Premier Cricket: Frankston Peninsula remains in finals hunt
Career-best performances by two former MPCA players helped the Heat beat Camberwell Magpies and keep their Premier Cricket finals hopes alive.
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There were a couple of notable PBs in Frankston Peninsula’s 53-run win over Camberwell Magpies on Saturday.
Nick Taranto, who was playing local cricket at Tyabb last season, opened the batting and top scored for the Heat with 58.
And Liam Cox, the impressive 21-year-old seamer from Seaford Tigers, captured 4-32 off 8.4 overs.
The importance of the link between the Mornington Peninsula association and Frankston Peninsula was again underlined as the Heat (9-209) proved too strong for the Magpies (156).
Taranto is having a golden summer with the bat after starting in the Heat’s thirds.
His 10 innings for Frankston in all grades this season has brought 431 runs, at 47.90.
On Saturday, Taranto combined with Brodie Symons (55) for a vital 105-run third wicket partnership as the Heat motored towards 200.
“That was really important,” Frankston Peninsula coach Paul Boraston said of the Taranto-Symons union.
“It got us from 2-40 up to 2-145 with 10 (overs) to go.
“Nick just continues on, he’s been really consistent through all grades. He started in the thirds and I think it’s about his fifth or sixth half-century for the season. He’s in some good form.”
Cox cut through the Magpies middle order with his relentless stump-to-stump style.
“He’s been building nicely over the last month,” Boraston said.
“It was really good reward for him to get some wickets.
“He bowled really well, straight, stump to stump with the keeper up at the stumps…yeah, his four wickets were good reward for the work he’s been putting in.
“It’s really good that someone like that can come through the local ranks and start performing.”
For Camberwell Magpies, Dhruv Redhu had an excellent debut, taking 3-44 and making 30 with the bat at No.8.
Cox’s wicket haul included star young Magpie Liam Fitzpatrick for 59.
Frankston Peninsula spinner Jack Conroy also had a stellar game, collecting 3-25 off eight overs to reduce the Magpies from 3-48 to 6-52.
He also smacked 30 not out off 26 balls with the bat.
“He had 3-3 off 3 overs,” Boraston said.
“He changed the game and the momentum was all ours.
“A good all round game from Jack.”
Frankston Peninsula has won three of its past five games to climb to 12th spot, seven points behind eighth-placed Footscray.
“With five games to go we’re still alive,” Boraston said.
“The club is going well, we won three out of four (games on Saturday) again.
“We’re up to ninth on the club championship, so we’re sitting in the top part which is probably somewhere we haven’t been for a long time.
“There’s good depth at the club and good performances from individuals who are constantly putting pressure on players above, and that’s helping us.
“So we’re in a good position. The threes are on top, the fours are fifth and the ones and twos…it’s in their hands I guess.”
The Heat host fifth-placed Richmond on Saturday.
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