Youth spur Belgrave teams to fine victories

YOUTH was a strong factor in Belgrave Cricket Club’s two winning teams in round three of the FTGDCA fixture.
Ian Litterbach and Tom McNamara made 40 and Nick Feeney took 4 wickets in the second XI, while Matt Levell made 40 and Adrian Koller took 4 wickets in the fourths. These performances were vital in Belgrave having any successful teams on the park at all this week.
Still, age and experience cannot be taken for granted. Nick Bole-Brown (3/28) and Scott Vozzo (52) were the main performers in the first XI’s narrow failure to overhaul Ferntree Gully’s 197 run target. And Ayre’s 70 was the cornerstone of the 9/253 which the second XI put on the board on day one.
In reply, Rowville were never in the hunt making just 143 in the face of Nick Feeney’s 4/36, and the two wickets taken by the skipper and newcomer Rick Wulz.
This was a good win against a side, which had won both its previous matches and sat on top of the ladder prior to this round.
The thirds put themselves in trouble by posting a dismal 92 with the bat, but got themselves back into the contest by snaring three overnight wickets on day one.
Day two looked like it might go either way, but only McPherson’s two LBW’s came between the start of play and Rowville overhauling the target. Four more wickets fell shortly afterwards, which magnifies the fact that just a few more runs would have given the thirds a winning position.
Mark Kimba, Albie Collie, McPherson and Jim McNamara each got 2 wickets apiece. The boys travel to winless Mountain Gate for the next round.
The fourths were the other successful side this week defending their first day 213 runs by knocking Eildon Park over for 128. A.J. Koller was the pick of the bowlers taking 4/28 in his first match in the grade, while Mat Skinner took 2/29 and Under 15 Tom Hope chipped in with 1/3 off 3 overs. After a stutter in round one the fourths have gone from strength to strength and will go to Johnson Park next week full of confidence.
The fifths side relinquished maximum points against Monbulk as they struggled for numbers and struggled for a match winning performance. Only “Evo” shone making 34 in the first dig and 71 in the second, as the boys could only manage to take one wicket in the match. Next round they come up against Upper Ferntree Gully and hopefully turn their form around to return to the winning ways of round one.
In one day cricket, the boys took on St Johns Tecoma and only narrowly failed to bring home the bacon.
The sevenths restricted St Johns to 8/117 thanks mainly to Colin McNeill’s 3/27. Colin also performed with the bat scoring 30 runs, but Belgrave’s 109 left them 9 runs short of victory.
They’ve got a bye next week so they’re guaranteed a win.