Here we are again cricket lovers with Country Cricket's most legendary performances of the weekend.
It's getting harder and harder to make this list as 5fers and hundreds no long guarantee one of a spot in the top 10. Word is travelling and lobbying has started in order to get people selected. Now, I'm not saying that I can be swayed by an email or a Facebook message but between you and me......... I can.
There are always some unlucky legends who just fall short of the mark each week. I like to provide them with encouragement and let them know how close they were. Realistically, these three fellas were probably only a nice email away from being included. Here are this week's honourable mentions.
James Moss from the Stansbury Cricket Club in the Lower Yorke Peninsula Cricket Association. James smashed 94 from 66 deliveries including 5 fours and 6 sixes in a match-winning knock. Sorry James. No hundred, no list for you.
Charat Singh from Blyth/Kybunga's A1 side in the Stanley Cricket Assocation. Charat dominated with the ball taking 5 for 12 from 6.4 overs of work. That's good but not good enough to get on this list.
Jack Slattery from Clare Combined's A2 team, also in Stanley Cricket. Jack collected a nice 43* with the bat and then returned figures of 5 for 22 with the ball. Very unlucky Jack, but this is a hard list to make. More runs are needed next week.
Now the pleasantries are out of the way, let's check out those who did make the grade this week. (Or those who sucked up the best).
10. Horsell(s) leads Mount Barker to victory
This is the first entry on this exclusive list from South Australia’s Alexandra and Eastern Hills Cricket Association. I could have listed Rhys Paterson's mullet, which is in the top 3 best of all time in this humble scribes opinion. He is now my spirit animal. But, to more serious matters.
Mount Barker travelled to Woodside Oval for their A2 clash with the hosts. Mount Barker won the toss and elected to bat. Losing their second wicket with the score at 49, Brad Horsell strode to the wicket and proceeded to put on a show for all in attendance.
Horsell smashed 12 fours and 4 sixes on his way to 95 from just 73 deliveries. His innings was the catalyst for Mount Barker’s eventual total of 8 for 239 from their 50 overs. But the Horsell family day was wasn’t over yet.
Coming on 3rd change with the ball, son Brad's son Bailey bowled a match-winning spell of 4 for 41 from 8 overs to help bowl out Woodside for 164. And this story gets even better! Bailey backed up in A2's after playing Under 16's in the morning. In the morning's outing, Bailey took a HAT TRICK! Now that's a family day out.
***NOTE*** Huge thanks to Nathan Williams who contacted me about the original write up for this entry. You see, on My Cricket I saw was "B Horsall". I assumed they were the same person! Bailey, get down to dee poll and change that first name of yours unless you want dad claiming your wickets. (I'm sure he would have been happy to claim them).
9. Bernet blasts century in Apollo Bay win
Apollo Bay hit the road on Saturday looking to keep their spot in the top two intact in Colac and Districts Division two cricket. After being set 113 to win by Deans Marsh, Apollo Bay’s Billey Bernet strode to the crease with the score at 1 for 97 and still plenty of overs to bat.
With the pressure off, Bernet smashed the Deans Marsh bowling to all parts. Bernet belted 13 fours and 2 sixes on his way to 102 from 70 balls. His innings helped Apollo Bay to a percentage boosting 3 for 308 from their 40 overs.
8. Doecke repays selectors with a brilliant hundred
Angaston’s Luke Doecke was brought back into the A1 team this week after a solid 48 in the A2 team last week against Hamley Bridge. After winning the toss and batting Luke was sent to the middle to open the batting against the in-form Sandy Creek.
He would stay in the middle for just over 4 hours, smashing 14 fours and 2 sixes on his way to a brilliant 116. As a result, Angaston was able to set Sandy Creek a target of 273 for victory next week with Doecke anchoring their innings.
7. Horsham Saints Vekariya cleans up the tail
In the Horsham Cricket Association, B grade clash at Dimboola Recreation Reserve Blackheath/Dimboola took on the Horsham Saints. The hosts went into the game undefeated and chose well at the toss, winning it and elected to bat.
After some early jitters, Blackheath/Dimboola was cruising along well at 3 for 86 before an almighty collapse was triggered by Harry Freak who took 2 important wickets. From this point, it was the Rushit Vekariya show. Four of the next five wickets fell to Vekariya, including the prized wicket of the opposition skipper Brodie Cramer for 43.
Vekariya wasted no time in cleaning up the tail finishing with the figures of 7.5 overs, 5 maidens, 5 for 5. They lost 6 for 4 during the collapse with Horsham Saints winning the game by 6 wickets as a result.
6. Schoolboy takes 6 wickets in Colac Division One cricket
City United handed the all-conquering Stoneyford its first loss of the season in the Colac and District Crickets Division One competition on Saturday. City United batted first and posted a competitive total of 5 for 223. Stoneyford started the run chase well enough and looked on target at 2 for 72.
Teenager Aanlin Cheeran came into the attack and ran through the top sides middle order. Cheeran took 5 of the next 7 wickets to fall, helping to reduce Stoneyford to 9 for 136. When the number 8 and 11 Stoneyford batters combined for a 39-run partnership to keep hopes alive of an unlikely fightback, Cheeran came back on to finish the job.
He took the wicket of Menzies to claim his 6th of the match for just 45 runs in a match-winning performance.
5. McIver destroys Greenock batting lineup
When the skipper wins the toss and puts the opposition in to bat first there is plenty of pressure on the opening bowlers to get the job done. So it was at Willaston in the A2 clash between the home side and Greenock.
McIver was tossed the new ball and 37 over later he walked from the ground with Greenock all out for just 66. McIver had bowled half of those overs, finishing with the awesome figures of 6 for 17 from 18.3 overs. Well bowled sir.
4. Launer still hungry for runs
Eudunda-Robertstown was sent into bat by Kapunda in their A2 clash at Eudunda on Saturday. In making their decision, Kapunda forgot to factor in the most in-form player in the competition, Blake Launer.
Coming off a lazy 195 and a 5fer in his previous outing, Launer proceeded to smash the Kaunda bowling to all parts of Eudunda Oval. He would eventually fall for a magnificent 145 from just 118 balls which included 23 fours and 1 six. This man gets hungrier for runs every week.
3. Mypolonga roll Jervois for combined 75 in two games.
Twenty wickets were taken over two matches for just 75 runs in total. This was the fate that Jervois suffered on Saturday at the hands of the rampaging Mypolonga in Murray Towns Cricket. In the A grade clash, the top side batted first and racked up an impressive total of 7 for 246 from their 50 overs. But it was with the ball that Mypo did the most damage.
They ran through the Jervois batting lineup in just 20 overs, skittling them for 51. The same two clubs faced each other in the B Grade clash with the Tigers even more brutal. This time Jervois batted first and lasted less than 15 overs, all out for just 24. To top off the humiliation, not one Jervois batter managed double figures in either match.
2. St Mary’s beat Watchem Panthers in 13 overs
Folks, that isn’t 13 overs in the run chase. That’s 13 overs…….total. The Panthers were hosting this weeks Wimmera Mallee B grade clash against St Mary's. They won the toss and elected to bat first. It didn’t go well. Only three batters registered scores for the Panthers on their way to be all out for just 14. It took just 11 overs. St Mary’s opening bowler Bailey Watts did most of the damage finishing with figures of 6 for 6 from 5 overs.
In reply, St Mary’s needed just 11 balls to knock off the target. They were an eventful 11 balls. Five of them went to the boundary and two wickets were taken including that of Shannon Bartlett who was run out for a diamond duck.
1. Cullinan hits 15 sixes in video game knock
In Red Cliffs Cricket, Curlwaa Islanders skipper Kym Lorincz must have giggled like a schoolgirl when he won the toss in Saturday’s B grade clash with Nursery Ridge. He knew he was about to unleash Jason Cullinan at the top of the order who was coming off a century last week in what was his first hit of the season.
Cullinan was even more brutal this week. Jason plundered the Nursery Bridge bowling attack as if he was playing his own, personal video game. He bludgeoned 19 fours and 15 sixes on his way to 206 from just 104 balls faced. The Islanders would rack up a massive total of 2 for 374. That total is even more impressive given the B grade matches in Red Cliffs cricket are only 35 overs per innings.
Congratulations Jason for winning this week's Feat of the Week. Your prize for winning is a copy of the Ricky Ponting Cricket video game from 2005…… If I can find one. I'll be in touch if I do.
