SUB-DISTRICT
HASTINGS will play Frankston YCW in the Sub District Grand Final this weekend after both claiming strong semi-final victories on Saturday.
However, despite their strong wins, things could quite easily have of gone the other way for the Blues and Stonecats.
Despite Hastings finishing with 235, they were in some early trouble against Tootgarook before Luke and Jake Hewitt came together at the crease.
At 4/50, the Hewitt brothers were able to steady the ship and get to tea in a reasonable position at 4/99. At that stage Luke was on 25 and Jake was on 15.
AJ King, Stephen Brain and Matt Whelan all got among the wickets and Paul and Zac Stephenson all chimed-in also.
King finished the innings with 3/33 from 18 to be the stand-out bowler for the Frogs, while Whelan claimed 3/57 from 16 overs.
The Frogs were faced with the unenviable task of facing the final over of the day, getting through unscathed to resume at 0/0 on Sunday.
Tootgarook were in the game early on the second day but when Matt Whelan was dismissed for 45, the Tooters slipped to be 6/112.
In the end, Tootgarook fell short, all out for 150.
Frankston YCW too were in early trouble against Ballam Park.
The Knights won the toss and sent the Stonecats in to bat. Early it looked like it was to be a masterstroke.
The Knights claimed the first three wickets for just 19 runs and when Levi McLoughlin-Dore was gone for 10, the Stonecats were in real trouble at 4/36.
The evergreen Paul Bradley (39), Brett Hugdson (10) and Matt Black (26) were able to stem the tide and then skipper Andrew Kitson (14) and Sam Fulton (18) saw the score go from 8/107 to all out for 168. Kitson and Fulton’s contributions were match-winning.
Ballam Park faced the last four overs of the day on Saturday and Lai Leaunoa, who opened the batting with 33, got the breakthough.
Ballam Park resumed on Sunday at 1/5. Things never got any better for the Knights, losing wickets consistently, handing the Stonecats an easy victory.
David Cross hurt his knee on the Saturday afternoon, which meant his influence with the bat was no existent, while Stuart Plunkett was removed relatively cheaply after being dropped twice early in his innings.
First published in the Mornington News – 14 March 2017
