Mountain Gate continue to have a presence at the business end of the season, as individuals continue to put their hands up for the Gators
The 1st XI have continued on their giant-killing spree, this time accounting for Knox Boronia James Dekel reaching his 4th century on Day one, before coming back to claim 3 wickets apiece with Brady Hunt infront of a large Gator crowd helped find form.
The 2nd XI are keeping the pressure on the pack, remaining within a win of a second straight finals appearance, whilst the 3rd XI sit atop the ladder in a tight pack.
The women’s 1st XI finally were able to complete a match after weeks of rain and heat, and were able to post a win on the back of a Miah Beardshaw half century. Meanwhile, the Gator Knights went to Olinda for a competitive match as the group continues to gel.
The Veterans have secured a Semi Final place against Eildon Park after a win-and-in match against Upper FTG The Lieversz brothers were influential - Richard claiming the wickets with Mark scoring the runs
Gators Knights are well represented in the juniors also, with the Under 14s clear on the ladder, whilst the Under 16s are in a logjam of clubs seeking to play finals in March
AWORDFROMPREZ: CHOP CUNNINGHAM
Hi Gators
We’re starting to see the finish line of Season 2024/25 now, and we’ve got plenty of great things happening at the swamp to celebrate.
Onfield, a number of our teams are looking towards finals including the 1st XI after back-toback victories over Olinda and Knox Boronia JD continues to do JD things, whether that’s taking 7 wickets at Olinda or scoring his 4th century for the season.
The 2nd XI continue to push for finals in their first year up and are well in the fight, whilst the 3rd XI sit atop the ladder with plenty of scores of note
The women’s teams continue to conclude their seasons after a horror run of luck with weather, whilst the Veterans have booked their ticket, facing Eildon Park in the Semi Final
COACH’SCORNER
ShaunNugara
The energy around the club has been outstanding! The Swamp continues to be a fantastic place to train and play, and it’s been incredible to see the dedication and effort from all our players.
Our batsmen have been putting in the hard work at training on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and it’s showing on game day They have been valuing their wickets, making life difficult for the bowlers, and
In contention with the Under 14s and Under 16s well placed on the ladder
The Adrian Feeney B&F Vote Count night will be a wonderful celebration of the year as we crown the Best and Fairests within the Club.
Gator on!
Chop
ensuring solid performances at the crease Meanwhile, our bowlers have been equally impressive, consistently hitting the right areas and working in tandem to build pressure and take crucial wickets
It has been extremely rewarding to see the club in such a fantastic position both on and off the field. Our Second XI has a crucial match ahead against Olinda in their hunt for finals, and The Third XI has been gaining momentum in recent weeks at the top of the table A special mention goes to ‘Big Virg’ Brady Pensa for his outstanding all-round performances.
Back-to-back victories for our First XI against Olinda and Knox Boronia have secured our place in finals JD sets the example with both bat and ball, and it’s been great to see contributions from across the team. The match at HV against Knox Boronia was particularly special, with strong support from past players creating an electric atmosphere It was truly one of the most memorable wins I’ve been a part of, with every player stepping up in the field and bringing the energy
I firmly believe we are hitting our stride at the right time, and we will carry this momentum into the postseason Let’s finish the season strong, They not like us!
Round 11 saw us play against Olinda at their ground. We knew we were up for a battle, so won the toss and chose to bat first
We looked very promising off to a great start losing our first wicket at 100 Dale Kline in his first game in 1XI this season scored 46 off 87 with his partner Shah chipping in with 36 off 92.
Losing constant wickets did not help build a batting partnership where we ended getting bowled out for 202 Overnight saw us bowl a couple overs but did not get a wicket
Week two, the boys knew we had to fight hard, and that we did! Jimmy started with the bowling, ended up bowling from one end and finished with 7/53 off 244overs Boof has a day out with five catches behind the stumps We ended up bowling them out for 132
One of the highlights after winning, was that the 1XI walked across the oval to support the 3XI who also ended bring the win home! This is true to our culture supporting everyone.
Round 12 saw us host Knox Boronia, where on a hot day I won the toss and chose to bat first Our score ended up being 231 where the highlight was Jimmy scoring another century finishing on 127 off 183 on a scorching hot day. Well supported by Dale Kline at the
CAPTAINGA
GabbyGiulieri
Hey besties!
CAPTAINKEV
KevinAtacador
top of the order and Shaun battling hard with 20 in the middle period of the game helped build a great score to defend
This whole season I have been telling the guys, bowling partnerships is key to helping bowl a side out, and this game saw us do that well Brady Hunt bowled 20 overs 3/71 which was well supported by James Dekel with 3/47 off 18
In a nail biting finish, the boys stood tall and we bowled them out for 221 winning by 10 runs. In the change rooms, we sang the song loud and proud and each of us believes we are building something special
Winning two games in a row has secured us finals, now it is about being consistent I want to mention the club is in a great position where the 2XI are a great chance, 3XI locked in finals and also the 4XI.
Crazy that the season is nearly over already!?
We had a rough middle part of the season with plenty of washouts and even being heated off a few times, which unfortunately interrupted our season
We have finished the season off strong with a few wins on the board, most recently knocking over a finals bound Heatherdale side!
We have had plenty of stand out performers towards the back end of the season including a maiden club 50 for Miah, a 4-fa for Humaira and a career high 33* for Miki!
Although both teams aren’t making finals this season, our ladies program continues to grow and most importantly, we had plenty of fun!
A big thank you for everyone’s support this season, both at training and on game days, it doesn’t go unnoticed
And most importantly, a massive thanks to JD, Foss, Boof and Brodie for helping coach our ladies’ sides You guys are superstars, and we appreciate you!!
Best of luck to our Gator sides playing finals and bring on next season!
Lots of love, Gabs
GATORSSOAROVER BURRASTOSECUREFINALS
Mountain Gate have secured their second scalp in as many matches after a gritty 10-run win over Knox Boronia
Winning the toss on day 1, the Gators took to the crease and - despite an early wicket - paired well with Dale Kline and James Dekel continuing their run of form Kline was forces from the field, and with Wayne Davidson (10 from 26) on his way, the scoreboard read 2/66 in the 26th over
Dekel paired with Shaun Nugara, with the duo putting on 66 runs through the middle overs before Nugara was caught for 20 from 68 balls
Kline returned to the crease, continuing on in the heat before his dismissal for 34 saw the score at 6/161.
inued his stay at the crease, pushing past 200 with his 4th century of the entually dismissed for 127 from 183 ding 11 fours Dekel has now scored t an average of 7125
continued to rally, pushing on e lower order to be dismissed for 231 s remaining on day 1
on the board, the Gator bowlers were challenge, with Brady Hunt breaking st in the 9th over to be 1/ A runout in er, followed by a Kevin Atacador he 18th over saw the Burras at 3/61 in restle of a contest.
As a raucous Gator crowd built up across the day, Atacador struck again in the 44th over, and when James Dekel exposed the middle order at 5/183, the Gators could sense a swing in momentum towards the home side.
Wickets then fell at frequent intervals, with Dekel and Hunt continuing the assault with the ball However the visitors were not done yet, with the scores ticking ever so closer towards the target
With just 10 runs in hand, the Gators threw the ball to Brodie Wise to bowl the 77th over, who sent the bails flying with just his 3rd ball to end the match with Knox Boronia all out for 221
James Dekel was the pick of the attack with 3/47 from 18 overs, including 4 maidens Brady Hunt bowled equally as well, claiming 3/71 from 20 overs, whilst Kevin Atacador sent down 21 overs to claim 2/35, which included 5 maidens
The result sees the Gators all but secure 4th place on the ladder, with only mathematically extreme results denying the Gators a finals berth Equally, the recent wins over Olinda and Knox Boronia have thrown the finals positions wide open, with the Gators a mathematical chance of as high as second
The next assignment comes against Scoresby at Scoresby Rec Reserve in what could be a key match should the Gators progress higher, before a make-up match against Gembrook will finish off the Seasons home and away matches.
Can hardly do no wrong! James Dekel brings up century number 4 of the year in a Gutsy win over the Burras
Brady Hunt was a big part of the bowling effort, claiming 3/71 from 20 overs
Alan
ALLTOPLAYFORASPIES SWOOPONGATORS
Mountain Gate 2nd XI remain in the hunt for a finals berth in De Coite Shield Reserve despite a 4-wicket loss to Belgrave.
Batting first, Ash Pensa took the reigns at the top of the order, pairing with Taylor Jones for a secondwicket partnership before the latter was dismissed for 27 from 50 balls - including 4 fours - with the score 2/68
Pensa soon followed for 25 following a 78-ball stay at the crease Tim Wise reached 16 at a run-a-ball rate as the Gators were 4 down with the scorecard ticking over into triple figures
Ben Ogley continues his run of form, going better than a run a ball
The middle order saw some more starts, with Jeff Hunt (16 from 28 balls) being at the crease as Ben Ogley’s form continued Ogley ended as the top scorer, reaching an aggressive 29 from just 23 balls, with 20 runs coming from boundaries to be 6/153
Further down, Eraj Wimalaratna proved a solid anchor further down the order, scoring a patient 15 from 60 balls as the Gators ultimately were dismissed for 195
In reply, an early Ben Ogley wicket was soon a distant memory as the hosts went on a 91-run partnership, ultimately broken by Cooper Gwynne with the score 2/98.
Another partnership formed, however Eraj Wimalaratna pulled the handbrake on the Magpie chase, claiming 4 wickets on the trot for just 7 runs to swing the momentum in the visitors’ favour with the lower order exposed
However try as the Gators may, it wasn’t to be as Belgrave reached 6/197 from 59 overs
Wimalaratna lead from the front, claiming 4/46 from 18 overs including 2 maidens Meanwhile Cooper Gwynne (1/29 from 7 overs, including 1 maiden) and Ben Ogley (1/36 from 13 overs, including 2 maidens) claimed a wicket apiece
Tim Wise toiled away in search of a wicket in reward for his efforts, sending down 17 overs to end 0/48, whilst the Magpie attack took to Dulana Karunachandra with figures of 0/30 from 4 overs
The loss creates an intense battle for the finals placings, with 6 teams fighting it out for just 2 remaining places Belgrave‘s win on the day sees the Magpies jump the Gators overall. With 12 points available,the Gators, they could potentially jump as high as third, pending other results.
and 4 wickets was a fantastic allround effort from Eraj Wimalaratna against Belgrave
The Gators will be pulling out all stops in the final two matches of the home and away season, hosting Olinda at HV before a crunch match against the second-placed
Mountain Gate have secured a finals spot after prevailing in an arm wrestle with Knoxfield at Benedikt Reserve.
The Gators sent the Knights in first and were regretting that for the first 38 overs as the Knights used experience on the small ground to reach 1/173.
However the Gator bowlers fought back, with Brady Pensa running rampant again with the ball in hand, pairing with Matthew Carter to pull the Knights to 6/228 after their rapid start on the small oval.
Ethan Williams bowled well and received a wicket for his reward, whilst a runout in the 65th over ended the Knights innings at 248
Pensa has proven to be a thorn in the side of the Knights, claiming 3/16 on debut at Windermere before claiming 4/31 from 12 overs at Benedikt to have an average of 671 against Knoxfield
Elsewhere on the card, Wickets were shared around with Matthew Carter equally boasting an enviable economy rate on the ground, with 1/8 from 7 overs Ethan Williams (1/14 from 6 overs), Bhisma Pokharel (1/16 from 35 overs) and Mackenzie Cunningham (1/46 from 11 overs) were also featured as wicket takers on the score sheet
It was a shaky start for the visitors with early wickets having the Gators at 3/40 before Ryan Stapleton went in search of another half-century to the collection this season Unfortunately Stapleton fell short, with his rapid-fire innings containing 3 fours and 3 sixes concluding at 48 from 37 balls as the scoreboard read 4/107
Tom Button reached his highest score of the season as he stood tall reaching 33 from 62 balls, including 4 foursMeanwhile down the other end, Pensa proved his all round abilities by bringing up his maiden half-century for the Gators, scoring 58 from an 84 ball stay at the crease which included 10 fours and a six.
The Knights kept claiming wickets, and a real challenge was on for the victor and a well deserved 6 points. With the score at 6/134, the match was destined to pivot either way.
Mark Lieversz partnered with Pensa to form a match-defining partnership. Lieversz was first to fall, reaching 47 from 58 balls that included 9 fours With Pensa walking off the ground shortly after, the match was still in the balance at 8/225
Mackenzie Cunningham (16 not out from 17 balls) joined Mark Stapleton (9 not out from 24 balls) to see off a last-gasp Knights challenge to seal the match, a 2-wicket win with the visitors reaching the required target at 8/251
The win continues the stay at the top of the ladder for the Gators and sees an unassailable on 5th place 2 matches prior to finals The Gators next focus will be against The Basin at Windermere, before a top-of-the-ladder matchup against St Johns Tecoma in Round 12
More runs in the books for Ryan Stapleton against Knoxfield, falling just short of another half century
High Fives all round for Brady Pensa’s all round performance, claiming 4/31 and reaching 58 against the Knights
SEASON24/25,EDITION7
GATORSRUNOFLUCK CHANGESTOFINISH SEASONSTRONGLY
Mountain Gate are certainly not going down without a fight in the RDCA Women’s B Grade, posting consecutive wins to shake up the competition leading into the conclusion of the season.
After yet another washout against Lusatia Park, the Gators were at HV against Canterbury, sending the visitors in to bat first.
Early on it appeared that the Berries were well on their way to continuing the Gators form, however Mikaela Giulieri put paid to the openers, striking in the 25th over to have the score 1/84 Another Giulieri wicket 4 overs later put the score 2/108, before Sandra Tidey claimed the last wicket of the innings shortly before Canterbury reached 3/125 from their 26 overs
Giulieri’s efforts saw her claim 2/28 from 7 overs (including 1 maiden), whilst Tidey ended with 1/9 from 7 overs including 3 maidens
The Gator reply saw starts from Caryss McCulloch (12 from 28 balls) and Gabby Giulieri (11 from 17 balls) before their departures with the score at 3/42 after 14 overs
Miah Beardshaw teamed up with Mikaela Giulieri for the 4th wicket, with the duo taking the game on and asserting the Gator’s position in the match
Giulieri reached her highest score, 33 not out from 66 balls including 2 fours Whilst down the other end, Beardshaw produced her first half-century in Gator colours ending 51 not out from 79 balls, including 7 fours.
Ultimately, the Gators reached the target with an over to spare, claiming the points at 3/127.
The Gators then took on Heatherdale in Round 15, and were on the board early with Humaira Afghan back to her best, claiming 4/11 in a dominant performance against the Dales.
Miah Beardshaw brought up her highest score for the Gators, reaching a halfcentury against Canterbury
Fresh from their batting exploits against Canterbury, Mikaela Giulieri (2/12) and Miah Beardshaw (2/14) showed they could do it with the ball in hand also as Heatherdale were dismissed for 88
In reply, Gabby Giulieri (28 not out) and Molly McCoy (24) set about the target, playing their part to secure another 6 points as the Gators reached 6/89
Whilst finals is out of reach, the Gators will be eyeing up a shakeup of the finals order when they host Belgrave in the final home and away match on Sunday 23 February at HV Jones.
Humaira Afghan was in dominant form against Heatherdale, claiming 4/11
GATORKNIGHTSGO OVERTHEHILLS,NOT FARAWAY
The Gator Knights Women’s team traveled to up the hill for their Round 9 assignment against the Olinda, with the ever-developing squad putting on a competitive contest.
The hosts took to the crease first and were on the back foot early as wickets to Maddi Southam and Ayesha Afghan had Olinda at 2/15 after 5 overs.
However the hosts recomposed and started scoring freely, posting another 67 runs before Southam claimed her second wicket of the afternoon
Afghan soon claimer her second, whilst Annie Nguyen and Ashlea Foster claimed 1 apiece as the hosts reached 6/152 from 30 overs
Afghan (2/11 from 4 overs) and Southam (2/13 from 4 overs) lead the charge, whilst Foster (1/17 from 4 overs) and Nguyen (1/19 from 4 overs) played solid supporting roles
Ayesha Afghan was the pick of the attack up at Olinda, claiming 2/11 from her 4 overs
The Gator Knights chase was featured by a number of batters spending time at the crease At 3/27, Maddi Southam was able to reach double figures12 from 28 balls, and being part of a 30 run partnership to push the score along to 6/83 after 23 overs
Ayesha Afghan also reached double digits in the lower order also Her 10 from 30 balls providing lower order resistance by placing value on the wicket and was the last Gator Knights wicket late in the piece Ultimately, the visitors would see through their overs, ending at 8/102
The Gator Knights will have a few weeks off until their final match of the season against Johnson Park on Sunday 2nd March at Fair Park.
Maddi Southam continues her all-round form, claiming 2/13 from 4 overs and top scoring in the run chase for the Gator Knights
FTGDCA Women A Grade
JOHNSON PARK
GATORSINTO AFTERFINALR THRILLS
Mountain Gate’s Veterans t after a final-round run chas Upper FTG.
The hosts were first to set a (2/24 from 6 overs) striking openners by the 12th over t
Richard Lieversz then went middle order, claiming the the Kings 5/96 in the 22nd for, the hosts rallied to push Wise collaboration - Justin bowling of brother Tim - br wicket
By the end of the overs, the their hands, with the Kings was the pick of the attack, overs, with support from O from 6 overs) and Darren Tidey (1/25 from 6 overs)
The reply started shakily as the Kings removed Doug Barton early before Tim Wise and Mark Lieversz went to work, with Wise the next wicket to fall for 26 from 35 balls as the Gators were 2/47 in the 12th over
Meanwhile, Mark Lieversz went though to retire not out, 40 on the board from 57 balls as brother Richard (13 from 14 balls) and Justin Wise (15 from 22 balls) pushed through to 4/107 after 24 overs.
A tight run chase ensued in the winner-takes-it-all match, with regular Kings wickets for the hosts. However the mainstay at the crease in the latter overs was Bert Pearce. Pearce made good time in his innings, ending the day 37 not out from 32 balls. However more importantly, walked off a winner as the Gators reached 8/161 with an over to spare.
After winning the Tom Jackson Shield last season, the Gators now find themselves playing finals in the David Clark Shield and will face the ladder leaders Eildon Park at Eildon Park Reserve on Sunday 23rd February in the Semi Final for a spot in the Final
Mark Lieversz wasn’t to be outdone, reaching an unbeaten 40 not out to guide a successful run chase
Enter the moment! Richard Lieversz steps up when it counts, claiming 3/9 in a dominant performance with the ball to book the Gators a Semi Final
Eildon Park vs Mountain Gate
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
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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
BEST&FAIRESTVOTECOUNTNIGHT-1STMARCH
As the end of the season approaches, we gear up towards the annual Adrian Feeney Best and Fairest Vote Count
Based on a Brownlow-style vote count, we review both the men’s and women’s seasons through the grades on a game-by-game basis to determine who provided the season’s highlights whilst maintaining the spirit of cricket and of Mountain Gate
Commencing from 7:30pm at HV Jones on the final match of the home and away season - Saturday 1st March, this night is always a highlight of the season and pre-determines who shall have the medal around their neck come Presentation Night..
ADRIAN FEENEY BEST AND FAIREST VOTE COUNT NIGHT
Saturday 1st March
@ HV Jones Reserve
Join us from 7:30pm onwards as we tally up the votes from Season 2024/25 to crown Best and Fairest winners in both mens and womens grades.
The Under 14s found themselves back on the winners list in their matchup against Rowville, whilst a strong Johnson Park team saw off the Under 16s Gator Knights.
In the Under 14s top-of-the-table clash against Rowville, the hosts were back to format the top order with Mason Lijnders (26 not out from 59 balls) and Nakoa Beswick (22 not out from 58 balls) helping to set the tone against the Hawks
Daniel Stapleton (28 from 27 balls) came to the crease as top order support before the Hawks fought back with a flurry of wickets to finish 40 overs at 9/134
In reply, Nakoa Beswick again proved a handful claiming 5/11 from just 5.1 overs. Beswick has now claimed 15 wickets at an average of just 473
Supporting the attack was Daniel Stapleton (2/9 from 6 overs), whilst Mason Lijnders (1/5 from 2 overs), Jack Ottrey (1/5 from 1 over) and Tyler Gleeson (1/15 from 3 overs) all found their names in the scorebook as the Hawks were dismissed for 108.
In the Under 16's, the Gator Knights were jumped by Johnson Park on the day and on the ladder, falling to the visitors by 58 runs
Sent in to bat first, the Gator Knights had a number of starts at the crease, including Mark Stapleton (12 from 33 balls), Mikaela Giulieri (14 from 58 balls) and Cooper Tudor (22 from 44 balls).
However Dev Gupta late in the innings helped to project the target, his 35 not out from 42 balls getting the Gator Knights to 125
Cooper Tudor and Mark Stapleton threatened to take the game away from the Sharks, who were at 4/19 before developing a partnership Tudor (4/30 from 9 overs) and Stapleton (4/23 from 10 overs) returned to the attack and forced a collapse - the visitors losing 4/6 to be 8/111 However the target remained in reach, eventually reaching 183 before being dismissed
The Under 14s next face The Basin to finish the home and away season on top, whilst the Under 16s next face Belgrave in a must-win match to remain within the top 4
