MORNINGTON NEWS
scoreboard
Old Boys – champion effort PROVINCIAL By IT Gully PENINSULA Old Boys were crowned the best team in the MPCA on Sunday at 4.50pm when they crushed Crib Point in the Provincial Grand Final. Chasing 204 for victory, Peninsula Old Boys achieved the target with 90 overs left in the game. With Dylan O’Malley scoring 101, the Old Boys’ skipper Matt Hyden whipped a boundary in the 45th over to hand his side victory. At just 2/207, Crib Point conceded victory immediately. Brandon Lawler, who was selected ahead of Adam Galitis as an additional batsmen, was not out on 25 while Hyden was unbeaten on 36. Peninsula Old Boys set up the win in the final two overs of the first day (Saturday) of the match. Crib Point’s Neil Clark, Jack Johnson and Henry Dolphin were all removed within nine balls of one another to turn the game on its head. For 74 overs, Crib Point was in control of the match. With two overs to go, the game had flipped with the Old Boys taking 3/0 off nine balls. The Old Boys went into the second day with their noses in front. The Pies dominated for much of the first day.
Other than a couple of early swings and misses against POB quick Adam Jones early, Henry Dolphin played a patient knock and got within 20 runs of a century before he was out. The Old Boys’ attack lacked their usual zip in the first session of play, which saw the Magpies reach 1/87 at the tea break. Rob Hearn made 19 and when he fell, the Pies were okay at 1/40 off 23 at that stage. Four dropped catches on the opening day made life frustrating for the POB bowlers with Dylan O’Malley grassing a chance off Jones in the final overs of the day. He injured his finger in the process. However, history will show that Dylan responded with a matchwinning knock, while his bowlers responded with three wickets in the final overs of the day. Crib Point may have finished the season on top of the ladder, however, the Old Boys were always the team to beat. The best sides always deserve to take the title and on most occasions the cream rises to top. In this instance, that’s exactly what happened. Once again, the Old Boys were crowned the Kings of the competition.
Picture: Andrew Hurst
Panthers in box seat to win DISTRICT
By IT Gully PEARCEDALE will head into the third day of the MPCA District grand final with their noses well and truly in front after coach Chris Dew scored an unbeaten 159 against Flinders. After more than 140 overs in the opening two days, Pearcedale is in the box seat after bowling 40 overs to Flinders on the second day and having them 2/37 overnight. Not only did Dew score 159, when he gave only two small chances, he was almost the man to take Flinders’ first two wickets. Dew and Shane Maggs put Pearcedale into a wonderful position for victory after the opening day. The Panthers won the all-important grand final toss and went into bat. However, Matt Cousland was sent packing for a duck and Mitch Andrew followed three runs later and Flinders had the opposition on the ropes at 2/3. However, Brad Trotter (24) was joined at the crease by Dew and together they were able get the Panthers going again. With the score at 3/51, Maggs joined Dew at the crease. They were able to take the score to 4/146 before Maggs fell victim to Dwayne Field in the final over of the first day. Chris Dew remained at the crease, not out on 82. The Sharks used seven bowlers on the first day, Field having the biggest impact with 2/16, despite bowling just seven overs. Shane Beggs had 1/17 off 10 after the opening day. Field finished with four wickets. With the likes of Anthony
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Picture: Andrew Hurst McLaughlin at the crease and Max Blackburn, Shayne Gillings and Kaine Smith to come on day two, the Panthers would have been confident of setting a big target. Pearcedale president Andrew Williams said the knock of his skipper
Mornington News 15 March 2016
was “magnificent”. “What a time to get it. Our backs were to the wall and Chris brought his best. “It was a worry when he came to the crease at 2/3 but he took charge and at that stage it could no have been in
better hands. Flinders coach Clint Munday said Dew was superb. “We were in a good position early but Chris came out and played one of the best innings you will see. We had one small chance but that was about
it – he just didn’t give us another one,” Munday said. “The key for us was to hold onto as many wickets as we could and have a red hot go in the third day. We think we’re in with a great chance and we’ll give it a real crack,” Munday said.