B grade win top of the table clash

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Hudson Gillies and Jack Connell opened up the batting, being restricted against very tight bowling.

This pressure led to Jack Connell leaving one on middle stump and the boys were on the back foot early.

Geoff Montgomery joined Hudson in the middle and the two began to steady the ship as Geoff hit multiple boundaries to release the pressure.

Soon after, Geoff went for one too many and was bowled for “24” which led to a mini collapse as Mitch Pettit and Hudson Gillies were both out shortly after with the score at 4/39.

Lach Phillips and Ethan Thorpe were the next batsmen in and with the boys in trouble the two began to take on the bowlers.

Both launching big sixes and hitting multiple boundaries to get the boys back into the contest as Lach hit a run a ball “37” and Thorpey, a well made “28”.

After another collapse at the end of the innings, B grade were bowled out for 118.

After the break with bad weather looming, Jyda House and Hunter Fraunfelder once again took the new ball and the Benalla batsmen came out with intent getting off to a good start before Jyda House took two quick wickets to put the pressure back on.

As the Benalla opener was beginning to look comfortable, the ball was thrown to Will Murphy who bowled good line and length to get the big wicket finishing with 2/16 from his 5.

With the game in the balance, Gary Browning lured a false shot from the batsman which led to a great catch from Jack Browning to have Benalla in trouble at 5-57.

With quick wickets to Browning and Phillips, Benalla looked as if they would fall over but to their credit they had one final push towards the total.

This was until Jyda House and Ethan Thorpe both got runouts to have Benalla at 9-77. Jyda House took the last wicket finishing with 3/8 and was the pick of the bowlers.

With Benalla all out for 77, the boys won convincingly by 41 runs to remain undefeated in a really good win.

B grade continue their string of away games taking on Milawa next week.

A Grade cancelled and A Res had the bye.

C Grade Lakers back to school

Yarrawonga Mulwala 6/156 def Benalla Bushrangers Red 10/146.

Thunderstorms have again played an unpredictable influence on local cricket, with Friday’s wild rainfall making the number 2 oval at Victoria Park unplayable.

With the recent council installation of kerb and channel on Dunlop Street being built higher than the oval and resulting in “Lake Summer-Ville” forming again to disrupt cricket, YMCC remain very frustrated that this manmade and avoidable situation ever occurred.

The WDCA offered both clubs the opportunity to do the “old switcheroo” by relocating the match to the Pinniger Street Oval within the Yarrawonga College P-12 grounds.

While junior cricket gets any number of games per season at the PSO, it is well over 16-18 year since senior cricket has graced the field.

Darcy Hargeaves and Peter Brear took up the offer to bat first and combined for a 32-run partnership before Brear had his middle peg bent back, neck and crop.

Kade Michael came and went in the exact same fashion, bowled for 3. Big hitting Ben Pickering lived up to the hype and delivered two towering sixes on to Pinniger Street.

The long running debate by residents to install boom gates for this exact situation was reignited briefly but was soon forgotten as “Pickers” was adjudged “plum as jam” with 15 from 8 balls.

Hargreaves was biding his time at the other end, but his tolerance wore out and was caught slashing to gully.

Teetering at 4 for 60 and moving at snail’s pace, the combination of “Big Mitts” Damien Leeburn and former “Boy Wonder” Joshua Vagg ripped back the momentum. Constructing an 82-run stand that featured 5 x fours, 4 x sixes and a mass of singles, the Lakers surged forward into the last two overs of the innings.

Vagg’s renown leg speed deserted him when he was found short on the second run.

The fielders doing what the bowlers couldn’t, Vagabond gone for 46.

Leeburn went not long after, caught for 37. The pair turned the tide and left the mop up to the father and son combination of the Gove family to bring 156 runs up on the scoreboard target.

Early wickets were the order of the day, with the Lakers striking the first blow with Ben Pickering completing a “gutsy” catch off a well flighted Ash Gove delivery.

After 8 overs, the visitors were only one down, but the run rate far from the mark.

A double bowling change had Darcy Hargreaves spinning a web that produced a brilliant stumping from “Big Mitts” Leeburn, before Lucas Pickering unloaded both barrels of the 12-guage, claiming two scalps in two consecutive overs.

The Bushrangers consolidated a little and put on another 20 runs, then a further bowling change saw Jace Gove produce a fine spell of spin bowling that should have given him more wickets that the excellent figures of 4 for 20 from his 7 overs show.

At 8 for 84, the captain threw the ball around, with Karteek Boag showing great promise as one to watch with the ball, his four overs went unluckily for 22 without a wicket. The club is looking forward to his development.

Things then started to get big on the locals, very Big, as the ninth wicket went whack, whack, whack.

With only 15 runs in the bank and staring down fluffing up the game, the skipper went all chips in, going back to his opening bowling pair who duly delivered with a wicket each to ice the game.

Over the last month, the C Grade have had a loss, a forfeit, a wash out, so it was nice to have a win under pressure and be back on the park to have a trundle.

All eyes are now turning to the MCG as C Grade travel to take on Greta Blue in round 8.

Under 14 Bulls

Yarrawonga Mulwala Bulls 4/75 def by Greta Blue 6/105.

Report not submitted before Chronicle went to print.

Lakers girls trajectory skyrocketing

Rovers United Bruck 113 def Yarrawonga Mulwala 85.

Rain then a Representative Carnival forced a change to the fixture, and the girls had an early Sunday morning journey to North Wangaratta Oval to clash with Rovers United Bruck CC.

Captain Kate Giblett called wrong but got her own way as her opposite number wanted to bowl first.

Openers Bella Ward (10) and Lexi Richardson (4) were busy collecting singles and pushing the ball into the gaps.

Ward used her striking ability to get a few lofty blows in.

Supported by Bailey Richardson (3) and Skipper Kate Giblett (6), the score kept moving steadily while keeping their wickets intact.

The RUBCC girls were particularly sharp in the field, saving many a run and featured in two run outs and a couple of one-grab catches, this putting the brakes on the run rate. Elsie Lidgerwood (2*) baffled the bowling with some impressive switch hitting, leaving the bowlers confused over which line to bowl.

While Stella Hill (0*) denied the opposition her wicket, batting solidly to remain unbeaten.

Lidgerwood and Hill produce the only batting stint not to lose a wicket, congratulations to both girls as this is a huge target that we must look to do achieve more often.

It was left to Rosie Lidgerwood to bring the innings home and she did so, playing some stylish cricket with minor risk.

Going into the innings break, the Lakers 86 seemed a little light on.

Dot balls and wickets were to be the order of the day if the Lakers girls were to take home the four points for the win.

RUBCC were steady in their approach and the Lakers’ girls were mean and keen in the field.

The Lakers backing in their opening bowler, Kate Giblett and she didn’t let them down, grabbing a wicket and only conceding 3-runs from her two overs.

Rosie Lidgerwood again proceeded to fire in some serious heat and was used across the 20-overs in some cameo performances that returned two wickets for 23 from her four over allocation.

Stella Hill (3-0-9-1) and Elsie Lidgerwood (3-0-9-0) gave next to nothing away, showing some results for a lot of hard training.

Really pleased to see this pair get some good return.

After the drinks break, Bella Ward handed the gloves over to her captain and took the ball.

Ward produced a maiden over, just what the doctor ordered, as the home team were closing in on the visitors’ total.

The Richardson sisters, Bailey and Lexi, bowled with little luck, having chances just go begging.

It could have been a completely different story for the RUBCC Girls had the rub of the green been with the Lakers.

In cricket every little thing counts. Catches taken, runs saved, moving in with the bowler, backing up teammates, talking and supporting your teammates.

These are all important pieces to the puzzle of playing good cricket and the Lakers Girls have almost got this nutted.

Looking to reduce wides and no balls will be the immediate focus and this will give the Lakers a huge advantage over all opposition.

The girls’ improvement, enjoyment and fun together are all combining for something special and it won’t be far away.

Looking forward to the next opportunity to get better and improve.

Under 14 Rams

Score not recorded on PlayHQ.

Report not submitted before Chronicle went to print.

Under 12s Lakers

Delatite Gold 5/52 def by Yarrawonga Mulwala Lakers 3/90

After a nervous wait to see if the ground was up to scratch after some more wet weather on Friday, the call came through early on Saturday morning that it was game on in Benalla for the Under 12 Lakers last of 4 trips in a row over there to face Delatite gold. The Lakers lost the bat flip and were sent in on a damp Arundle st oval.

The pitch was skidding on, however the openers adjusted and Eamon Pickering and Billy Vagg got to work until Billy was run out by a direct hit for 12.

Eamon went for a big shot off his last ball, however missed it and was bowled for a top score of 20.

The young Lakers only lost one more wicket for the day as Isaac McLarty 17, Rosie Lidgerwood 4, Blake Miller 4, Will Cruikshank 4, Darcy Odwyer 2, Rory Buerckner 0, and Finn McDonald 2 were all unbeaten.

90 was a good score on a damp outfield.

The Lakers turn to bowl and Ollie McDonald opened up and bowled with great control. The 2 skippers Eamon and Isaac both got through the defences of the Delatite kids, and then Kirsty Plevnik bounced back from her disappointment with the bat to grab a couple of scalps.

The second one was from a great catch from Finn. Birthday boy Darcy Odwyer took the gloves for the first time, and did a great job, as did Billy in the second half of the innings. The final play of the day saw Delatite try to scamper through for a second after a missed shy at the stumps.

Rory backed it up and then threw down the stumps at the non-strikers end from side on, much to his teammates delight.

A good win from the Lakers and the Under 12s finally get to come home next week to play the Maggies at Vic Park 2.

Under 12 Rams dig deep

Delatite Blue 65 def by Yarrawonga Mulwala Rams 1/99

The Yarrawonga Mulwala Under 12 Rams headed across to Benalla on Saturday to face Delatite Blue.

It was touch and go if the game was going to be played with the threats of thunderstorms.

The weather didn’t put a dent in the eagerness of the boys who were keen to play after a washout in the previous round.

Yarrawonga won the toss and decided they would bowl. In cloudy and difficult batting conditions Delatite struggled to find any rhythm at the crease.

There was a steady flow of wickets throughout their innings with Finn O’Brien claiming 2, Hugo Bott 2 and George Hill 1 restricting the home team to 65.

The Rams got their innings off to a solid start with Murphy ‘Bison’ Doyle taking the sword to anything that was over pitched.

Murphy was striking the ball cleanly and finished with an equal career high score of 22.

Super sub, Charlie Carlyle was a solid support crafting a well-made 12 retired including a glorious drive straight down the ground for 4.

Layken Saunders 7 retired, Hugo Bott 6 retired and Finn O’Brien 20 retired continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over and pushed the total to 1/99 off the allotted 20 overs.

Another great team performance with a commanding 34 run win. Next week the Rams lock horns with the Bulls in a Friday night blockbuster.

It is sure to be a fantastic contest with the last encounter finishing in a tie! See you at the cricket.

Under 12 Bulls

Yarrawonga Mulwala Bulls 4/85 def Benalla Bushrangers Red 4/71.

Report not submitted before Chronicle went to print.