Beer skittles Box Hill as Malvern picks up vital Subbies win

The spotlight settled on former Test player Michael Beer and club mainstay Tim Arbon in Malvern’s win over Box Hill

Milestone man: Tim Arbon at Box Hill City Oval on Saturday.

On a day when two of its former young players took to the Premier Cricket stage for the first time, Malvern could also hold up in lights the efforts of two of its more senior men on Saturday.

Ex-Test spinner Michael Beer collected his best figures of the season, 4-17 off eight overs, as the Roosters gained a vital win over Box Hill at the City Oval.

It made for a good celebration for fellow slowie Tim Arbon, who was playing his 200th match for the club.

Malvern, fourth on the ladder and trying to push into the top three with one round remaining before the finals, made 7-169 from its 40 overs, recovering from the sticky start of 3-30.

Tom Rickarby (68 off 75 balls, with 9 fours and 1 six) and Randy Pathirana (50no off 83 deliveries) put on 107 for the fourth wicket, with Rickarby going past 400 runs for the season.

Parth Mehta (3-26) and Hayden Rayner (2-23) got to work with the new ball for the Hills.

Whack: Malvern batsman Tom Rickarby pulls for six.

But they were never in the run chase after Beer, arrowing in on the stumps, set off a collapse of 4-14.

He bowled three Box Hill batsmen and trapped another LBW.

Coach Chris McCormick and Glen Parker picked up two wickets apiece as the Roosters restricted Box Hill to 8-121.

Arbon opened the bowling, went wicketless and wasn’t required to bat; there was far less action for him than in the 2013-14 grand final, when from No 10 he thumped 48 not out to win the Jack Sheehan Medal as man of the match in the win over fierce rival Caulfield.

He won’t forget that final – and if he has his way, others at Malvern won’t forget it either!

Box Hill players celebrate an early wicket for Parth Mehta.

The club was thrilled to have former players Max Stevenson (St Kilda) and Zack Richardson (Kingston Hawthorn) make their first appearances in Premier Cricket on Saturday.

Stevenson, who had made his debut for Malvern at the age of 14 (just as Damon Egan had), made 25 for the Saints and Richardson took 2-44 of seven overs against Carlton.

Malvern plays Brighton in next Saturday’s final round, with the winner to receive a home final in the qualifying finals.

The Tonners dominated battling Moorabbin, stacking up 6-249 after batting first.

There were runs for opener Brenton Murphy (89 off 90 balls, with 8 fours and 1 six), Charith Cooray (36) and champion Ricky Damiano (51 off 51 balls).

Caulfield’s Alexander Bodycoat goes at Ormond. Picture: Valeriu Campan

The Binners struggled to 9-121. Luke Shimmin took 3-28 off his eight overs to go to 19 wickets for the season, and left-arm quickie Justin Butterfield and leggie Duncan McKenzie both took two wickets.

Moorabbin captain Roshie Livera resisted for 35. It’s been a tough season for the Bins, but Livera has led them well and their grand final appearance in the T20 against Oakleigh was a lifter for the club.

Caulfield was too good for Ormond in the key match-up at The Gunn.

Jayden Banks returned from injury to capture 4-24 off seven overs and Alexander Bodycoat took 3-25 off eight for the visitors as they knocked over Ormond for 129.

A wicket for Fielder Jayden Banks. Picture: Valeriu Campan

They got the runs with ease, three wickets down in the 34th over.

The great Graeme Rummans pinged 43 off 42 balls and skipper Jacob Thorne was 56 not out as he quietly accumulates the sort of numbers that will put him in line for a fifth Val Holten Medal.

Thorne has hit 363 runs at 40 and taken 23 wickets at 11.9.

At Oakleigh, left-arm spinner Jack Blyth nabbed 4-4 off 5.5 overs as the Oaks, protecting only 134, hustled out Mt Waverley for 50.

Of course, Alexander Jones and Michael Splatt picked up early wickets with the new ball.