MPCA: Flinders batters Sam Gove and Kane Hawkins score centuries
Two Flinders young guns cracked centuries as the Sharks recorded back-to-back wins in MPCA Peninsula on the weekend.
South East
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Flinders’ late bid to sneak into the MPCA Peninsula finals is alive after it banked two wins over the weekend.
And it was a weekend when the Sharks’ talented youngsters came of age.
Sam Gove, 15, scored his maiden century to set up Flinders’ thumping win over Rosebud on Saturday before Kane Hawkins blasted a ton on Sunday in their win over Somerville.
Suddenly, Flinders is only a game out of the top four.
Gove opened the batting and made 107 (2 sixes and 5 fours), dismissed second last ball of the innings as Flinders posted 5-224 against Rosebud.
The Frankston Peninsula Dowling Shield player shared a 150-run opening partnership with Hawkins, who crunched 74.
Flinders’ new skipper Liam Wolters chimed in with 30.
In reply, Rosebud was shot out for 105 in 32.2 overs, with Shaun Cairns (3-12), Caleb Nennstiel (3-23) and Luke Reynolds (2-21) sharing the wickets.
Gove, who has played a lot of cricket lately, was rested for Sunday’s game against Somerville.
But Hawkins played…and went bang, smacking 122 (with 9 sixes and 5 fours) as Flinders surged to 7-211 at Somerville.
It was the big hitter’s second century for Flinders.
His two trips to the batting crease on the weekend yielded 196 runs.
Blake Hogan-Keogh also impressed with 42 and Jackson Coles made a handy 18.
In reply, Somerville found the target too steep, finishing 9-182, despite an excellent innings by Leigh Lowry, who made 86.
Flinders’ bowling was led by 15-year-old Max Wilkinson, who snared 4-28 off eight overs with his mediums. Cairns capped a good weekend with 2-32.
Moorooduc climbed to fourth spot after beating Mornington and Rosebud on the weekend.
Oshadha Ariyadasa (39), Madushanka Perera (38), Sumeth Premathilake (2-20) and Josh Westwater (2-19) fired in the Ducs’ win over Mornington.
Shane Hockey did best for the Bulldogs with 71.
On Sunday, Westwater grabbed 4-31 and Ariyadasa 3-15 as Moorooduc rolled Rosebud for 114 and then got the runs — just — with Premathilake scoring 39 not out.
In other results, Pines batsman Harley Peace-Stirling returned to form with 85 off 117 balls in the Piners’ win over Heatherhill on Sunday.
Pines posted 6-187 and then dismissed the Hills for 139 to claim bragging rights in the top-of-the-table clash.
Billy Humphrey (3-34) and Ricky Ramsdale (3-26) led the Piners bowling.
It was a mixed weekend for Pines, which lost to Somerville on Saturday.
Eagles opener Brenton Alp blasted 88, taking his season runs tally to 385, at 48.13.
In Provincial, Langwarrin has climbed to third spot after a pair of wins on the weekend.
Langy coach Matt Prosser made 83 to steer his side to a stirring run chase win over Long Island at Karingal on Sunday, the Roos (6-157) reaching the target with six balls to spare.
Prosser, who also took 3-36, received vital support from his younger brother Sam Prosser, who made 19 not out after going in at 4-83.
Zac Wilson made 61 for Long Island, which lost both of its games on the weekend and has slipped to sixth spot.
Reigning premiers Sorrento is clinging on to fourth spot after dropping both of its games over the weekend.
The Sharks suffered a stinging loss to Red Hill on Sunday as Simon Dart continued his purple patch of form since returning from Japan.
Dart made 72 to steer the Hillmen to 135, and in reply Sorrento crashed to be all out for 102.
Red Hill paceman Lincoln Toy was the destroyer with 3-12 off eight overs, while Adam Slack (2-7) and Brent Martin (2-12) also impressed.
Red Hill has won three of its last five games to not only ease relegation fears but now emerge as an outside chance to make finals.
It was Red Hill’s second win over Sorrento in seven days following its Peacock Cup T20 title victory.
Dart has peeled off 483 runs, at 80.50, in eight games this season.
Red Hill was on the wrong side of a high-scoring thriller against Baden Powell on Saturday.
The Hillmen batted first and put up 1-229 off their 40.
Luke Robertson blazed his maiden Red Hill century, carrying his bat to make 114 not out off 127 balls, with 12 fours.
Dart was unbeaten on 79.
In reply, Baden Powell blasted off, powering to victory in only 34.5 overs, making 4-232.
Opener Beau Anthony lit the fuse with 75 off 68 balls (with 5 sixes) and Craig Entwistle (47 off 35 balls) and Rhys Elmi (59no off 57) joined the run feast.
Baden Powell cemented top spot with a nine-run win over bottom side Mt Eliza at Overport Park on Sunday.
Entwistle continued his hot form with 36 at the top of the list as the Braves put up 7-178.
Mt Eliza in reply got close, making 9-169, with Nick Strickland (49), Sam Glenn (32) and Shaun Knott (32) batting well.
On Sunday, Old Peninsula blazed 6-216 to set up a strong win over Baxter (169).
Wade Pelzer (57), Justin Grant (38), Dylan O’Malley (34) and Ben Stewart (32) were in the runs for the Pirates before Grant (2-31) removed Baxter gun Daniel Warwick for 40 in a key moment.
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