Sport
28 November, 2024
Successful weekend for Lions
LAST Saturday proved an extremely successful day for the Noorat Terang Cricket Club, with four wins and the celebration of three milestone games.
This weekend will see Andrew Battistello play his 100th game.
He has played 77 with Noorat and this weekend will be his 23rd with Noorat Terang.
Renowned more as a swing bowler, Battistello has 382 runs to his name, with 33 his highest.
He has taken 144 wickets with two five wicket hauls, and last season’s 5-5 are his best figures to date (he has also taken 23 catches and two run outs).
The ultimate clubman, he has played in all grades during his career wherever his bowling is needed.
The under 13s had their first win last weekend and it was achieved off the last ball.
Needing four to win off the final delivery, Jackson Irving found the boundary to the delight of his teammates.
Bowling first they kept Warrnambool to 6-100 off 24 overs.
Every player bowled two overs with Bradley Wallace, Zac Clarke, Sonny Davis and Irving each taking a wicket.
In reply, both openers got the Lions off to a flyer with both Ollie Clarke and Liam Kenna retiring on 21 off 15 and 18 balls respectively.
The run rate slowed, but there were plenty of wickets in hand.
In the last over 10 runs were required.
Ned Abbott scored a boundary off the first ball and a single off a no ball.
Noah Conheady was on strike with the third ball being a dot ball and the fourth resulted in his dismissal for 10.
Irving’s first ball was a dot, but the last found the boundary - with Ned Abbott 17no at the other end.
The firsts were at home on the turf in their two-day match against Merrivale which saw the top two sides playing.
Merrivale won the toss and elected to bat.
Sam Munro made inroads early, taking 2-5 from six overs.
Gus Bourke at the other end took two wickets in his sixth over and the visitors were 4-17.
Isaac Kenna broke the next partnership and two overs later had his second.
Isaac Toombs’ introduction resulted in a wicket maiden and the visitors were teetering at 7-48.
A classy piece of fielding by Gus Bourke resulted in a run out and Tim Keane mopped up the last two wickets to have Merrivale bowled out for 66 at the end of the 37th over.
Bourke finished with 2-21 off eight, Kenna 2-8 from nine, Toombs 1-13 from six and Keane 2-1 from two.
In his 100th game, Bailey Kavenagh took a great catch diving forward and was joined on the field by his dad Paddy who sub fielded for a couple of overs.
The Lions had 43 overs to bat and once again the opening pair of Isaac Toombs and Dom Moloney saw the Lions pass the total without loss.
In sight of another century opening stand, Moloney fell for 16 when the score was 96.
Toombs played on for a well compiled 84 off 89 balls.
His ability to pierce small gaps was exquisite as was his on driving.
Others fell playing attacking shots as the players battled the light rain.
At stumps the Lions were 6-143 holding a 77-run lead.
There are a number of options available this Saturday, such as batting as long as they can with Bourke and Keane occupying the crease; declaring overnight and chasing a possible outright win or batting until a target is reached before declaring.
The seconds played the Northern Raiders on the turf at Purnim.
This game was Dave Conheady’s 250th and a victory was achieved courtesy of the Duckworth Lewis system.
The Lions batted first and were in early trouble with both openers dismissed with the score at 2-11.
Co-captain Liam Venn added 23 off 29, but it was Dom Kenna’s 34 that held the innings together to allow a total of 131 in the 41st over to be achieved.
Brett Hunger returned for his first game for the merged club and made 16, Hugh Giblin 13 and Martin Wynd 11.
Four different bowlers effected the early dismissals to have the home side 4-48.
The bowlers continued to gain breakthroughs and restrict the runs until rain intervened and made the ball too wet to bowl; the Raiders were 8-111 in the 34th over.
Battistello finished with 2-15 from his nine overs.
Charlie Scanlon and Martin Wynd both took 2-24 with singles to Giblin and Hunger.
Liam Venn did a tremendous job at keeper and in taking three catches bought up his 250th catch.
This weekend the seconds will be at Noorat, aiming to win against North Warrnambool and push for a spot in the four.
The thirds remain unbeaten with a solid 20 run victory against North Warrnambool.
Batting first Dean Abbott, in his 150th game, dominated with the bat to reach 75 off only 80 balls.
He shared a 66, third wicket partnership with Michael Payne, 30 from 41 balls.
Young Hugh Kenna was the third highest scorer with 17 from 23 balls. The Lions were bowled out for 177 in the 38th over.
With the ball the bowlers restricted the Eels through the middle overs and when they tried to increase the run rate it was too late, finishing at 8-157.
Eamonn O’Connor 2-22 and Jack Kenna 2-23 from their eight overs were very important.
Sam Lillico chipped in with 2-17 with singles wickets to Hugh Kenna and Toby Roberts.
This weekend they will host Hawkesdale on the hard wicket in Terang.
The under 15s lost on the first innings to Warrnambool.
After making 86 in the first innings Warrnambool declared at 4-124.
At stumps in their second innings the Lions were 4-62.
Hugh Kenna took 2-22 with Jack Farrell and Liam Kenna taking one each.
Riley McIntosh and Leo Beasley bowled economical spells.
Farrell 12ret and Paddy Scanlon 12no were the top scorers.
Congratulations to Lucia Clarke who has made the Western Waves under 15 squad.
The under 17s found some of Port Fairy’s representative batsmen too difficult to contain, with the home side making 8-303 in reply to the Lions’ 91.
Charlie Roberts, Max Heffernan and Hugh Kenna each claimed two wickets with singles to Sam Lillico and Flynn Gleeson.
Next Tuesday they start a two-day game against second placed Allansford Panmure at Panmure.
