THE Seymour and District Cricket Association played round 2 on the weekend with plenty of thrills and spills in its T20 A-Grade games on Saturday.
On a picture-perfect day for cricket, Pyalong hosted the Yea Tigers at its Recreation Reserve where Yea won the toss and elected to bat first.
Marc Steiner made 77 runs across the innings and in between two wickets fell to invite Cameron Armstrong onto the pitch and he took advantage by racking up a steady innings of 53 not out, helping Yea to 2/138.
Chasing 138 runs, the Pyalong wickets fell quickly when Tigers fielder, Austen Ross caught two out including Dermott Clancy on just four and in partnership with Thomas White, they eliminated Paul Dugard on 29.
Dugard had a good innings with Daniel Sowden until White bowled the local police man out for 16.
Prior to that, Jamie Pryor made 22 runs for the home side, but it was not Pyalong’s day, and they finished 21 runs short, 5/117
At Tallarook Recreation Reserve, the home side, and the team to beat, played Seymour.
Electing to bat first, Tallarook’s Mitch Itter and Lachlan Watts made an impact with Itter on 58, before he was run out by Jason Brown and Watts on 61 before being bowled out by Hugh Smity. The successful innings finished with Leigh Irving still on the pitch (25) and Tallarook finishing on 3/163.
Seymour were up against the highest run rate in the division for the day’s fixture and were sorely disappointed when Blake Munari-O’Dwyer took Brown’s wicket with a golden duck.
Tallarook’s good form continued with three more wickets from the young bowler, seeing Lachlan Drummond leave the pitch on nine runs and Daniel Bergowicz, on a golden duck. Seymour didn’t come close this time, 9/61.
While Avenel drew the round two bye, Puckapunyal hosted Alexandra on the army base.
Winning the toss the home side fielded first, and it took some time to finish the Alexandra captain – William Ashton was bowled out by Madison Albers, on 20 around the 10th over. Matthew Wal made 15, while Joshua Crane chipped away making 13 singles not out when the side finished, 7/88.
Puckapunyal, chasing 88, looked promising with the opening partnership between Nicholas Bennetts and Charles Davies notching up 39 runs between them, but the fielders were finishing off strong with Justin Leary a menace, taking four catches and took three successive wickets. in the closest game of the round, Alexandra claimed victory when Puckapunyal’s innings ended, 8/84.
Tallarook is on top of the ladder followed by Yea and Alexandra. In round three, for a 12.30pm start, Alexandra host Tallarook at Leckie Park and Seymour have a bye. Yea play Puckapunyal at home and Avenel host Pyalong.
