MORNINGTON NEWS
scoreboard
Big batting Baxter: Baxter’s 272 runs looks like an impossible task for Mt Eliza. Picture: Rab Siddhi
Baxter can taste flag glory PROVINCIAL By IT Gully BAXTER are just two wickets away from MPCA Provincial premiership glory against Mt Eliza. The Mounties were still 100 runs short of the Baxter total of 272 at stumps on Sunday. They will head back to Tyabb this Saturday in the hope that Tim Clark (37no) will carry them to the promise land. It is highly unlikely though. Baxter are on the verge of winning their fourth flag in less than 10 years – a sensational performance from the club.
On Saturday night at the end of the first day, Baxter had left themselves in a commanding position, batting for the entire day and finishing at 6/223. Dale Irving was set at the crease, unbeaten on 35 after hitting four boundaries and two sixes, while Ben Brittain was still yet to get off the mark. On Sunday, Irving went on to make 47 and Brittain contributed 25, helping Baxter to a strong total. Earlier on day one, openers Joe Rule and skipper Daniel Warwick set up the win for Baxter in the opening session.
Despite having 113 overs to play with, Baxter came out with intent and attacked the Mt Eliza bowlers. Warwick went after the bowling and the pair put on a 98-run opening partnership with Warwick the first wicket to fall for 57 of 91 balls in the 29th over. Chris Brittain then came to the crease and was more than content to take a back seat to Rule, who opened the shoulders and started to let fly. Baxter went to tea on the opening day at 1/150 with Rule not out 78 off 104 balls. However, Rule was caught
behind off Justin Grant off the first ball after the tea break. From that point, Mt Eliza were able to slow down the scoring and pick up some key wickets to give themselves a chance at the end of the first day. Despite not doing a lot of training through the week due to injury, Shaun Knott still bowled 22 overs and finished the first day with 1/47. He finished with 1/58 from 30 overs. Nick Baron was the pick of the bowlers, however, snatching 3/75 from 30-plus overs, while Justin Grant snared 3/48.
The Mounties needed to occupy the crease for 45 minutes before tea on the second day. They couldn’t afford to lose a wicket. However, Dale Irving snared 2/5 from his first six overs and Ben Brittain picked up 1/4 to have the Mounties 3/22 at tea. When Justin Grand and Tim Strickland went, it was 5/81 from 23 overs. Lyle House (40) and Russell Fulton (20) offered some nice resistance and Shaun Knott contributed 25, while Clarke was unbeaten on 37 at stumps.
Parkers in strong position in District DISTRICT By IT Gully DELACOMBE Park are in a winning strong position in the MPCA District premiership against Red Hill. The Hillmen, the best team in the competition all season, still need more than 230 runs with just seven wickets in hand against the Parkers in the final day of the match at Graydens Rd this
Saturday. With skipper Simon Dart still unbeaten at the crease, one wouldn’t be wise to write off the Hillmen just yet. However, there is no doubt that the parkers are in the box seat after Joel Malcolm finished with an unbeaten 104 and Jon Guthrie hit 94. The Parkers finished their allotted 113 overs on 8/307. Delacombe Park left themselves in
a very strong position at the end of the first day’s play. Nick Christides opened the batting with Guthrie and in typical fashion, he dominated the Red Hill bowling attack from the get-go. The Parkers got away to a flier with Christides hitting 42 of the first 53 runs scored, eventually being caught on the boundary line for 42 after crunching five fours and a six.
Matt Van Wijk played a good support role to Guthrie before being caught behind off of the bowling of Glenn Collett for 13. This brought Joel Malcolm to the crease and between he and Guthrie, they took the score along to 2/156 at the end of the days’ play. Malcolm, who scored an unbeaten 81 in the semi-final against Main Ridge, was again unbeaten at the close
of the first day on 31, while Guthrie was not out 59. They added a further 75 and 35 runs each respectively. Brent Martin bowled 25 overs on the first day for a return of 14 maidens and figures of 1/24. Collett bowled 19 overs for a return of 1/43. Jamie McCall picked up three wickets for the Hillmen on Sunday.
Mornington News 21 March 2017
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