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Page 40 Thursday, 13 February, 2014
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Warriors through and through By RUSSELL BENNETT LET’S get one thing perfectly clear - when this year’s West Gippsland Warriors squad begins their Country Week campaign next week, the group won’t be interested in simply making up the numbers. These boys - the best of the best, a veritable who’s who of the best available talent from across the league - are out to win and win big. Although the squad was dealt a couple of cruel blows with injuries to star Tooradin pair Tom Hussey and Aaron Avery in recent weeks, the remaining talent is united behind a common goal - proving themselves on the big stage. Selector and Cardinia big-hitter Simon Parrott beams about the side’s allaround ability. “Almost all of the top seven or eight players in the side can bowl good medium pace or pace bowling,” he said. “Then you have a guy like Jarrod Armitage, who is just tailor-made for bowling on turf wickets. “He’s going to be great for us bowling in that (opening) partnership with Kyle Brooke and a guy like Russ Lehman could fill Aaron’s role as that extra seamer.” Parrott said spinners Dananja Madushanka and Shannon Mathers would also have a big role to play, as would speedy Emerald
veteran Clint Marsh. But he’s just as bullish about the Warriors’ batting stocks. “Chris Smith is just a wonder-kid,” Parrot said. “He sees the ball and just hits it so sweetly - he’s such an impressive cricketer to watch. “There aren’t many guys like him in the league - he has just looked a cut above this season and it’s great to have him in the side.” The Warriors will be looking for big runs from co-captains Cal O’Hare and Dom Paynter, while players like A.J. Walker, Bradey Welsh and Jason Williams round out an imposing list of local runscorers. Brent Murdoch, meanwhile, has been brought into the side for injured keeper Hussey. “All the boys pride themselves on their own performances,” Parrott said. “We’re all going there to win. “Last year was more about us finding our feet, but I’d be extremely disappointed if we don’t make the finals.” The Warriors will begin their campaign on Monday against Warragul and District at Casey Fields, before then taking on Sunraysia in Werribee, Wangaratta at Elsternwick Park and Goulburn Murray at Northcote in the preliminary rounds.
WGCA COUNTRY WEEK SQUAD Dom Paynter (c) Pakenham Cal O’Hare (c) Tooradin Jarrod Armitage Merinda Park Kyle Brooke Clyde Danny Diwell Merinda Park Brent Murdoch (wk) Cranbourne Meadows Russell Lehman Pakenham Dananja Madushanka Kooweerup Shannon Mathers Merinda Park Chris Smith Pakenham A.J. Walker Emerald Bradey Welsh Pakenham Jason Williams Pakenham Clint Marsh Emerald
Best in generations IT couldn’t have been an easy task narrowing down Merinda Park’s team of the past 30 years, which was announced at Donnelly Reserved on Saturday night. There are bound to be a few who can count themselves unlucky to miss out on a berth in the side, but the 12-man squad as announced was: Marty Donaldson (captain), Brett Armitage (vice-
captain), Grant Bloomer, Brett Whittingham, Shawn Peebles, Jess Mathers, Danny Lavigne, Greg Marra, Rick Dennerley, Richard Murphy, Shannon Mathers and Phil Cassidy. The Mathers boys represent today’s generation of Cobra stars, while current WGCA president Armitage was honoured with the vicecaptain’s nod.
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QUIZ NUMBER 1240 1. WHO won soccer’s Euro 2012 tournament? 2. WHO became the youngest and fastest Australian to swim the English Channel in 1990? 3. WHAT does a green flag signify in motor racing? 4. WHO was Australia’s first Olympic swimming champion? 5. WHICH Australian won the New Zealand PGA golf title nine times? 6. WHICH city hosted the 1976 Olympic Games? 7. WHO was known as ‘The Bradman of Billiards’? 8. WHO were the first two cricketers to score 10,000 Test runs? 9. WHICH runner did John Landy turn around to help during an historic race in 1956? 10. WHEN Fleet Street newspaper posters splashed ‘He’s Out!’, who were they referring to? 11. WHICH famous Australian horse won 18 consecutive races in the 1930s? 12. WHICH Aussie national sport was rocked by the collapse of several teams in 2009? 13. WHO was Australia’s first tennis millionaire? 14. IN what year did Australia first reach the World Cup soccer finals? 15. WHO are The Gunners of English soccer? 16. WHICH famous French cycling event is held every July? 17. IN what sport do the Adelaide 36ers compete? 18. WHICH Pakistani cricketer played in the Sheffield Shield for New South Wales in the 1980s? 19. HOW many points is the brown ball worth in snooker? 20. IN what sport was Malcolm Milne an Australian champion?
Clyde’s Kyle Brooke, centre, is set to open the bowling for the WGCA Warriors Picture: JARROD POTTER Country Week side. 113191
Winning chance wilts in heat By RUSSELL BENNETT MERINDA Park has emerged from Saturday’s mini-heatwave as one of the biggest losers of the Premier round. Though there wasn’t a ball bowled in WGCA senior cricket on Saturday, the Cobras were punished by the heat in round 12’s second day - one that now looms as a season-defining day on the fixture. Both Merinda Park and Emerald locked in their own battles at separate ends of the table - were sitting pretty after day one last week, but Saturday’s sweltering conditions put the kybosh on their chances of crucial victories. A brilliant tail-end recovery mission from the Bombers, led by big Darcy Hellriegel, saw them pose a serious threat to the highly-fancied Lions at Toomuc Reserve. Pakenham would have had to chase an imposing 274 for victory on day two but the league enforced its heat policy, which saw play abandoned on Saturday as the Melbourne forecast at 11am sat at 40 degrees. So, instead of sitting in the box seat and looking set to post a huge win, Emerald had to settle for a draw - which still leaves the Bombers in a dogfight with Pakenham Upper-Toomuc and Upper Beaconsfield to stave off relegation back to District division. The Maroons, at this stage, are in the box seat to secure the title no one wants with 18 points, but the Yabbies are still well within reach just six points ahead after being on the wrong end of the only conclusive result of the round. The Seagulls had already secured victory on day one at Pakenham Upper Rec Reserve.
Jarrod Armitage will play a crucial role with the ball for the Cobras as they look to secure a WGCA Premier grade finals berth. 113068 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS The Cobras, meanwhile, are contesting a three-way battle of their own - for the third and fourth finals spots with Cardinia and Kooweerup. The Bulls and Demons are currently locked on 90 points, while the Cobras’ draw with the Maroons on Saturday has left them six
points back in fifth. Upper Beaconsfield won the toss and batted first on day one but could only muster 119 all out. The Cobras were sitting pretty on 3/73 after 20 overs at stumps - victory was almost a sure thing. Their finals spot isn’t yet.
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