Collendina sets a new first grade record with 7-559 against St Leonards

An inspired recruiting drive and focus on club culture has seen Wallington rise to the top of the table as Collendina shattered a first grade record for the most team runs.

Wallington coach Matt Sampson-Barnes continues to battle an ongoing health issue as the Wallabies roar into finals. Picture: Mark Wilson

Barrabool has hung onto fourth place in the BPCA’s top tier and will play finals after Jan Juc collapsed from a position of strength against Barwon Heads.

Coming into day two of Round 14 A1 cricket, the fourth-placed Bulls sought to defend 209 against Queenscliff at Ceres Recreation Reserve while the Sharks, a rung below on the table, were chasing 221 for victory against the Seagulls at Bob Pettitt Reserve.

And it appeared Jan Juc might steal a finals place before they collapsed and fell 21 runs short.

Barwon Heads captain Daniel Donaldson (4-59 off 23.3 overs) stood up for the defending champions, taking the key wicket of Jack Taylor for 70.

A number of Sharks batters got starts – Nick Hyden (28), Alex Rowden (25), Peter Buszard (23) – but none could kick on.

Drysdale’s Blake Dobbin finished the regular season equal first in the bowling aggregate with 24 wickets. Picture: Mark Wilson

Harry Hyland also chipped in with 2-31 as the reigning premiers now prepare for Anglesea in a semi-final and a rematch of last year’s grand final.

The Roos, who haven’t won since Australia Day, are in something of a slump after being resorted to 5-8 and then 6-16 in reply to Drysdale’s 199 before Jason Lengyel (36 not out) and Victor Morrow (35) added 54 runs for the seventh wicket.

Anglesea were eventually dismissed for 113 (David Sykes 5-39, Blake Dobbin 4-29).

Meanwhile, the Coutas got home by four wickets with key runs from Lachie Kidd (86), Toby Smith (60), Lochie Philp (54), Tom Kidd (20) and William Boyd (22 not out).

Drysdale’s Dave Sykes. Picture: Mark Wilson

James Fisher was the only multiple wicket taker with 4-54, and finished the regular season equal with Anglesea’s Michael Thornton and Dobbin on a league-high 24 wickets.

Barrabool will face Armstrong Creek from next Saturday in a semi-final after the Titans enjoyed a solid tune-up with a seven-wicket defeat of Ocean Grove.

The Titans made short work of the Grubbers’ 8-144 with Chris Marsiglio (50), Ben Norgrove (35 not out), Clay Mulgrew (31)and Adam Trevean (21 not out) getting a solid hit out.

Mulgrew won the A1 batting aggregate for the second year running with 724 runs at 65.82.

Armstrong Creek have won eight of its past nine games, with its Round 13 match against Barrabool a draw after the second Saturday was heated off.

Wallington’s UK imports guide the Wallabies to the top of the table

A Wallington side with a strong English flavour will chase its maiden finals win in seven years after completing a superb home and away season in A2 with a crushing outright defeat of Newcomb in Round 14.

The Wallabies finished the regular season 10-2 after smashing 4-368 on day one at Oakdene Oval – a club record – before rolling the undermanned Bulls for 85 (Jason Clark) and 128 (Shane Healey 60 off 59 balls) on Saturday.

It’s the first time the Wallabies’ first team has finished on top of the table since the 2017-18 season, completing a 10-0 campaign in the BPCA’s B Grade.

They will now chase their maiden finals win since they beat Drysdale by six wickets in a semi that same season.

Wallington coach Matt Sampson-Barnes is one of four Englishmen in the Wallabies team. Picture: Mark Wilson

It’s been a barren run ever since for Wallington, playing in just one finals series over that time, going down by 114 runs to Barwon Heads in March, 2023 in A2.

After finishing sixth last year in the BPCA’s second tier, the Wallabies have been bolstered by some strong recruiting this season from the UK, snaring Billy Gravett (Tottenham), Adam Southorn and James Sood – both from Warwick Cricket Club near Birmingham – plus Mitch Sleeman from Bell Post Hill and Connor Blackwell from South Barwon.

Sood and Gravett would combine for a 255-run stand for the fifth wicket against the Bulls on day one, the club’s highest-ever and breaking the record of 244 between Rick Klepacki and Colin Atkins in 1993-94 in C Grade against St Leonards.

Sven Burluraux has led the batting for the Wallabies this year with 430 runs at 43, closely followed by Sood (415 at 31.92), Henry McIntosh (368 at 33.45) and Gravett (243 at 27).

With the ball, Gravett has shone with 26 wickets at 16.08, with support from Dane Wise-Graham (21 at 13.52) and Southorn (18 at 14.78).

Gravett has taken a wicket in every game so far this year with the best figures of 5-25 off 10 overs against Inverleigh.

Warwick’s James Sood has been a fine recruit for Wallington. Picture: Wallington Cricket Club.

Newcastle-raised coach Matt Sampson-Barnes, who has eased himself back into cricket this year after missing 23-24 with ongoing health issues stretching back almost three years, said the Wallabies were lucky to snare a trio of overseas imports.

“We weren’t supposed to get three overseas players, we were only supposed to get two,” Sampson-Barnes said.

“‘Soody’ is best mates with Adam (Southorn), they played at the same club at home (Warwick CC).

“We needed a wicket keeper ... within three weeks (Sood) had his own accommodation, own job, flights and all that, we got pretty lucky with him.”

Sampson-Barnes said the imports had fitted into the Wallington program seamlessly.

“It’s always a bit of roulette when you go down the overseas route,” he said.

“It was such a relief, I honestly don’t care about the cricket.

“It’s obviously nice to have really good overseas players, people that win you games, but it’s not like a priority.

“I really want nice people, who can hang around the club and help out with juniors.

“I’ve played a lot of cricket, but this is by far the best team as far as, not the runs and wickets, but the friendships and the morale, all that sort of stuff.”

James Sood and Billy Gravett put on 255 runs for the fifth wicket against Newcomb in Round 14, a club record. Picture: Wallington Cricket Club.

Sampson-Barnes said a tight best and fairest count on Saturday night underlined a consistent season from a number of players.

“We had six guys who were all two votes of each other, Henry’s had a really good year, Sven’s had a really good year,” he said

“It’s definitely not just off the back of those (imports).

“I definitely put it down to how well get along with each other, and we train pretty well.

“It’s just a really nice team.”

The Wallabies will play Portarlington in a semi-final from this Saturday, with the Demons just one of two teams to beat Wallington this year: “Anybody in that top four can beat anybody.”

Inverleigh will play Collendina in the other semi-final.

The Cobras compiled the biggest first grade score in BPCA history, 7-559 against St Leonards with Corey Walter (210) and Harrisyn Wingrave (208) putting on 363 for the fifth wicket.

Walter’s knock is now the third highest in A Grade history following Paul Cammaroto’s 229 in 87-88 and Fred Warren’s 214 for Newcomb against St Leonards in 69-70.

Barrabool posted two scores of 423, against Newcomb in 13-14 and then Queenscliff two seasons later.

At Inverleigh Recreation Reserve, the Kookaburras took the last four wickets for just 11 runs to sneak home by as many against Winchelsea.

Chasing 211 for victory, Daniel Midolo claimed 5-54 and had support from Murphy Walker (2-30) and Henry Collins (2-49).

Shane Murdoch (67) capped off a fine individual season, Mitchell Buhrmann was left undefeated on 44 while UK import Toby Furbush chipped in with 38.

And Portarlington booked fourth place after rolling Surf Coast for 148 (Richard Dawes 82, Thomas Stewart 4-35, Matthew Long 3-39).

Originally published as Collendina sets a new first grade record with 7-559 against St Leonards