Fifty Fifty on Twenty Twenty  

 

By Steve Brown 

 

For the first time, the Ferntree Gully & District Cricket Association played a T20 fixture for premiership points during the Melbourne Cup weekend.      The concept of playing the second X1 matches as a curtain raiser to the main game was voted by the club delegates earlier in the year.   Although clubs enjoyed a successful day , there appeared to be many players and spectators who favoured traditional cricket rather than the hit and giggle version.   

 

The closest game of the round occurred at Monbulk where the home side posted 4/124 with skipper Shane Cosstick leading the charge with a fine 65.      In the run chase Belgrave appeared to be in the box seat requiring 12 runs to win off the last over with wickets in hand until Cosstick took the ball. Belgrave’s Luke Manion was at the crease needing 3 runs to win from the final delivery when Cosstick beat the bat and the ball sailed through to keeper Billy Hicken for a dot ball and the Magpies went down by just two runs. 

 

Upwey Tecoma defeated Ferntree Gully by 21 runs as Chris Jewell helped set up the winners total with 42.  For the Gully, wicket keeper Jayden Bradbury’s 49 was not enough to secure the win.   Upwey all rounder Jake Evans bowled tidily for a return of 3/14. 

 

Knoxfield continued their run of wins this time at the expense of Eildon Park by three wickets.  Adam Maloney top scored for the Knights with 41 and Mitchell Perry had great figures of 4/13 with the ball. 

 

The Basin opened their account for the season defeating Mountain Gate in convincing style.    Jake Best (37) and Danny Rundle (33) set the tone and 144 was too many for the Gators and they crawled to 8/94.  Sean Ryan hit the spot with 3/12 for the Bears.  

 

Batting first, Knox Gardens compiled 6/121 at home to Johnson Park but when openers Bryn Gaunt and Steve Devenish (32) took 51 from the first 8 over’s the pressure was released and the Sharks hit the lead in the eighteen over.  Gaunt remained unbeaten on 53. 

 

The Gully competition will also play another T20 fixture in the first game after the Christmas break. 

 

 

 

Scores 

 

Reeves Shield 

 

The Basin 5/144 (Best 37 Rundle 33) def Mt Gate 8/94 (Ryan 3/12) 
Knoxfield 7/121 (Maloney 41) def Eildon Park 9/116 (Hicks 45 Perry 4/13) 

Upwey Tecoma 9/139 (Jewell 42) def Ferntree Gully 7/118 (Bradbury 49 Evans 3/14) 

Monbulk 4/124 (Cosstick 65) def Belgrave 5/122 (Levell 30) 

Johnson Park 3/122 (Gaunt 53* S. Devenish 32) def Knox Gardens 6/121  

 

Decoite Shield 

 

Upper Gully 8/115 (Lakshita 4/12) def FTG Footballers 91 (Langenberg 4/9 Salter 4/17) 

South Belgrave 7/147 (Sutherland 35 A. Hart 31) def St Johns Tecoma 8/136 (Walters 37 Pitts 33 Brasher 30* McDermott 3/20) 

Rowville 2/138 (Wood 54 Morsello 59*) def Knox Boronia Churches 73 (Wilson 3/28) 

Lysterfield 4/125 (Kulasena 46) def Auravale 9/123 (Miles 41) 

 

Division 3 

 

The Basin 5/97 def Mt Gate 7/96 

Eildon Park 5/114 (Tibballs 40*) def Knoxfield 7/108 (Scanlan 35 Gill 3/8) 

Upwey Tecoma 3/161 (Tailby 47 Dobbie-Hayward 41) def Ferntree Gully 7/134 (M. Catalano 38 Cole 34 Lynch 3/17) 

Belgrave 6/117 (Thiel 41* Martin 3/21) def Monbulk 7/114 (Broley 3/15) 

Johnson Park 5/137 (Barrington 31) def Knox Gardens 4/136 (Singh 46*) 

 

Division 4 

 

Upper Gully 5/118 (Sherry 34 DeJong 27) def FTG Footballers 9/117 

Lysterfield 8/160 (Finch 53 Ricardo 47 Quinlan 3/24) def Auravale 56 (Van Mourik 3/7) 

St Johns Tecoma 5/158 (Miller 35 Perkins 35) def South Belgrave 4/156 (Lawson 79 O’Brien 33)