Epping returned to the new year in a two-day match against Bundoora in the Diamond Valley Cricket Association (DVCA) Barclay Shield season at the weekend.
It was the team’s first match of 2025, marking the resumption of the DVCA Senior Competition in round 10 at Epping Recreation Reserve.
Batting first, Epping’s captain Tom Emmins wasted no time in setting the tone for the match.
He began with a confident start, accumulating five runs in the opening over, and followed it up with two more in the second over.
Emmins was one of the key contributors for Epping on the batting line, scoring 32 runs, including three 4s, and remained unbeaten until over 36 when Bundoora’s Glen Turner finally dismissed him—one of several wickets from Bundoora’s impressive fielding.
Epping had all batters on the field until over 28 when Akash Cheema, who had chalked up 18 runs, including one 4, was the first to be dismissed, giving Bundoora its first wicket.
Bundoora displayed exceptional fielding prowess on the opening day of the match, showcasing sharp reflexes that led to the dismissal of several key batters.
Few Epping batters had been eliminated by wickets at the inning’s midway point, but Liam Henkel and Robert Tinsley proved impossible to dismiss throughout the match, remaining at the crease as the last two batters of the day.
Henkel was Epping’s top scorer, amassing 35 runs, including one 4, and the only batter to hit a 6, while Tinsley managed 11 runs.
Epping finished with 161 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 80 overs, 9/161.
The final outcome will be determined on the second day of the match this Saturday, when Bundoora will kick off proceedings with the bat once again at the Epping Recreation Reserve.
