Victorian Premier Cricket: ‘Elite’ display but Frankston Peninsula falls short in season-opener
There was “top shelf’’ brilliance and career-best performances but Frankston Peninsula ended up disappointed after a tense start to the Victorian Premier Cricket season.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport . Followed categories will be added to My News.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for Frankston Peninsula as the Victorian Premier Cricket season got underway on Saturday.
The young Heat side took it up to last season’s grand finalists Casey South Melbourne at Jubilee Park, and for most of the game looked headed for victory, only to stumble late and lose by 15 runs.
The highlight of the match came before midday when young Heat wicketkeeper Sean van Wijk executed a lightning quick leg-side stumping to dismiss Casey South Melbourne’s Daud Malik and give debutant Luke Kranzbuhler his first wicket.
Taking the ball cleanly, Van Wijk whipped the bails off with his right hand as the central umpire signalled a wide.
Daud was on his way.
“It was just elite, top shelf,’’ Frankston Peninsula coach Peter Marshall said.
Van Wijk, who’s filling the huge shoes of retired keeper Jacques Augustin, had an excellent game. He also took a catch, didn’t let through a bye and made a fighting 23 with the bat.
Casey South Melbourne batted first and put up 174.
Frankston Peninsula’s bowling and fielding was sharp as paceman Aidan Lenehan captured a career-best 4-27 off 9.3 overs and spinner Bailen Clarke 3-40 off 10 overs.
Swans captain Devin Pollock top-scored with 33 before falling victim to Kranzbuhler, who finished with a respectable 2-35 off 10 overs.
In reply, Frankston Peninsula crashed to 2-9 and then 4-34 before van Wijk and opener Charlie Maxwell led a rebuild, taking the score to 4-80.
Maxwell made a crisp 58 (off 62 balls), putting away 7 fours and 2 sixes, in his first half-century at this level — in just his fifth match.
When Maxwell departed, van Wijk was joined by Kranzbuhler and they put on 49 to take the score to 5-129 before was out for 33 (off 49 balls).
With victory in its sights, Frankston Peninsula lost its last four wickets for eight runs to go from 6-151 to 159 all out as Swans bowling stars Nathan Lambden (4-37) and Ruwantha Kellapotha (2-24) asserted their authority.
Frankston Peninsula had let slip an opportunity to upset last season’s grand finalists.
“We should have won,’’ Marshall said.
“It’s a game we should have won. We deserved to win. In footy parlance we outplayed them for three quarters of the game but Lambden, (Jackson) Fry and Kellepotha stood up when they had to with the ball.
“And somehow we lost our way when we needed 17 runs off 42 balls to win and we just lost our way.’’
Despite the loss, Marshall said Frankston would benefit from the first-up outing.
“We’ve come away with belief that we can compete,’’ he said.
“We’re not making up the numbers, we’re young, people said that we lacked some bowling. Well, our bowlers stood up. Lenehan took his first four-for in Premier Cricket. Bailen Clarke was outstanding, he took three-for and should have had four.
“Charlie Maxwell scored his first fifty in Premier Cricket. He’s played five games of Premier Cricket. Sean van Wijk has played three games of Premier Cricket. Kranzbuhler made 33 and took two wickets in his first game.
“We’re disappointed but we’ve got to learn from it.
“We’ve got to learn when we get ourselves in a position to win games like that we should get the points.
“I think it sends a strong message to our group that we can compete but it also sends a strong message to the competition that perhaps we’re not going to be easybeats while we’re re-building.’’
In the seconds, Lachlan Walsh made 95 off 135 balls, with 6 fours, and Josh Hotson cracked 65 off 77 to set up Frankston Peninsula’s 214. But Casey South Melbourne won on DLS after making 2-153, with Nick England, against his former side, making 61 and Lenny Wilton 60no off 51 balls.
There was a tie in the thirds, while Frankston Peninsula won the fourths, with Lachlan Curtis (74), Cooper Remy (49no) and Tom Bath (36) in the runs.
CSB Championship Division ins, outs, key players for every club
There’s been some big comings and goings ahead of the Cricket Southern Bayside Championship season. Here’s a club-by-club guide, with all the ins, outs, key players and analysis.
Imports to bolster Kew’s premiership defence
After a against-the-odds premiership last season, Kew will be the hunted in VSDCA North-East this time around and has welcomed a trio of overseas recruits.