Subbies cricket: Ormond, Moorabbin take vital wins as tussle for top six tightens
Four teams are on 36 points and fighting for finals positions as the Sub-District cricket north-south section heads for a thrilling final two rounds.
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A valuable seventh-wicket partnership, handy runs from the last pair and an “unbelievable’’ catch contributed to a crucial win for Ormond over Plenty Valley in the Round 11 VSDCA north-south section match at EE Gunn Reserve on Saturday.
The Monders protected 9-148 in the one-dayer, dismissing the Bats for 130 to stay in the top six.
It’s desperately tight in the fight for finals places, with four teams on 36 points and Kew (33) and Elsternwick (30) still roughies to sneak in.
For a number of contenders, slip-ups could be season-ending.
Ormond slumped to 4-15 against Plenty Valley and then 6-63.
But Blade Baxter (33 off 68 balls) and James Bartholomeusz (31 off 41, with 6 fours) rescued the innings with a partnership of 64, and then the returning Tom Stait (11no) and Rodney Bird (10no) put on an unbeaten 21 for the 10th peg.
They were vital runs given the final totals.
Ormond’s bowling has been terrific all season and it came through again.
Stump-to-stump merchant Brendan Barry took 3-17 off nine overs, Bird 2-15 off 7.1, Baxter 1-22 off eight, left-armer Stait 1-35 off eight and captain James Wild 2-30 off seven.
Baxter also pulled off a catch that Wild held up as one of the best he had seen in cricket, with the former Premier player running back from mid-on and plucking a one-hander to remove Simon Black for 18.
“He was nowhere … he should never have caught it,’’ Wild said.
“Wish there was video of it. It was freakish. That’s what you get from him. He’s a pure athlete and he gives 110 per cent every time he plays cricket. He’s like a border collie. ’’
Wild said he “put a rocket up’’ his middle and lower-order after a disappointing effort against
Malvern, and the players responded to make up for the top-order failures.
The Monders finish the home-and-away fixtures against St Bernards and Caulfield, and have marked them “must-win’’ affairs.
Wild said of the logjam on the ladder: “How good is it? What an even competition. It’s been a really good season. I’ve loved it. Been competitive every game.’’
Elsternwick captain Cam Christiansen said the ladder was “chockers’’. And although his side is on the outside and looking in to the top six, it’s still in contention and looking to repeat last season’s jaw-dropping run, when it stormed into the finals in the final round and went through to the grand final.
On Saturday Christiansen hit 96 to lead the Wicks (7-177) to a tense, tight victory over Malvern (7-173).
Christiansen faced 134 balls and put away 4 fours and 3 sixes, sharing useful stands with Pat Gorman (30) and Lachie Baker (24).
Gorman also did his bit with the ball, taking 2-36 with his left-arm spin. Hugh Bennett bowled an important spell with 2-23 off nine.
Roosters captain Luke Walker played another good innings, being run out for 65.
“We’d have to win our last two and have some results go our way … been there before, I guess,’’ Christiansen said of his side’s finals prospects.
“We’ll see if we can get some points next week (against Plenty Valley, away) and go from there.
“They’re all tough games, as the ladder shows. There are plenty of good teams. It’s about winning those small battles, taking catches and that sort of thing.’’
Moorabbin last played finals in 1993-94, but the Binners have got on a roll and jumped to fifth on the ladder after crushing Preston at Moorleigh Village Community Reserve.
They batted first and piled up 8-234, Vishva Wijeratne again in the runs with 62 as he took his season tally past 500. Captain and opener Romain Grenville raced to 31, No 3 Jumin Shaiju made 49 and Englishman Karl Carver was 42 not out.
Holten Medal hope Carver then took 2-12 off his six overs as the visitors fell for 150.
Caulfield gave top team Oakleigh a drubbing, knocking it over for 136 and replying with 3-138.
Graeme Rummans steered the course of the run chase, coming in with 72 not out as his aggregate swelled to 577 runs at 72.1.
Allrounder Liam Campbell took the bowling figures with 4-31 off nine overs.
Brighton raised 213 against St Bernard’s but it wasn’t enough at Brighton Beach Oval.
The visitors replied with 7-214, achieving victory with four balls to spare.
Jordan Mills set it up with a rousing 85 off 76 balls, spiced with 5 sixes and 6 fours.
Only Cal Rayner (1-28 off nine overs) escaped the Mills blast.