Premier Cricket: Simon Hill ton leads Camberwell Magpies to final-ball win over Northcote
Simon Hill carded his 15th Premier Cricket ton for the Camberwell Magpies on Saturday, but Northcote went awfully close to spoiling the day.
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Needing a six off the last ball to secure a remarkable victory, Northcote’s Blayde Baker went awfully close to being chaired shoulder high from the ground at Bill Lawry Oval on Saturday.
But the Dragons skipper could only manage to edge Will Walker’s last delivery through the slips for a four and the Camberwell Magpies saluted by the narrowest of margins.
Camberwell coach Brad Loveluck said he was just happy to come out on the right side of the nailbiting finish.
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“We brought third man up and (Walker) bowled it pretty full,” he said. “And he nicked it through slips for four. I was surprised he didn’t swing through the line and go over the top and down the ground, it was the shortest boundary.”
It was a remarkable day that had more twists and turns than a spectator could have dared hope for.
More than 600 runs scored in a day, yet another Simon Hill century for the Magpies followed by a brilliant ton from Northcote’s Steve Taylor and few more half-century cameos to boot.
Hill, carding his 15th Premier Cricket ton, was again the magnificent mainstay of a Camberwell batting performance, his 107 coming off 108 balls in 172 minutes with 10 fours and a six.
Along the way he shared two vital partnerships, 59 for the third wicket with James Rosewarne (43) and 149 for the fifth with former skipper Tom Russ.
Russ carded a crucial 79 off 62 balls with eight fours and three sixes, holding down his end as the Magpies ran up an imposing 8-302 from their allotted overs.
Loveluck was full of praise for Hill, who has taken on the captaincy while Andrew Fekete is absent with state team commitments.
“He’s (Hill) really revitalised this year, he’s been such a good leader,” Loveluck said. “It was a really important partnership he had with Rosewarne at the start and then he had 149 with Russy. He’s probably one of the hardest workers at the club as well.”
The Dragons’ pursuit of the target took off at a rate of knots as Taylor (110), Mark Phelan (26) and Joshua Sundberg (60) took the score to 1-144.
Taylor’s ton, coming off 100 balls with 10 fours and six sixes, looked to have set Northcote well on the road to victory.
“It was a really good run chase, we just got big wickets at big times,” Loveluck said.
“We didn’t bowl particularly badly, Taylor was brilliant and got them off to a flyer.”
Gradually, however, the Magpies attack tightened the screws and the asking rate began to climb.
Though a run-a-ball 55 from Elliot Brandon-Jones made things interesting, Walker (3-56) and Matt Whittaker (2-50) eventually held the Dragons to 9-301.
The win takes Camberwell to 2-2 for the season and Loveluck said his side was progressing steadily.
“It’s not bad start, we’re building,” he said. “We’re still learning and we’ve got some good stocks in the twos as well.”
This week, the Camberwell Magpies play host to Casey-South Melbourne in the first day of a two-dayer at the Camberwell Sports Ground.
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