Sport
11 December, 2023
Cricket washed out for third week in a row
Rain affected a large portion of Saturday’s cricket action for a third week in succession, despite the best efforts of all teams around the Maryborough District Cricket Association. All games were called off in A reserve, with Clunes’ game with...
Rain affected a large portion of Saturday’s cricket action for a third week in succession, despite the best efforts of all teams around the Maryborough District Cricket Association.
All games were called off in A reserve, with Clunes’ game with Talbot, MKM’s clash with Colts Phelans, Maryborough’s game with Natte Yallock and Carisbrook’s clash with Beaufort all abandoned without a ball bowled.
There is still one A reserve game left in the season, with Talbot due to host Natte Yallock this Saturday as a catch-up game from round three.
However, for a large majority of teams, the round seven return will represent the first time they’ll take the field in two months.
Meanwhile, all three A grade games were steadily called off. Clunes’ must-win clash against Colts Phelans was the first to be called off early on Saturday, before Maryborough’s clash against Beaufort was also called off, despite the best effort of the Owls to get Princes Park playable.
Laanecoorie Dunolly’s game with Carisbrook, however, went ahead, and play was possible for the first 26 overs, with Dunolly escaping a large portion of the initial rain shower that hit the area.
Laane won the toss and elected to bowl first, sensing an opportunity to get wickets on a skidding pitch.
Immediately, they were successful. Opening bowler Zach Graham was the beneficiary, taking two quick wickets, collecting the scalps of captain William Coutts and Cole Harris for a duck and one, respectively.
Inbetween, Sam Bartlett was able to claim a wicket, with the in-form Dean Nalder nicking a delivery straight to Luke Smith behind the stumps.
Rohan Mackay and James Adam were at the crease with Carisbrook desperate to stem the flow, and for a period, they were successful.
However, Adam was next to go with the score on 14, hitting a Bartlett delivery straight to Graham.
Soon, Mackay would follow, looping a Joe Lovel delivery in the air straight to Sergio Rosier, Lovel’s 11th dismissal of the season.
Those two dismissals brought Cooper and Martin Mark to the crease, and the father-son duo were determined to ensure that Carisbrook could see out some more overs, with rain on the horizon.
Both players were able to see off deliveries, and playing shots where possible. However, Cooper, after getting to five, went out thanks to a sharp catch from Bartlett, with Rosier claiming his first wicket of the day.
Elliot Cullinan joined Martin at the crease, and showed poise well beyond his years in helping push the pace ever so slightly, with Martin also playing appropriate shots.
They steadily got the score up to 44 before Cullinan played a shot that landed straight in the lap of Thang Nguyen.
Martin and Lucas Hurse played some attacking cricket to bring the score up to 59 before the rain ultimately hit, with Martin left on an unbeaten 18, and Hurse scoring five.
Graham was Laane’s best bowler, collecting 3/22, while Bartlett also proved to be a factor, taking 2/16.
Lovel and Rosier were both economical, taking 1/4 apiece, while bowling five maidens across their nine overs combined.
The weekend rain means that the one-day final will now be played against undefeated teams Laane and Beaufort, with the Crows turning it all around from a winless 2022/23 campaign to earn their spot in the one-day grand final.
Meantime, all eight lawn bowls games were also called off on Saturday as the rain took hold, with five rounds now remaining in Saturday pennant for the season.
Bowlers are set to return today as round 12 of the midweek pennant is completed, while Saturday’s 10th round will be the final Saturday pennant game day of the year before a month’s break.
