VIC COUNTRY’S UNDER 21s CLEAN UP AT THE QEO!
FTGDCA’s Robbie Cox was not required as part of the Victorian Country Under 21 team that enjoyed a convincing win against Victorian Metropolitan Cricket Union (VMCU) at Queen Elizabeth Oval, Bendigo on Sunday.
After losing the toss, the VMCU were held to 183 in warm conditions with all bowlers making an impact at some stage. Barwon’s Kyle Bienefelt went unrewarded but his first eight overs were miserly (0/37 from 10 overs) with the VMCU batters repeatedly playing and missing. His Barwon colleague Sam Bourke kept up the pressure with steady medium pace, conceding only 26 runs in his ten overs.
Spinners Tom Le Livre (1/33), Chris Jerram (2/25) and Isaac Love (1/20) all bowled tightly before North East Country’s Jim Irvine returned to the attack to clean up the last four wickets, finishing with 5/34.
The chase commenced in a positive with a 52-run opening stanza by Matthew Tom (North East Country) and Jordan Rossi (Barwon) setting the foundation for the VCCL’s chase. The VMCU would have cause for celebration with the first breakthrough, however Rossi continued to impress across the innings.
He and Northern Rivers’ Jack Neylon added 73 for the second wicket, before Neylon was run out by a direct hit. Boundaries were the order of his innings, providing 36 of his 39 runs.
Another 53 runs were added by Rossi and Matt Casey to see the VCCL safely reach the 184 target for the loss of only two wickets. Rossi carried his bat to finish on 85 not out.
The Andrew “Squiz” Squires-coached team could not have been any more clinical in their work. The VMCU could easily have scored 250+ when they batted first. Due to the VCCL’s steady bowling and disciplined fielding, they weren’t able to break the shackles against a skilled collection of the future’s stars in their respective leagues.
With the VCCL at the crease, Tom, Rossi, Neylon and Casey paced their innings beautifully – patience when required and tempered aggression when the opportunity arose.