At the halfway mark of the Season, Mountain Gate has a solid representation across all squads to end 2024
In the Seniors, the Men’s 1st XI have logged the first win of the season against Gembrook, with early fixtures being key to securing a finals appearance, whilst in the 2nd and 3rd XI, both teams find themselves well within the Top 4 following convincing runs of form up the ladder
The Women’s program continues to produce performances, with the 1st XI looking to bankroll into finals on their upcoming matches, whilst a historic final day for the Gator Knights, registering their first win of the season and now sitting a game outside the Top 4
Following last season’s successes, the Veterans snuck into the Top 4 ahead of the break with a massive win over Aura Vale assisting the Gators in their quest towards back-to-back finals appearances - albeit in different grades!
The Junior program continues to see great success, with the Under 14 Gator Knights topping the ladder, whilst the Under 16s find themselves in 4th place and will look towards recapturing the early season results which put them well ahead of the pack.
GATOR SNAPS
Shades on, phones on! Our VP Lyndon making the calls and making the calls
Lieversz discovers that a picture can say a thousand words, and that word is ouch!!
The sheer look of terror when th umpires call for drinks in 2 overs
Jimmy loves scoring runs, but not nearly as much as demolishing a salad roll!
Mark
Available to players and supporters, a $200 up-front payment gets you Social Membership and valuable discounts throughout the season.
Members will receive a 200 Club Stubby Holder which entitles you to $1 off all drinks at the bar and discounted functions as well as entry in exclusive member only raffles
Season 24/25 discounted functions are:
-Free Entry to Season Launch Comedy Night (Save $30) -Half price entry to iPod Shuffle and Triva Night (Save $25)
Other discounts offered at discretion of the Club
GATORSGOGIGANTIC AGAINSTGEMBROOK
Mountain Gate 1st XI sung the song for the first time of the campaign after a massive win against Gembrook in Round 7
Batting first against the Brookers, it was Shoaib Sobhan and James Dekel putting the pressure on the board after an early wicket, the duo putting on 138 runs for the second wicket before Sobhan was cruelly denied a half century on 48, the score 2-144.
Dekel continued with Wayne Davidson at the crease, with the latter reaching 25 from 26 before departing with the score 4/224.
But it was Dekel’s Day yet again as he notched up his third century prior to Christmas, with 169 run from 191 balls being his highest score since arriving at HV Jones The epic innings involved 12 fours and 2 massive sixes and left the visitors in full control at 5/270 with overs to come
Graduates of the Gators junior program over the years got starts in the latter overs, with Brodie Wise (18 from 35 balls), Josh Hardman (14 from 34 balls) and skipper Kevin Atacador (19 from 25 balls) all helping to push the score along Ultimately, the visiting Gators would reach 9/316 from their allotted overs
Day 2 saw near perfect conditions, as Brady Hunt claimed an edge in the 3rd over It would be another 12 overs before the next breakthrough, with Luke Bakker delivering at 2/81
The Brookers formed a partnership to forward ahead however the chase was turned on it’s head - literally - by Cooper Gwynne, who prompted a collapse of 4/6 in tandem with Josh Hardman to firmly place one hand on the win.
Hunt returned back into the attack and made quickfire work of concluding the innings at 148 as the Gators sang the song for the first time in 2024.
Gwynne continued his purple patch, pick of the bowling with 3/11 from 14 overs (including 7 maidens), whilst it was a class performance at the top from Brady Hunt, 3/34 from 105 overs
Round 8 saw the final match of 2024 against a Knox Boronia outfit hungry for a result at Millers Reserve The Gators elected to bat first however would instantly regret that decision slumping to 2/11 The prospects didn’t get much better as wickets fell on a frequent basis Brodie Wise (17 from 36 balls) provided some resistance, however the damage was well and truly done as the Gators reached just 76 in the 39th over
Defending a low target against a top team, the Gators were well against it early as the Burras set out for an increased Net Run Rate Luke Bakker was the one who broke through, claiming 2/18 from 42 overs as the hosts reached 2/77 in 142 overs
The results see the Gators sitting in 4th place on the ladder, some 9 points clear of their next opponents in Gembrook The squad will enjoy the break off, receiving a bye for the Saturday Round 9 fixture before hosting the Brookers again on Sunday 12th January.
A win will go a long way for the Gators towards securing a lucrative finals placing, with the top teams still within striking distance.
He’s done it again! James Dekel scored his third century of the season prior to Christmas against Gembrook Shah was also on the attack, reaching 48 against Gembrook
Mountain Gate 2nd XI are sitting entrenched firmly within the top 4 at Christmas, following consecutive wins over St Johns Tecoma and Knox Gardens.
With a 3-week stint playing out of HV, the Gators began with an arm wrestle against the Saints It was hard going with the ball in hand, as the visitors steadily built up a score despite a stead flow of wickets
Eraj Wimalaratna and Tim Wise put in workhorselike efforts to help sway the match towards the hosts - Wimalaratna claiming 3/23 from 18 overs including 10 maidens Whilst down the other end, Wise put in a superb effort to claim 5/67 from 31 overs
Pamir Hussaini (1/38 from 12 overs) and Dulana Karunachandra (1/29 from 9 overs) claimed the remaining wickets to hold the Saints to 193
In reply, Lachlan Barton reached a patient halfcentury, with Dale Kline (22 from 38 balls), Justin Wise (22 from 72 balls) and Jeff Hunt (29 from 43 balls) supporting to claim a 2-wicket win at 8/195
Lachlan Barton took his chance at the top of the order against the Saints, reaching 55
The final match of 2024 saw Knox Gardens come to HV Jones. With the Gators electing to bat first, it was borderline with the score at 2/25 early on. However Dale Kline paired up with Pamir Hussaini at the crease as the pair put on 119 runs for the 3rd wicket Kline providing a glimpse of his talents, scoring his first half-century since his return with 53 from 65 balls, including 6 fours
Hussaini continued on, with his powerful hitting a feature of the time spent at the crease as he reached a century, eventually dismissed for 105 from 101 balls which included 6 fours and 3 sixes
The push for runs continued, with Ben Ogley (11 from 12 balls) and Justin Wise (26 from 31 balls) affecting the scoreboard as the Gators reached 6/244 at the break
The Falcons set out in chase with good intent, reaching 0/50 before Ben Ogley (1/41 from 8 overs) broke through Again the Falcons rebuilt in a tight match - behind the run rate however with wickets in hand
Dulana Karunachandra (2/30 from 7 overs) not only turned the Kookaburra but turned the tide of the match with 2 quick wickets, before Eraj Wimalaratna (2/18 from 7 overs) continued to ask the questions of the visitors in the latter overs.
Ultimately, it would be 2 from 2 for the Gators as the Falcons walked off at 5/165 after 40 overs.
The Gators now find themselves clear within the Top 4, as attention turns to matches against South Belgrave at South Belgrave on 11th January.
Pamir Hussaini reached triple figures against the Falcons, his highest score for the Gators
RETURNOFTHEMAC GIVESGATORSUPPER HANDOVERMAGPIES
The action in Community 4 is beginning to heat up as the Gators fall in a narrow match against St Johns Tecoma, before defeating the ladder-leading Belgrave
Round 6 saw the Saints sent the Gators to the crease, with Mark Lieversz leading the charge with the willow reaching 45 from 82 deliveries In support, patient innings from Aldred David (32 from 54 balls), Nathan Giulieri (20 not out from 61 balls) and Ethan Williams (17 from 44 balls) helped steer the hosts to a competitive 9/167 after 70 overs were in the books
Matthew Carter continues to terrorise top orders, claiming 2/17 from 14 overs of pace, however the highlight of his innings was Bailey DeHaan, claiming an impressive 4/30 from 14 overs. Tom Button (1/20 from 4 overs) and Doug Barton (1/25 from 12 overs) claimed the other wickets, however the Saints held strong to bring up the winning runs at the 58th over.
The Gators were looking to bounce back in Round 7 against Belgrave. Taking to the crease first, it was a series of contributions that helped the hosts on their way, with Ash Pensa (24 from 42 balls) working in tandem with Ryan Stapleton, who reached 52 from 54 balls to be 3/95
Mark Lieversz (19 from 29 balls), Mac Cunningham (26 from 24 balls) and Tom Button (22 from 19 balls) helped the Gators to close out the innings strongly, posting 6/172 from the 35 overs
In reply, the Magpies experienced the Matt Carter (1/14 from 7 overs) express train early on to be 1/7 The visitors began to rebuild however Doug Barton (2/36 from 64 overs) broke through with the ball
Ryan Stapleton managed to get through 2 overs unscathed, claiming 2/12 in his first overs of the season returning from injury.
However the performance of the afternoon was firmly with Mac Cunningham, who was near-on unplayable from his 7 overs, claiming an astonishing 5/12.
The Magpies batted through however with the escalating run rate, the match was done as a contest before ending with the final wicket falling for 113 in the 31st over
The results leave the Gators well placed at the conclusion of 2024 for a push towards finals, as the mixture of youth and experience are holding their own against the more established teams within the competition
Mountain Gate return to play on the 18th January in a one-day match against fellow finalsaspirants Knoxfield, with the match continuing the run of matches played out of Windermere Reserve
Couldn’t wipe the smile off Mac Cunningham on Saturday, claiming 5/12 in a big win!
Ryan Stapleton is proving to have found his feet, notching up a half century
The Women’s 1st XI will be hoping Santa brought a change of luck for Christmas after the final 2 matches of 2024 ended with defeats against Lusatia Park and Warranwood.
Rounds 9 and 10 are in the books for the Gators, however not much joy was found against the Tigers. Batting first, it was disaster on ball one, with things not getting much better to be 4/16. Molly McCoy managed to stand up in the middle order, with a patient 12 from 23 balls before falling at 6/32.
Meanwhile, Firooza Afghan - playing in her first match of the season after Premier Grade appearances for Dandenong - took the game on, hitting 4 fours on her way to reaching 24 from 28 balls as the Gators were dismissed for 86 in the 25th over
Whilst the batting left some important runs out in the middle, it was definitely a day for the bowlers as the hosts made a quick start to 1/27 before the Gators claimed the next 6/19 to bring themselves right back into the game at 7/46 However, the Tiger batting lineup managed to piece together a partnership at the right time to guide him the points at 8/88 in the 30th over
Firooza Aghan lead the attack taking 3/14 from her 7 overs, whilst elsewhere Miki Giulieri took 2/7 from 4 overs Mel Button (1/9 from 4 overs) and Miah Beardshaw (1/16 from 23 overs) were the other wicket-takers in a tight affair
Round 10 saw the Gators host the ladder-leading Warranwood at HV Jones, and it was the Sharks showing why they are on top. Being sent in by the hosts, the visitors took their chances on the pitch over the 20 overs, scoring at better than a run-a-ball whilst the Gators continued to search for wickets.
Sandra Tidey broke the deadlock in the second half of the innings with 2/15 from 4 overs being the pick of the attack, before Miki Giulieri also joined in claiming 1/32 from 3 overs.
would end up at 3/128
20
That task grew harder with wickets falling early and consistently, with the hosts reeling at 5/16 early on, which proved a task too far. Managing to bat out most of the overs, the Gators were eventually dismissed for 55, with Caryss McCulloch (11 from 20 balls) and Miah Beardshaw (10 from 18 balls) the main contributors to the scoreboard
Mountain Gate now sits in 7th - albeit 15 points off finals with 6 rounds to play - ahead of their Round 11 match away against Montrose on 12th January at Montrose Reserve
The match against Warranwood was Henriette Korff’s final match for the Gators before moving interstate
Caryss McCulloch got amongst the runs against Warranwood
The Sharks
after the
overs, leaving the Gators with a sizable task to chase down a final win for 2024.
CHRISTMASCOMES EARLYASGATOR KNIGHTSONTHEBOARD
Santa delivered an early Christmas present to Gator Knights, with the squad claiming it’s firs of the campaign over South Belgrave at Carrin Reserve.
The signs were good early on, with the visitors losing a wicket on the very first ball to be 1/0 th to Maddi Southam (1/15 from 3 overs), however South then dug deep to restore a partnership, putting on 73 runs.
Ashlea Foster (1/9 from 4 overs) broke through the 12th over to have the score 2/73, before Em Williams (1/16 from 2 overs) claimed a wicket a overs after South Belgrave then pressed on through the remaining overs, reaching 3/105 fr their 20 overs
Starting the chase towards an achievable targ the Gator Knights put the momentum from pa weeks to good use as Krishna Varsani and Maddi Southam batted with intent early Varsani was the first to fall for 10 from 30 balls as the scoreboard read 1/26 in the 8th over
Vanessa Lindner joined Southam at the crease, and the duo continued to score runs and rotate the strike as the remaining runs continued to be whittled down Lindner was the next wicket to fall, having scored 10 from 26 balls
Next up was Molly McCoy, who alongside Southam managed to produce a number of boundaries at the right time to bring home the points with 7 balls to spare - McCoy scored 13 from 11 balls, whilst Southam carried the bat through for a run-a-ball 41 not out.
The win is just rewards for a squad who continue to develop every time they take to the field, and will provide a continued push towards results ahead of their next matchup against Upwey Tecoma at Upwey on Sunday 19th January.
Ash Foster was amongst the wickets against South, claiming 1/9 from 4 overs
Maddi Southam was the mainstay of the Gator Knight innings, hitting an unbeaten 41 from 41 balls in the win
FTGDCA Women A Grade
JOHNSON PARK
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With the 35th over commenced, the Gators ended at 8/243, with no less than 5 batsmen recording run rates above 100
Asking a run-rate of over 7 from the first ball, the Gator bowlers went to work however found it equally as difficult to secure wickets
Tim Wise again proved to be the pick of the attack, claiming 2/38 from his 6 overs, whilst single-wicket efforts from Doug Barton (1/15 from 6 overs) and Justin Wise (1/32 from 6 overs) in economical returns also added the pressure against the chase.
The hosts were unable to reach the required rate, ultimately ending the day at 6/186 from 36 overs with the Gators 57-run victors.
The win keeps the Gators within the Top 4, with just 3 points separating first to 5th in one of the tightest grades in the FTGDCA at present The Gators will next face fellow top-4 side Eildon Park at HV Jones on 19th January in what will shape up to be a crucial matchup
Tim Wise was undefeated against the Lakers, registering 40 not out from just 24 balls
Bert goes Bang!! Bert Pearce retired not out on 42 from 21 balls, including 4 fours and 3 sixes
SPONSOR
FOR 24/25
ROAMING16'S
Since Coop has now developed some skills for putting a spin on things, so too have the team at HV Jones!
Lucas and Mark - like any inquisitive teenagershave asked the question: “If Coops can do this, how hard can it really be?”
And the answer is “Not very”. So picking up the mic and terrorizing the final training sessions of 2024 was the task at hand for our junior journalists!
Just like many others within the media world, it all starts by roaming for the news.
BT roams players changerooms wondering what their favourite training drill is after a 3 hour footy match
Lucas and Mark are our version. The Roaming 16s!
Mountain Gate Cricket Club endorses the new Victorian Cricket Integrity Policies and procedures as follows:
1 2024 Member Protection Policy; and 2 2024 Complaints and Resolution Policy together with re-endorsing Australian Cricket’s Child Safeguarding Framework policies: 3 Commitment Statement; 4 Looking after our Kids Code of Behaviour; and 5 Policy for Safeguarding Children and Young People
Time to update the wardrobe? Want to wear the most fashionable designs this season? We’ve got you covered
Mountain Gate Cricket Club have teamed up with Sporting Fine Art to offer the most complete range of Gators apparel
Whether rolling the arm over on a Thursday, scoring One Day half centuries in one day matches or centuries in two day matches, look the part whilst you represent!
And it’s simple to order: Visit the Club Portal, select your items, pay and it’s on its way
GATORPONG-18JANUARY
It’s on like Donkey Kong - it’s Gator Pong!!
A socially friendly spin on a classic will see team-mates become foes for the evening on Saturday January 18th from 7:30pm at HV Jones as bragging rights are on the line in this knock-out competition that tests the accuracy and ability to remain calm under pressure!
Once you have your pairing, please message Cooper Gwynne and make payment arrangements to the Club. Entry cost is $25 per person.
Finger food will be provided with teams of 2 encouraged to dress up in team costumes
Who will prevail??
Saturday18thofJan,7:30pm
JUNIORGATOR KNIGHTSSETUPWELL FORFINALSPUSH
Both Under 14s and Under 16s remain well placed at the break for a campaign to extend into March, with the Under 14s sitting clear on the ladder whilst the Under 16s will look to recapture early season form.
Round 6 saw the Gator Knights take on fellow finals aspirants Rowville Bowling first, the visitors were potent with the ball, with Nakoa Beswick the pick of the attack with 3/3 from just 2 overs, with Daniel Stapleton (2/14 from 4 overs) and Matthew Buras (2/6 from 3 overs) the other multiple wicket takers, restricting the Hawks to 95 In reply, the Gator Knights - lead by Oliver Wright (24*) and Mason Lijnders (27*) - passed the target, reaching 9/136
Round 7 was a return fixture against Upper FTG Bowling first, the Gator Knights shared wickets around, whilst Daniel Stapleton scored himself 2 run outs to leave the Kings at 6/93 from their 20 overs. In reply, the hosts could do no wrong on their way to the points, with Wright (28 ret out) and Lijnders (26 ret out) combining again towards the 3/119 target
Meanwhile, it was mixed results for the Under 16shumbled by Johnson Park in Round 6 before bouncing back against Emerald.
The Sharks were on a different level as they powered their way towards 7/236 from 50 overs, with the wickets shared around - Dev Gupta the pick of the attack claiming 1/22 from 9 overs.
In reply, the Gator Knights were unable to match the scoring rate of the hosts, as Jayden Lavendar (33 not out) and Mikaela Giulieri (28) leading the visitors towards 130
Meanwhile it was a return to winning ways prior to the break as the Gator Knights accounted for Emerald at HV Jones.
Mark Stapleton (2/12 from 4 overs) lead the attack with the ball, restricting the visitors to 7/87, before Dev Gupta continued his form retiring 52 not out from 40 balls as the Gator Knights reached 6/107 securing the win
Junior fixtures resume in mid-January, with the Under 14s hosting Belgrave on 24th January, whilst the Under 16s take on Olinda up the hill on Saturday 25th January
