Meddle

Gormandale wins a thriller

CRICKET

TDCA

AFTER some wild storms threatened Round 8 on Friday, the TDCA was greeted with great conditions for cricket. Even after wickets had to sit under covers all day on the eve of the matches, it’s evident that wickets and grounds are both turning into batting paradises, so let's hope for plenty of runs being scored from here on out.

Gormandale v Rovers

IN a battle of the cellar dwellers, Gormandale pulled off a fantastic victory at home against Rovers in a match which ebbed and flowed right up until the winning runs were scored. Rovers batted first and were shocked right out of the gate as Kade Marsh was dismissed for a duck off the first ball of the innings. There is some conjecture as to what the official name of that specific duck is as some refer to it as a ruby while other call it a royal, either way it isn’t something any opening batsman wants accredited to them. Ewan Williams then joined Tyler Pearce as the partnership put together a 40-run partnership, but Rovers quickly found themselves on 4/40 with Ewan Williams, Dougal Williams and Tyler Pearce all departing. Darion Duncan and Conner Little then swung the momentum around putting on 60 to get the score going along and the tail also wagged as well for Rovers with three players getting into double figures from the bottom five, which is something that hasn’t happened this season. After being in a precarious position Rovers ended up 171 all out from 45 overs with Duncan the standout with a well-made 45. Luke Henderson and Adam Brady were very good for Gormandale, both claiming three wickets each while Dylan Freitag chimed in with a Richie Benaud (2/22). Gormandale's batting has been brittle at best this season and with a top score of 157, it was always going to be a tough run chase for the Tigers. Things didn’t get easier when Paul Roberts was dismissed for three and then Matt Hibbs followed soon after for just two. Staring doom in the face, Chris Lehner then joined Nat Campbell in the middle and went on to make an 80-run partnership, evening the ledger. At 102, Campbell was run out for a hard-hitting 63 and Lehner was then stumped for 18, which swayed the game back into Rovers favour. Gormandale's middle order then got to work, taking their time and making sure they gave themselves every chance to win. The game progressed slowly and eventually the Tigers were squeezed to needing 10 runs in 12 balls with two wickets in hand. Looking for a hero, Adam Brady stood tall and with ice water in his veins managed to get the runs and put an exclamation mark on the game by hitting a four to win the match with seven balls to go. Rovers bowlers did all they could and shared the wickets around with Dougal Williams the pick after claiming 2/29.

Toongabbie v Yarram & District

ANOTHER heart-racing match was between Leading the way: Nat Campbell top scored with 63 for Gormandale in the win against Rovers.

photograph liam durkin

Toongabbie and Yarram & District at Roger Ries Oval. Yarram won the toss and batted, but Daniel O’Keefe was dismissed for a duck which would have had the Pelicans worried. Luckily Brett Pedlow was back in A Grade and together with Anthony Scott put on 94 for the second wicket until Scott was out for 54. Pedlow was the next to fall for a well-made 53 himself, but then it was the same old story for Yarram who lost wickets consistently over the next 25 overs with only Jarryd Swift showing resistance with 34. Yarram ended up all out in the 45th over for 170, but again would be ruing some chances and thinking they had left a few runs out on the field. Keenan Hughes was brilliant for Toongabbie as he took 3/23, but it was Sam Moran who turned the match taking 3/47 picking up the big wickets of Scott and Dylan Rash. Toongabbie also got off to a shaky start with Michael Dunn being dismissed for one. Rob Wheildon and Jason Veneman batted well, but couldn’t get big scores and then Tim Dunn chimed in with a dogged 19. James Chalmers then strutted in to bat at five after demanding to bat higher in the second part of the season after all the hype about him from before Christmas. It wasn’t to be though as he could only muster five, but his departure brought in Kev Stoddart, who turned the match the way of Toongabbie once more and was able to see his team home smashing a well-made 59 not out from 62 balls which included 10 fours. Both Scott and Jarryd Swift took two wickets for the Pelicans but the lack of penetration through the middle overs was what cost them the match.

Imperials v Glengarry

IN the final match of round, Glengarry took on Imperials at Catterick Crescent with Glengarry winning the toss and batting first. Frank Marks didn’t get a start which brought in Nat Freitag who batted well with Al Jenkin until he was dismissed for 30. This then saw Sam Marks and Hamish Busk come and go with the score on 4/65 as the Magpie batsmen struggled with the slower wicket Catterick produces. This brought Paul Henry to the crease and together with Freitag put on a 120-run partnership until Freitag fell just eight runs short of making back-to-back hundreds this season.Henry then guided the score to be 5/195 after 50 overs, making 40 not out in the process. Brad Sizeland and Ross Williams were again brilliant for Imperials both taking two wickets each. This was to be a farewell to a champion as Brett Chapman was playing his last match for Imperials before moving interstate and it wasn’t long before he was striding to the middle as Brad Sizeland was bog castled by Cam Graham for eight. Chapman then threw caution to the wind and in partnership with captain Ryan Morley put on 77 with Chapman making 55 of them. Chapman's innings included five fours and two sixes as he reminded everyone just how good a player he is and has been for Imperials. Morley then fell soon after and Imperials then fell quickly, ending up all out for 136 from 37.3 overs. Glengarry are a well-rounded team and again had multiple wicket-takers with the best being Al Jenkin, who took 3/34. Frank Marks and Hamish Busk each took two as well with Freitag, Graham and Mayberry taking the other three.

Rovers and Imps to square-off

CRICKET

TDCA ROUND 9 PREVIEW

ROVERS will take on Imperials in the match to watch for the round. Last time they met Imperials landed a massive upset win which hurt the young Rovers side a lot and did not get their season off to the start they wanted. Rovers however have improved every week, while only having one win on the board, they are having very close matches as they post half decent scores to defend, unlike previous seasons. But at the end of the day, it comes down to experience and how well the young side can handle the pressure while Imperials have two wins under their belt, beating Gormandale as well as Rovers. Rovers will not go down without a fight and will definitely want to get revenge on Imperials, to keep their finals hopes alive. Simon Duff will also be playing his 200th game for Rovers, so there is no doubt Rovers will want to make this one to remember.

Ex Students v Glengarry

LAST time Ex Students and Glengarry met, Glengarry got over the line comfortably. This was thanks to some incredible batting by Frank Marks hitting 75 and Hamish Busk making 47 as well as a great all-round bowling performance from Glengarry, as Cam Graham, Hamish Busk, and Sam Marks all picked up two wickets, while captain Nat Freitag picked up 3/15 off seven overs. Freitag is in great form at the moment, coming just eight runs away from back-to-back centuries. Ex Students, however, have not played a game since December 18 after their first match was abandoned after Christmas and the bye last round. They will be wanting to secure the win this week, and take top position on the ladder, in order to set themselves up for finals, as top position on the ladder is the best spot to be. No batter for Ex Students has scored more than 100 runs except captain Lee Stockdale. So, Ex Students will need to lift their batting game if they are going to have a chance at winning this weekend.

Gormandale v Toongabbie

GORMANDALE, coming off their first win of the season against Rovers, will be ready and raring for the weekend. Nat Campbell helped Gormandale to get over the line last week, scoring a 63, while Adam Brady and Luke Henderson both picked up three wickets. Toongabbie is also coming off a great win over Yarram, chasing 170 six wickets down. Kevin Stoddart coming off 59 not out, will be feeling confident with bat in hand, as he is someone who can hit a very long ball without using much power at all. Jason Veneman has only played three matches for the season, with one 50 and one good start. This week would be the best opportunity for him to score some runs against the bowling side of Gormandale. Left-arm quick Keenan Hughes loves to bowl in uncomfortable areas around the chest and is sure to make someone hurt as Gormandale struggle against quick bowling.

One to watch: Captain Keenan Hughes will trouble Gormandale and should clean up their top order. Prediction: Gormandale have the home ground advantage, however, Toongabbie will prove too strong and get the win. YARRAM and District have the bye.

A GRADE - ROUND 8 IMPERIALS v GLENGARRY Glengarry Innings

A Jenkin ................lbw b B Sizeland.......................... 30 F Marks.................b R Williams................................... 3 N Freitag ...............b S Aitken..................................... 92 S Marks.................lbw b R Williams ............................ 1 H Busk ..................c & b B Sizeland ............................ 0 P Henry.................not out.......................................... 40 N Grainger ............not out............................................ 4 Extras....................(nb 5, w 16, b 0, lb 4)................... 25 Total.......................(5 wickets, 50 overs)................. 195 Bowling: J Randall 10-2-0-43, M Bulmer 9-1-0-40, R Williams 10-2-2-30, B Sizeland 10-2-2-24, S Aitken 10-0-1-50, B Chapman 1-0-0-4.

Imperials Innings

R Morley................c B Marks b N Freitag.................. 18 B Sizeland.............b C Graham................................... 8 B Chapman...........c B Marks b A Jenkin................... 55 T Abdeen ..............b F Marks..................................... 10 D Jones.................st B Marks b A Jenkin.................... 4 S Aitken.................b H Busk ........................................ 9 D Campbell...........lbw b F Marks ................................ 0 D Pryde .................b A Jenkin ...................................... 4 R Williams .............c B Marks b H Busk....................... 6 J Randall...............not out............................................ 4 M Bulmer ..............b B Mayberry ................................. 0 Extras....................(nb 2, w 11, b 1, lb 4) ................... 18 Total.......................(10 wickets, 37.3 overs).............. 136 Bowling:C Graham 6-0-1-14, M Merton 6-0-0-32, H Busk 5-0-2-29, A Jenkin 10-0-3-34, N Freitag 4-1-1-3, F Marks 5-0-2-11, B Mayberry 1.3-0-1-8.

TOONGABBIE v YARRAM & DISTRICT Yarram & District Innings

B Pedlow...............c M Dunn b M Barry .................... 53 D O’Keefe .............b T Shippen ................................... 0 A Scott...................c J Veneman b S Moran.............. 54 D Rash..................c R Wheildon b S Moran ............... 2 Jarryd Swift ...........c M Dunn b K Hughes................. 34 G Underwood .......c T Dunn b S Moran ...................... 0 D Brinker-Ritchie...b M Barry ....................................... 2 K Carrison.............c K Hughes b R Wheildon........... 10 D Quigley ..............c T Shippen b K Hughes ............... 0 M Garland.............lbw b K Hughes ............................. 3 Joshua Swift..........not out............................................ 2 Extras....................(nb 1, w 8, b 0, lb 1)..................... 10 Total.......................(10 wickets, 44.1 overs)............. 170 Bowling: K Hughes 9-1-3-23, T Shippen 6-1-1-15, K Stoddart 3-0-0-24, B Hood 2-0-0-13, S Moran 10-1-3-47, M Barry 10-3-2-31, R Wheildon 4-0-1-16.

Toongabbie Innings

R Wheildon ...........c D Quigley b K Carrison ............ 21 M Dunn .................c D Rash b D O’Keefe................... 1 J Veneman............lbw b A Scott................................ 37 T Dunn ..................c A Scott b Jarryd Swift................ 19 J Chalmers............b A Scott......................................... 5 K Stoddart.............not out.......................................... 59 T Shippen .............c A Scott b Jarryd Swift................ 10 K Hughes..............not out............................................ 8 Extras....................(nb 0, w 8, b 3, lb 2)..................... 13 Total.......................(6 wickets, 43.0 overs)............... 173 Bowling: : Jarryd Swift 9-2-2-30, D O’Keefe 10-1-1-31, W Jenkins 3-1-0-16, K Carrison 3-0-1-11, D Rash 2-0-0-15, A Scott 6-1-2-24, Joshua Swift 8-2-0-33, G Underwood 2-0-0-8.

GORMANDALE v ROVERS Rovers Innings

K Marsh.................b D Freitag ..................................... 0 T Pearce................b A Brady ......................................11 E Williams .............c D Freitag b E Jarvis .................. 26 D Williams .............lbw b A Brady................................. 0 D Duncan..............lbw b N Campbell ........................ 45 C Little ...................lbw b L Henderson ...................... 30 T Bramwell............c C Peavey b L Henderson ......... 16 B Hamilton ............lbw b L Henderson ...................... 14 K Pearce ...............c M Hibbs b A Brady...................... 2 S Duff ....................c P Roberts b D Freitag............... 13 I Brown..................not out............................................ 0 Extras....................(nb 5, w 7, b 5, lb 1) ..................... 18 Total.......................(10 wickets, 45.1 overs)............. 171 Bowling:D Freitag 7.1-1-2-22, C Peavey 6-2-0-19,A Brady 10-2-3-28, E Jarvis 4-1-1-11, N Campbell 9-0-1-65, L Henderson 10-1-3-20.

Gormandale Innings

N Campbell...........run out (E Williams, T Pearce) .... 63 P Roberts..............c E Williams b D Duncan............... 3 M Hibbs.................lbw b E Williams............................. 2 C Lehner...............st T Pearce b S Duff..................... 18 D Freitag ...............c K Marsh b K Pearce ................. 10 J Jacobsen............c K Pearce b D Williams.............. 15 C Peavey...............run out (E Williams) ..................... 15 A Brady .................not out.......................................... 18 H Richards............c K Pearce b I Brown..................... 0 L Henderson.........not out............................................ 0 Extras....................(nb 1, w 9, b 2, lb 5)..................... 17 Total.......................(8 wickets, 48.5 overs)............... 173 Bowling: E Williams 8.5-1-1-35, D Duncan 7-0-1-39, K Pearce 6-0-1-19, I Brown 7-0-1-21, S Duff 10-3-1-22, D Williams 10-0-2-29.

EX STUDENTS BYE B GRADE - ROUND 8

Glengarry 3/203 (C Dunn 76, M Sharp 47, P Marks 23, G Waack-Hawkins 22no, P Dunstan 2/47) lost to Imperials 4/207 (S Boyes 80no, J Downs 70, D Warwick 34no, J Porter 2/34). Toongabbie 95 (G McIlroy 35, R Hyland 3/13, D Coulthard 2/12) lost toYarram & District 5/96 (S Rendell 33, J Collins 20, H Broad 3/18). Gormandale 7/183 (A Heard 49, D Smith 32, N Heard 27, B Peavey 21, H Rai 3/19, L Little 2/31) defeated Rovers 178 (L Little 36, S Sbaglia 34, H Rai 30, R Martin 26, G Bramwell 20no, B Peavey 4/51, D Smith 2/20, S Gamble 2/46). Ex Students bye.

C GRADE - ROUND 7

Imperials 178 (R Burgess 66no, J Kurrle 39, S Saju 4/21, A Hodson 3/13) defeated Glengarry 57 (G Walker 6/24). Toongabbie 49 (S Becker 4/11, P Hyland 2/10, M Cleary 2/11, J Thomas 2/15) lost to Yarram & District 5/53 (J Dunkley 43no, P Anton 3/19). Gormandale 8/143 (J Kendall 50, O Turnbull 23, B Rust 2/18) defeated Rovers 83 (S Sharma 20, J Cunico 3/1, J Twomey 2/28). Ex Students bye.

Gippsland Cup attracts soccer aces

SOCCER

By LIAM DURKIN

LOCAL soccer fans will be spoilt for choice when the inaugural Gippsland Cup makes its way to the region later this month. The tournament will see senior and Under-21 teams from National Premier League club Eastern Lions battle it out against a representative team from the Latrobe Valley Soccer League, Melbourne Victory (NPL 3) and Mornington Soccer Club (State 1). Eastern Lions has instigated the cup in the hopes of forming a strong partnership with the Latrobe Valley in bringing high quality soccer to the region. With the NPL just one tier below A League, players in the LVSL team will have the opportunity to get a first-hand look at those who have made it to higher levels. Starting on Australia Day, the three-day soccer extravaganza will see matches initially played at Eastern Lions home ground in Burwood, before moving to matches at Traralgon City Soccer Club and Latrobe City Sports and Entertainment Stadium, Morwell. LVSL president Allan Roberts said the league was excited to offer its senior players a representative squad that has been sorely missed at league level. “This tournament is a great opportunity to promote our game leading into the start of our season, and also on the back of the last two seasons that we have missed,” he said. “We’re excited to partner with Eastern Lions Soccer Club and bring NPL football to Gippsland and allow the Gippsland soccer community to see football at a higher level. “We’re seeing it (the Gippsland Cup) as a great opportunity to kick-start the league again, kick-start the sport in Gippsland and start building a partnership moving forward. “It is challenging times coming back from the last two seasons but the more promotion we can put around the sport to bring kids and senior players back the better. “We hope that this is a start of a productive working relationship between our league and Eastern Lions.” The Gippsland Cup will provide the LVSL team with a great opportunity to see how they stack up against NPL players - something Roberts said was enticing. “It will be an interesting challenge for our boys, we haven’t done a lot of senior rep in the last couple of years so to give the players an opportunity in The Valley to play against quality opposition will be great,” he said. “We’re hoping this is going to be the starting point again of senior rep football in Gippsland. Football Victoria has made a commitment that they are looking at bringing back senior rep teams for regional Victoria so this is just a perfect opportunity to bring some players together.” Eastern Lions is sure to provide strong competition for the local side, as it looks to make further waves as an NPL club. Huge coup: The inaugural Gippsland Cup will be held later this month, and see a Latrobe Valley Soccer League representative team play matches against Eastern Lions, Melbourne Victory and Mornington. Pictured are Melbourne Victory’s Jackson Lino, LVSL’s Connor O’Hanlon and Eastern Lions captain Ziggy Razuki. photographs liam durkin

Prize: The 2022 Gippsland Cup. The Lions gained promotion to the NPL’s top flight for the first time in its 58-year history at the end of 2019 after winning the Victoria 2 East title. Lions skipper Ziggy Razuki said the club was looking forward to making the trip down. “It is a really exciting initiative, any time we get to go on a bit of a trip and play football in different areas is really cool … it is going to be super exciting to be in Gippsland,” he said. “It is always a massive bit of team bonding to go away together and to do it out here playing three games in five days against quality opposition against players we know nothing about is going to be awesome from a social, practical and tactical perspective.” As Razuki explained, the benefits of the tournament could go hand-in-hand in helping identify players that could attract some interest to come and try out for the Lions. “I think it is one of the greatest things we are doing with things like this - sometimes you just don’t know that players are out there,” he said. “Before I moved to Eastern Lions I was playing six leagues below just because I was enjoying it, having fun, and then got the opportunity to come through and now I’ve been here nine years … sometimes it is just being in the right place-right time.” Taking on naming rights sponsorship for the Gippsland Cup will be AGL Loy Yang. AGL Loy Yang general manager Christo van Niekerk said the company was proud to support the tournament, which will support the growth of soccer across Gippsland. “Our region is a passionate sporting community and I have no doubt the AGL Loy Yang Gippsland Cup will set the stage for new incredible talent this year,” van Niekerk said. “After a challenging two years in community sport across the state, we know how important these events are in bringing together our community and supporting the growth of sport in our region. “Community sport is more than just a competition between players - it brings a sense of belonging with volunteers, athletes, coaches, families and fans all part of the action. “We know there will be plenty of people cheering on the sidelines and helping to enable new pathways for our next generation of football stars. “I want to congratulate the Eastern Lions on launching this tournament in the heart of Gippsland, providing important social and economic benefits to our communities.” January is well and truly the month for elite sport in Latrobe City, with the Gippsland Cup making up just one of the many codes on show. As well as soccer, the Traralgon International Junior ITF tennis tournament is currently taking place, following the recently concluded ATP Challenger and Women’s ITF. The EnergyAustralia Classic Singles hosted by Newborough Bowling Club also welcomed professional sportspeople to the area, while the Traralgon Golf Club Pro-Am is set to do the same thing. Latrobe City Mayor Kellie O’Callaghan said there was so many positives in welcoming another sporting initiative such as the Gippsland Cup. “We are really lucky, quite spoilt for choice in terms of wonderful sporting events here in Latrobe,” she said. “It is great for our local kids because they get the opportunity to see their heroes and people they aspire to be in relation to sport, it’s something we always welcome, it’s great for the community to be able to get out and about and do things. “As always, as with this event, if it wasn’t for volunteers in our local community we just wouldn’t be able to do it, so we are really grateful for all the support they give us.” The Gippsland Cup will start Wednesday, January 26, with the first local match to be played the following night at Traralgon City Soccer Club.

Gippsland Cup Tournament Schedule

Round 1,Wednesday, January 26. Venue: Gardiner Reserve, Burwood. Fixture 1: Eastern Lions v Melbourne Victory (3pm) Fixture 2: Mornington v Latrobe Valley Soccer League (5.30pm) Round 2, Friday, January 28. Venue: Traralgon City Soccer Club. Fixture 1: LVSL v Melbourne Victory (6pm) Fixture 2: Eastern Lions v Mornington (8pm) Round 3, Saturday, January 29. Venue: Latrobe City Sports and Entertainment Stadium. Fixture 1: Eastern Lions v LVSL (1pm) Fixture 2: Melbourne Victory v Mornington (4.30pm)