Looking to respond after last week’s disappointing performance, the A Grade side set out to make amends against Wangaratta Magpies and build momentum leading into finals.
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The return of Matt Casey and brothers Harry and Willie Wheeler, playing their first match together for the club, added depth to the line-up.
Webb and Heslin opened with discipline, bowling tight lines and making scoring difficult.
An early dropped chance off Matheson threatened to reopen old wounds, but it proved costly only briefly, with Heslin and Welsh combining to remove both Matheson and Mann via sharp catches at short cover.
Webb continued to beat Nanson’s bat, while Heslin claimed his third wicket for the day.
Matt McCabe maintained the pressure with probing lines, dismissing Davies, before Fraser, Welsh, Archibald and Webb combined to secure the remaining wickets and restrict the Magpies to 132.
Chasing 133, Smart and Archibald began patiently, wearing down the attack before falling for 22 and 10 respectively.
Their work laid the platform for Welsh and Webb, who produced an unbeaten 83-run partnership.
Welsh finished on 52* and Webb 40*, sealing a comprehensive win.
The victory keeps the Lakers in contention for a home final ahead of next week’s clash with Ovens Valley.
A Reserve two games clear after strong win
Returning to Stan Hargreaves Oval, captain Hudson Gillies won the toss and elected to bat on a green wicket.
Gillies and Moore looked promising early before Moore edged through to the keeper.
Jack Hudson joined the skipper, but Gillies soon fell to an inside edge that disturbed the stumps.
Keels followed shortly after, bringing Darcy Hargreaves to the crease.
Hudson began to find his rhythm, punishing anything short and wide, while Hargreaves provided solid support before being trapped LBW.
Lach Phillips then took control, striking boundaries at will.
Hudson brought up a well-earned 50 before retiring, and Phillips soon followed with his own half-century.
After Hudson retired, Thorp was run out for a diamond duck, and Phillips was eventually dismissed for a superb 70 from 49 balls after a mix-up.
The Lakers posted 187 from 40 overs.
With the new Kookaburra, Hunter “Hornet” Frauenfelder struck in his third ball and later claimed another with strong support from Ollie Connell.
As the Rovers threatened to rebuild, Azam’s spin triggered a collapse, well supported in the field.
A collision between Gillies and Thorp resulted in a brave catch but left Thorp requiring medical attention.
The Rovers were bowled out for 133, leaving the Lakers two games clear on top.
B Grade fall short against Rovers
In hot conditions at Mulwala, the Lakers faced Rovers in a finals-shaping clash between fifth and sixth.
The visitors posted 155 after reaching 90 at the halfway mark, with Kade Michael taking the early wicket.
Lidgerwood and skipper Hawking shifted momentum, claiming key wickets and tightening the run rate.
Ackroyd was run out in sharp fashion by Lidgerwood’s quick thinking.
Hawking finished with an impressive 3/21 from seven overs as the Lakers restricted the total.
Chasing 156, Borowski battled through injury for a gritty 29.
The middle order again faltered before Pickering (25) and Leeburn (45) combined for a 70-run partnership to revive hopes.
Needing a run a ball in the final eight overs, the Lakers were bowled out for 126. They now face Wangaratta Magpies next week in a virtual elimination final.
C Grade masterclass led by Browning
C Grade produced a strong all-round performance, posting 6/163 from 36 overs.
Dhamindu made a brisk 24, while Senior Dodd crafted a classy 47.
Senior Browning led superbly with 59, dominating once settled. Late contributions, including a father-son partnership between Parker and Dec Reeves, pushed the total to a competitive score.
In reply, Browning bowled eight straight overs for 1/30.
Knight claimed an excellent 3/9, while Jim Reeves (2/20) and Taj Parker (2/9) kept the pressure on.
Jack Browning produced one of the catches of the season, and Tathila Suriyapathiranalage closed the innings with 1/12 as the Bushrangers were dismissed for 100.
The Lakers now return home to face premiership favourites Moyhu in the final round.
Under 16s face tough outing
The Under 16s travelled to Wangaratta to face City Colts and Bar Reserve.
Sent into the field after losing the toss, they encountered a dominant batting display, conceding 3/278 with two half-centuries and a retired century recorded.
In reply, Hargreaves and Billy Stevens made a steady start, but the Lakers struggled against accurate bowling and were dismissed for 62.
The Under 16s will aim to finish strongly against Delatite next week.
Under 14 Bulls finish with heads held high
The YMCC Under 14 Bulls endured a tough loss to Benalla but once again displayed excellent character and sportsmanship.
Batting first, they made 107, led by Taj Parker’s impressive 47 and Finn O’Bryan’s 24.
Defending the total proved challenging against strong opposition batting, but the Bulls persisted throughout.
Tathila Suriyapathiranalage claimed two deserved wickets.
The group closes the season proud of its effort, supported by a terrific parent group throughout the year.
Under 14 Rams just pipped by Greta
A disciplined bowling performance restricted Greta to 198, with wickets shared across the attack.
Kirsty Plevnik starred with 3/22, while Byron Dodd was economical with 1/21 and took four catches.
Support came from Vagg, Wollington, McLarty, Cowan and Brown.
Despite the strong team effort, the Rams fell just short. They now host Beechworth in a do-or-die finals clash.
Under 12 Bulls record big win
Hosting City Colts at Matt McCabe Oval, the Bulls posted 6/113, highlighted by Darcy O’Dwyer’s quickfire 22 and contributions throughout the order. Myles Cowan impressed with an unbeaten 10, while Finn McDonald and others added valuable runs.
The bowlers responded strongly. Ollie McDonald swung the ball beautifully, skipper Jack O’Dwyer conceded just two runs from his overs, and Flynn Connell claimed two wickets.
The Colts were restricted to 6/68 in a comprehensive team win.
Representative cricket
Isaac McLarty represented Southern Riverina Under 12s in their Derek Rogers Cup Grand Final victory, contributing strongly as an opening batter and in the field.
Byron Dodd, Benji Wollington and Taj Parker also represented Southern Riverina in the Geoff Lawson Cup Grand Final.
Unfortunately, they didn’t come away with the win coming in short of 16 runs. All boys got a start with the bat. Byron opened with a very solid 35 and Benj made 14, Taj 11 after coming in at the end. All three boys bowled well also Taj 1/16, Benj 0/12 and Byron 0/16.