A REMARKABLE day’s play of cricket in the Seymour District Cricket Association saw upsets, runs and wickets aplenty across the board.
The standout result was Yea upsetting Tallarook by 18 runs at Yea Recreation Reserve, with the five-time reigning champions tasting defeat for just the third time across the last two seasons.
Yea had some good middle order batting from Beau Hawkins and Cameron Armstrong, but it looked as though the men in red and blue still looked favourites when the work of Samuel Manchester and Andrew Dundon allowed wickets to fall consistently, with Manchester finishing with figures of 3/9 off three overs and Dundon 2/13 off four overs.
However, an inspired spell from Yea’s Tyler Reed ensured Tallarook were behind the eight-ball early in the chase, with Reed claiming four wickets for just 20 runs, including the key wickets of Hamish Melville, Mitch Itter, Tarkyn Dundon and Lachlan Watts.
Tallarook never recovered, with Watts and Andrew scoring 20 runs apiece as Tallarook were bowled out for 102.
After two straight losses, Seymour bounced back in a big way to claim a 149-run win over Puckapunyal at Chittick Park.
The Maroons batted first, with Cameron Evans anchoring the innings with 72 runs. Brett Gordon provided some good late hitting with 36 runs off 21 deliveries, while Harvey Smith added 31 as Seymour scored 8/243 off 45 overs.
Puckapunyal struggled greatly against the bowling of Brodey Pointon, who took 4/24 as Seymour took wickets at a constant rate.
James Voogt top-scored with 16, but Puckapunyal was outclassed, rolled for 94 off 23.3 overs.
Pyalong was simply no match for Alexandra at Leckie Park, losing by nine wickets.
Joseph Ryan top-scored with 15, but it was a disastrous collapse from Pyalong, with no other batter making more than five runs as Vinu Hewage ran amok.
Hewage took 4/2 off five overs, while Luke Wal took 3/22 off nine overs and Jordan Ferrier 2/6 off four as Pyalong was all out for 48.
Hewage continued his dominance with the bat, scoring five fours and two sixes to score an unbeaten 34 as it took just 7.1 overs for Alexandra to make 1/49.
It was better news for Pyalong’s B grade, who won via forfeit against the Seymour 59ers.
In a very one-sided weekend in B grade, Tallarook took a 178-run victory against Yea at Yea High School.
Andrew Smith was dominant at the top of the order, scoring six fours and eight sixes in a remarkable 110 as Tallarook made 3/217.
Just as Smith dominated with the bat, Braeden Dundon did the damage with the ball, taking 5/2 off six overs, which included five maidens, while Blake Winnell and Jason Tarran took two wickets apiece as Yea was rolled for 35.
Seymour claimed a 10-wicket win over Puckapunyal, where the Maroons remarkably took 10/7 after Pucka made a good start.
David Grundell and Jacob Nipperess scored eight runs each to get the score to 23, but Christopher Kemp and Kharl Sison soon dominated the game, with both bowlers taking five wickets each – Kemp finishing with 5/13 off six overs, and Sison 5/3 off 4.1 overs.
Nathan Watson top-scored with 16 as Seymour needed just 9.3 overs to chase down Puckapunyal’s 30, scoring 0/32.
Alexandra won the other game, chasing down Avenel’s 6/139 by scoring 7/140.
