DISTRICT
DELACOMBE Park are in a winning strong position in the MPCA District premiership against Red Hill.
The Hillmen, the best team in the competition all season, still need more than 230 runs with just seven wickets in hand against the Parkers in the final day of the match at Graydens Rd this Saturday.
With skipper Simon Dart still unbeaten at the crease, one wouldn’t be wise to write off the Hillmen just yet.
However, there is no doubt that the parkers are in the box seat after Joel Malcolm finished with an unbeaten 104 and Jon Guthrie hit 94.
The Parkers finished their allotted 113 overs on 8/307.
Delacombe Park left themselves in a very strong position at the end of the first day’s play.
Nick Christides opened the batting with Guthrie and in typical fashion, he dominated the Red Hill bowling attack from the get-go.
The Parkers got away to a flier with Christides hitting 42 of the first 53 runs scored, eventually being caught on the boundary line for 42 after crunching five fours and a six.
Matt Van Wijk played a good support role to Guthrie before being caught behind off of the bowling of Glenn Collett for 13.
This brought Joel Malcolm to the crease and between he and Guthrie, they took the score along to 2/156 at the end of the days’ play.
Malcolm, who scored an unbeaten 81 in the semi-final against Main Ridge, was again unbeaten at the close of the first day on 31, while Guthrie was not out 59. They added a further 75 and 35 runs each respectively.
Brent Martin bowled 25 overs on the first day for a return of 14 maidens and figures of 1/24.
Collett bowled 19 overs for a return of 1/43.
Jamie McCall picked up three wickets for the Hillmen on Sunday.
First published in the Mornington News – 21 March 2017
