Premier Cricket: Mark Phelan century guides Northcote to win
IN-FORM opener Mark Phelan blazed his second hundred of the Premier Cricket season to lead Northcote to a much-needed win over Greenvale Kangaroos on Sunday.
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IN-FORM opener Mark Phelan blazed his second hundred of the Premier Cricket season to lead Northcote to a much-needed win over Greenvale Kangaroos on Sunday.
Phelan compiled 112 from 190 deliveries, enjoying a matchwinning 127-run fourth-wicket partnership with Max O’Sullivan (80 not out) after the Roos posted 200 on day one.
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The pair had little trouble reeling in the required 85 runs for victory after Englishman Will Sheffield (2-51) skittled his compatriot George Garton, who contributed a valuable 23 as nightwatchman.
O’Sullivan’s knock was full of panache, clubbing nine boundaries and three sixes in a blistering innings which briefly had Northcote dreaming of outright points.
Phelan was the bedrock of the chase, taking his season tally to 364 runs at 60.7 to sit second on the competition’s runs chart behind Dandenong’s Brett Forsyth.
“He’s the fittest and strongest he’s ever been and he has hit more balls this season than he probably ever has,” Dragons coach Steve Taylor said.
“It comes through in his game. He knows exactly where he wants to score and he’s able to do it consistently.”
The other major positive for Northcote from the seven-wicket win was the return to form and full fitness of all-rounder Sam Harbinson.
Sharing the new ball with English debutant Garton, Harbinson snared match figures of 7-68 across two innings.
“He’s bowling the quickest and most consistent he ever has,” Taylor said.
“He has faith in his body that he can get through and he’s bowling beautifully. It’s the best I have seen him bowl.”
Garton had a dramatic start to his stint at Bill Lawry Oval, banished from the attack after bowling two waist-high no-balls in 5.1 overs on Saturday.
“He was slipping and unfortunately he bowled a couple of full ones,” Taylor said.
“When he got it right he was certainly the quickest I have stood behind the stumps to.
“He’ll look to build on that next week and as he gets fitter. I’m very excited that him and (Harbinson) can make the attack their own.”
Greenvale thwarted the Dragons’ pursuit of maximum points, finishing 5-166 at stumps.
Northcote sits 13th and takes on Monash Tigers in Round 7, which starts this weekend.
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