPollard took three wickets, as did Rob Webber.

The Lions then made the most of the overs they had available.

Despite falling to 2/10, the visitors ended up scoring 301.

Captain Tye Hourigan led the way, and came agonisingly close to his second AGrade century.

Hourigan did most of the heavy lifting early, and went at virtually arun-a-ball.

The skipper had to make do with 97 off 99 balls, aknock that featured 12 fours and two maximums. Hourigan’seffort set the tone for others to follow.

Young gun Lachlan Speairs showedwhy he is nicknamed ‘King’, playing amatureinnings of 47 off 152 balls.

MarkRawson came in late at number 10, and went whack, whack, whack from ball one.

Rawson only faced 26 balls, but scored an unbeaten 57, with six fours and three sixes.

Ominous signs come finals perhaps.

Brad Hourigan also got some valuable time out in the middle, making 28.

Willow Grove battled hard in the field, and had some reward with AnthonyWilkes taking 2/31, Nathan Wheildon 2/40 and Liam Cumiskey 2/48.

Having chased leather for 84 overs, the Wolves weren’t in much mood to hang around.

They sank to 5/13 in their second innings, and capitulated further from there.

Willow Grove did last 53.5 overs, but could only manage 64, giving Centralsanothervictorywith 10 points.

Joe Stuartrippedthe lifeout of theGrove,taking four wickets.

Others to help out were Marc Fenech, who returnedremarkablefigures of 2/8 off15overs with 12 maidens, and Reghard Hefer, who took 2/14.

TRARALGON WEST surviveda scarefrom Jeeralang-Boolarra.

The Eagles were 6/139 in pursuit of 225 at Jack Canavan, but the wiseheads of Tim Fitchand SalmanRasool were able to see the home side to victory.

Before that happened, the Panthersdecided to post atotal.

Plenty of overs were bowled, 102 in fact.

Pleasinglyfor Jeeralang-Boolarra, runs came from different sources than usual.

Lachlan Smith appliedhimself well, and made 43, with his innings featuring five boundaries.

Others to getamong the runs were Nila Thillekarathna and Jacob Carnes, who each made 28.

But it was Hasitha Hewawasam who was the shining light for the visitors, scoring an unbeaten 60.

Two of the smartest men in the league found themselvesonoppositesides,withHewawasam staying in the game, and Rami Zafar ahead of it, taking 2/14 for Traralgon West.

Rasool also grabbed two wickets, as did Hayden Kimpton and Reece Falla.

Leg spinner Adam Thow sent down 23 overs, and was then asked to bat at first drop the next day.

He came in after Ben Edebohls and Hayden Kimpton got the side to 51 without loss. Kimpton ended up making 38, buthis dismissal set off an unfortunate chain of events as far as the Eagles were concerned.

The entiretop-fivegot starts,but failed to convert, leaving the Panthers well and truly in the game.

When Dylan Smith had Josh Monacella caught, Traralgon West still needed 86 to win.

Given the sides form-lineoflate(fourlosses in five games) there wassurelyworrying signs for the Eagles.

Fitchstood tall, and refused to see his beloved green andgoldsuffer defeat, carryinghis bat in afine display.

The veteran ended unbeaten on 72, partnering with Rasool, who scored acool, calm and collected 29 not out.

The result will surely give Traralgon West amuchneeded injection of confidence, the very which may have taken ahit in previous weeks.

For the Eagles to chase over 200 on awicketthat is traditionally difficult to ‘get in’ on, and to do so without Zafar needing to bat, could propel them on the eve of finals.

The two Smiths performed well for JeeralangBoolarra with the ball.

Dylan took 2/38 and Lachlan 2/39.

JAlexander 14-8-10-0, WCheatley22-9-43-5,

7-0-13-0, DBanks 20.3-10-31-5 MirbooNorth first innings

OMcLeod-Agland 10-2-16-2, RHoldsworth

AConnolly3-2-5-1 Jeeralang-Boolarra first innings

BMcCormack. cWilkie bFalla 22

BDuffy .b Zafar. 14

BHeath .c Wilkie bKimpton 1 NThillekarathna. .lbw bFitch .28

LSmith .stMonacella bThow. .43

SDeSilva .lbw bZafar .1

HHewawasam. not out 60

JT Carnes bRasool 28

DSmith .c Monacella bKimpton 4

JCecil .b Falla. 7

JCarnes .not out 1 notout 4

(nb 2, w2,b7,lb1). 12 Overs. 102 Total. .9/225

TraralgonWest bowling:BEdebohls 9-1-26-0, SRasool 11-2-29-1, HKimpton10-1-21-2, RFalla 22.1-8-56-2, I Zafar 9-5-14-2,AThow23-11-33-1,TFitch 11.5-5-18-1, RWilkie 3-0-16-0,