A Grade
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The Yarrawonga Mulwala Cricket Club A Grade have made solid progress in their first two-day game of the season.
After having a bye in the opening two-day fixture; the YMCC took on Delatite at Stan Hargreaves Oval in Yarrawonga.
The YMCC unveiled a new A Grade debutant in Caleb Mitchell; a promising junior who has come through the ranks at Yarrawonga Mulwala and showed he is capable at the level.
After receiving 44 millimetres on Friday, a short delay was expected. With water around the ground, the game was delayed by 30 minutes and eight overs were lost before Delatite won the toss and chose to bat.
With James Irvine and Angus McMillan opening the bowling, it took just four overs before McMillan had Scales caught in the gully for 0. In a tactic, Delatite were very watchful and were content to bat overs at a snail’s pace, taking 19 overs to reach 14 runs, with the YMCC claiming three wickets in that time with McMillan taking a second and Matt Casey one.
Delatite’s highest partnership for the innings was between Sanford and Cousins as they added 35 runs in 15 overs before Sanford was dismissed with the score on 49, with Sanford scoring 24.
At the drinks break after 46 overs, Delatite had crawled to 5 for 66.
In the final sessions, the YMCC had total control with just 28 runs being added in 21 overs to see Delatite be 8 for 94 at stumps. McMillan was outstanding in a marathon bowling stint finishing the day with figures of 4 for 18 off 20 overs with 11 maidens and 102 dot balls.
Matt McCabe took 2 for 8 off 9 overs with 7 maidens while Casey had 1 for 6 off 3 overs and Irvine 1 for 14 off 9 overs.
Spinner Brock McCabe bowled 13 overs for just 26 runs, Corey McIntosh 3 for 0 off 3 overs, debutant Caleb Mitchell bowled his allotted 7 overs for 9 runs while Harry Wheeler bowled 3 overs and conceded just six runs.
In the 67 overs bowled by Yarrawonga Mulwala, just short of half the overs bowled were maidens with 33.
Next Saturday, Delatite will resume their innings with another eight overs to be bowled in their innings.
The YMCC will need to chase down the total in the remaining 67 overs on day 2 to guarantee victory.
Action begins at the Stan Hargreaves Oval in Yarrawonga from 1pm.
A Reserve
After being washed out last weekend A Reserve took to the Greta Recreation Reserve. The YMCC players were keen to get back to action and they took control of the contest early.
Greta batted first and were dismissed for just 28 runs off 21 overs. The star of the contest was young gun Lach Phillips who took 4 for 7 off 4.3 overs and included a hattrick with all three bowled!
Captain/ Coach Brendan Lewis also claimed 4 for 4 off 5 overs and the Bartlett boys in Brady and Rory took 1 wicket each.
The YMCC took to the batting crease after a short interval and amassed 142 runs in 34.2 overs with Brady Bartlett 30 not out, Lewis 28 and Jack Kennedy 22 opening the innings.
With 5 overs left to play, the YMCC unleashed again and at stumps has Greta 2/7 and an outright victory on the line next Saturday in day 2 action.
In the second innings, Brady Bartlett took 1 for 3 off 3 overs and Lewis 1 for 4 off 2 overs.
B Grade
B Grade (fourth) hosted Ovens Valley Utd (fifth) at Lonsdale Reserve on the weekend. A very wet Friday had caused some seepage under the covers producing a slightly softer than normal pitch for the days play.
Managing to start very close to normal time, the Lakers won the toss and bowled.
Harry Barker struck in his second over creating a false shot from the batsmen and taking a well-judged caught and bowled. Ovens Valley 1/6.
The visitors consolidated with a couple of 30 run partnerships, but the Lakers continued to put the pressure on with Gus Browning again beating the bat regularly and putting doubt in the minds of the Ovens Valley bats.
Young Jobe Fraser, celebrating a birthday, was bowling superbly without luck. Turning the ball both ways with his leg spin, Fraser was very unlucky not too have a wicket to his name.
Again, it was Browning with multiple wickets finishing with 3 for the innings. Finishing with figures of 3/6 off 5 overs.
New recruit John Taylor was also amongst it on debut for the Lakers snaring a wicket with his second ball.
Tight bowling and good fielding keeping the Ovens Valley bats to a relatively small total of 6/106 at the end of their allotted overs.
The Lakers chase didn’t get off to a good start losing a couple of early wickets to be 2/8.
A few 20 run partnerships steadied the innings for the Lakers to keep a win within grasp.
Ben Irvine being the mainstay with 35 runs to be the Lakers top scorer. Geoff Montgomery was looking good before being caught for 19.
The Lakers still had work to when they were 7/89 in the chase. But, debutant John Taylor showed his baseball background dispatching his first ball onto the concrete in front of the Bay 13 rooms.
A quickfire 26 from 22 balls by Taylor and the steadying influence of Hudson Gillies at the other end got the Lakers past the Ovens Valley total.
Losing another couple of wickets before the end of play the Lakers finished the game with 9/129.
A solid performance to keep the Lakers in the top four.
Next week the Lakers face Greta at Moyhu.
C Grade
The YMCC C Grade clash with Rovers United Bruck was washed out on Saturday with Victoria Park Oval Number 2 a sheet of water.
In a credit to the determination of YMCC C Grade players, they spent close to 3 hours trying to move the water but in the end it was deemed unplayable and the game was declared a draw.
With top position nearly secured the Yarrawonga Mulwala team will look to this Saturday to resume action when they play Rutherglen United at Victoria Park Number 2 oval in Yarrawonga.
Upcoming action
The Stan Hargreaves Oval in Yarrawonga will be a hive of action over the coming month in particular with a number of events on and off field.
With A Grade continuing with day 2 action against Delatite on Saturday, this Sunday, February 14 will see the Central Murray Credit Union Challenge Cup be played between Yarrawonga Mulwala and Barooga Cricket Clubs Annual match starting from 1pm.
Saturday, February 27 will see the Yarrawonga Mulwala Cricket Club hold their YMCC Ladies Day.
It will be held at the YMCC Clubrooms between 1pm and 6pm. Tickets are $60 and available from Jayanna Sharp and Lauren Scott or contact the cricket club for more information.
Live cricket action from 1:30pm while live music will be held from 2 to 4pm.
The following day, February 28 will see Yarrawonga Mulwala host the Wangaratta and District Cricket Association one day finals for A Grade and A Reserve.
A Grade will be played between Yarrawonga Mulwala and Delatite at the Stan Hargreaves Oval in Yarrawonga, while A Reserve will see Yarrawonga Mulwala play Rutherglen at the Lonsdale Reserve in Mulwala. Both games will commence at 1pm.
The Labour Day Long Weekend, Sunday, March 7 will see the 2021 Reverse Raffle starting at 12pm.
For further information contact Reid Clarke. A day not to be missed.