TALLAROOK was without last week’s centurion Jac Smith-Williams at the weekend, but found an able replacement in Dale Short for its A grade away matchup against Puckapunyal in the Seymour District Cricket Association.
Batting first again, the Rook lost Kieran Minter for just two at the hands of Christopher Crabbe but Short was firing.
He finished the innings on 94* and was well assisted by Hamish Melville’s 27 to get Tallarook to 2/146.
With the ball, the visitors were restrictive at all times, and snared wickets in clumps to bowl Puckapunyal out for just 61 from 16.4 overs.
Finn Melville and Braedon Dundon took three wickets each, and Sam Manchester added two more.
Matthew Jong was the top scorer for Pucka with 19 including a six.
In Yea, Pyalong’s bowlers navigated a nervy finish to win by three runs.
Setting a modest 82 from 20 overs, Pyalong made consistent inroads but Yea was still in the box seat needing 33 runs to win from the final eight overs with five wickets in hand.
But the visitors didn’t allow another boundary from then on, and led by Mitchell Wittig’s 2/8 from three overs, they took home the six points.
Seymour was no match for Alexandra up at Leckie Park, going down by nine wickets.
In B grade, Pyalong defended 112 to beat Yea by nine runs, while Kieran Minter (39*) got going with the bat for Tallarook to help them to a nine-wicket win over Pucka.
Seymour was soundly beaten by Avenel, and despite Hugh Smith’s best efforts with bat and ball, the 59ers lost to Alexandra by five wickets.
The first one-dayers of the season commence this Saturday. In A grade, Seymour host Puckapunyal at Chittick Park, while Pyalong and Tallarook visit Alexandra and Yea respectively.
