Central Park-St Brendan's had plenty to smile about after a comprehensive T20 result.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
The short-form midweek Cricket Shepparton competitions are always exciting and we’re pushing towards the pointy end now.
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Thursday night had another instalment across the Higher-grade and Lower-grade leagues as cricketers mired in the middle of two-day weekend competition took an opportunity to take licence and mash a few, if they were lucky.
The A-graders at Central Park-St Brendan’s could certainly consider themselves among the more fortunate heading into the holiday break after taking a commanding early position in a clash with Old Students.
Central Park-St Brendan's Max Hooper puts his back into it.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
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Central Park-St Brendan's Dwain Vidler delivers with trademark pace.
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Megan Fisher
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Old Students' Oscar Lambourn and Noah Muir converse after going one down.
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Megan Fisher
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Central Park-St Brendan's Andrew Boyington claimed a catch on a successful day in the field.
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Megan Fisher
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Central Park-St Brendan's Ramadan Yze claimed a couple of victims.
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Megan Fisher
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Old Students' Noah Muir contemplates after his dismissal.
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Megan Fisher
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Old Students' Oscar Lambourn produced some resistance with a couple of boundaries.
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Megan Fisher
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Central Park-St Brendan's keeper Nate Earl surveys the field positioning.
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Megan Fisher
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Central Park-St Brendan's Mitchell Brett knocked in the winning runs for his side.
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Megan Fisher
The Tigers were only missing Jarrod Wakeling from their vaunted bowling attack and, with the Students electing to bat, the yellow and black got right into their habitat.
Maninjerdit Singh walloped his way to the rope twice in the early going before Ramadan Yze extinguished those flames just as quickly.
The visitors to Deakin Reserve found themselves regularly stymied from there, the kind of fate we’ve been accustomed to seeing Central Park’s bowlers inflict on Saturdays.
It was Rhiley Lau, not normally considered a rusted-on member of this elite contingent, who produced the tidiest figures overall with a rock-solid 2-11 as Old Students settled for double figures, running out of rope at 6-92.
Lau had plenty more to give where that came from, taking on opening duties alongside Connor Hayes in a chase which quickly morphed into a foregone conclusion.
The dynamic duo combined for eight fours and three maximums as the Students were hit with a flurry from minute one, left starry-eyed as Lau and Hayes brought the hosts within 10 runs of victory without loss.
Though Spencer Dickins and Harrison Willaton would combine to remove the two blasters, it was a fait accompli by that stage as Mitchell Brett knocked home the runs which safeguarded the Tigers’ passage to the semis.
Coach Tyler Larkin was buoyed by the resounding win, understandably handing Lau his flowers.
“We made a point at the start of the game that we’re here to play,” Larkin said.
“We want to keep our standards as high as they are on a Saturday and we did that, which was pleasing.
“It’s good to be able to call upon Rhiley when we need him. We used him a bit last year and we’re blessed with a couple of extra seamers now.
“He’s a good all-round cricketer and it’s pretty valuable to have a first change bowler and an opening batter.”
The heavy win set his side up for a semi-final meeting with Waaia in a rematch of last season’s one-day final on Thursday night.
The Bombers escaped Kyabram’s clutches as Mitch Cleeland bashed and crashed his way to an unbeaten 69 in a six-wicket win — not that their subsequent Haisman Shield meeting went anywhere near the same way at the weekend.
Katandra was the one side to do a higher-lower double in Thursday’s action after a fully collaborative bowling effort resulted in a five-wicket defeat of Pine Lodge.
Mooroopna will meet the Eagles in the semis off Will Hale’s monstrous 76 — that includes 11 fours and a six — in seeing off Karramomus by 25 runs.
Meanwhile, the lower T20 final is set with the Eagles to meet Tatura in the decider.
A News derby had Marcus Beeck’s Katandra side overcome the Tyler Maher-led Central Park-St Brendan’s team by 23 runs, though sadly, neither had the chance to face the other’s bowling.
Tatura rode the four-wicket haul of skipper Lachlan Thurston to a 22-run victory over Karramomus to book its own ticket.
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