General News
27 February, 2025
Stunning draw and late charge in Upper Loddon cricket
By GARY WALSH A THRILLING final round of Upper Loddon cricket has upended the ladder and set up an exciting first round of finals. Top team Kingower sensationally tied with bottom side Bridgewater, which would have won had it not been for a familiar...
By GARY WALSH
A THRILLING final round of Upper Loddon cricket has upended the ladder and set up an exciting first round of finals.
Top team Kingower sensationally tied with bottom side Bridgewater, which would have won had it not been for a familiar late-order collapse.
And in-form Boort Yando thrashed Arnold, with the Magpies leapfrogging the Redbacks into third place.
At Kingower, the Bulls – with only one win for the season in their return to the competition – restricted the powerful Gower batting lineup to 6-187.
Star batsmen Will Deason (0), captain Jayden Leach (10) and Kyle Simpson (16) all fell cheaply, leaving dependable opener Matt Rowe (64 off 80 balls) to shoulder most of the load.
David Rose, with 29 off 34 balls, and Lachlan Dejong (31 not out off 29) gave the innings some late impetus.
Bridgewater shared the wickets around, with Tom McKinley taking 2-22 from his seven overs.
Harry McKinley then dominated with the bat, striking a magnificent 101 from 97 balls, taking the Bulls to 3-178 with help from brother Tom (17), Sam Harrison (26) and Toby Naughton (19).
McKinley’s knock included 14 fours and three sixes, but he crept to his century with six singles.
After his dismissal Bridgewater needed only 10 runs for a stunning victory, but unfortunately for the Bulls their lower order was not up to the task.
Naughton fell with the score on 183, with just five runs needed and five wickets in hand.
Seth Hewett was run out for three, as the Bulls hit the panic button.
Worse was to follow with Hunter Daldy also run out for a diamond duck, followed by his brother Daniel, also out for no score.
With one over left, Bridgewater needed just one run to win, and Dejong somehow conjured a maiden with Zac Martin unable to manage the single for victory.
Rowe took 2-18 and Ben Rose finished with 2-37. Deason’s dirty day continued with 23 runs from his only over.
Boort Yando’s post-Christmas revival continued with a big win away from home over Arnold.
The Magpies batted first and compiled an imposing 205 from their 35 overs.
The end of harvest has brought an influx of experienced players into the Boort Yando team, and it now shapes as a genuine premiership threat.
The Magpies batted steadily to reach 4-102 in 22 overs, and then more than doubled their score in the last 13 overs.
Daniel Lehman (43 off 29 balls) and Harry Weaver (41 off 31) did most of the late damage, with Blake Slatter adding a cameo in hitting 23 from 190 deliveries.
The competition’s most in-form batsman Heath Lock opened for Arnold with veteran Phil Scholes, but word was that he was suffering leg and back soreness after his 95 last round.
And this time he lasted just two balls, for one run, before he smacked a catch directly to Magpies skipper Brian Minogue off Alex Cockerell.
Scholes, too, fell cheaply, and number three Tim Wright was smacked on the helmet by a fierce Weaver bouncer before being dismissed by Cockerell for 2.
At 3-32, Arnold’s chase looked unlikely, and despite captain Ryan Metelmann’s 22 off 27 balls and Campbell Hancock’s patient 18 off 46 deliveries, the Redbacks were all out for 93 in 23.2 overs.
A late flourish from Isaac McLean, with four fours from just six deliveries faced, was to no avail.
The Magpies’ fielding and catching was exceptional, in contrast to Arnold which spilled a number of catches.
A stunning left-hand grab by Fergus Bear at cover to end the innings was a highlight.
Cockerell finished with 5-24 from seven tight overs and Lehman took 3-28.
The win means Boort Yando will face Wedderburn Band on the competition’s only turf wicket on Saturday for a place in the grand final, while Kingower will host Arnold.
Kingower drew Bridgewater Kingower
M. Rowe c H. McKinley b L. Lonsdale 64
W. Deason b T. McKinley 0
J. Leach c H. McKinley b T. McKinley 10
K. Simpson c H. McKinley b J. Bowen 15
D. Rose c H. McKinley b S. Hewett-Scull 29
L. Dejong not out 31
Z. Gray b H. McKinley 10
T. Hywood not out 3
Extras 25
Total 6/187
Bowling: T. McKinley 7-1-22-2, T. Naughton 7-1-40-0, S. Hewett-Scull 5-0-46-1, J. Bowen 7-0-31-1, L. Lonsdale 5-1-11-1, H. McKinley 4-0-25-1.
Bridgewater
T. McKinley c T. Hywood b M. Rowe 17
J. Bowen lbw J. Leach 1
H. McKinley b B. Rose 101
S. Harrison b B. Rose 26
T. Naughton c J. Leach b M. Rowe 19
L. Lonsdale not out 0
S. Hewett-Scull run out T. Hywood 3
H. Daldy run out M. Rowe 0
D. Daldy c Z. Gray b L. Dejong 0
Z. Martin not out 1
Extras 19
Total 8/187
Bowling: J. Leach 7-0-24-1, K. Simpson 7-0-37-0, M. Rowe 5-0-18-2, L. Dejong 6-2-32-1, B. Rose 7-0-37-2, W. Deason 1-0-23-0, T. Hywood 2-0-9-0.
Arnold lost to Boort Yando
Boort Yando
A. Cockerell lbw M. Dale 8
F. Bear c F. Lock b K. Hewett 41
J. Byrne c A. Davies b F. Lock 29
J. Hodoras c P. Scholes b F. Lock 10
D. Lehman c I. McLean b A. Davies 43
H. Weaver c F. Lock b R. Metelmann 41
B. Minogue c H. Lock b C. Hancock 3
B. Slatter run out C. Hancock 23
H. Malone lbw M. Dale 0
W. Gould b M. Dale 0
G. Zanker not out 1
Extras 6
Total 10/205
Bowling: R. Metelmann 7-0-29-1, M. Dale 7-1-32-3, C. Hancock 7-0-51-1, H. Lock 4-0-8-0, F. Lock 7-0-45-2, K. Hewett 1-0-17-1, A. Davies 2-0-21-1.
Arnold
H. Lock c B. Minogue b A. Cockerell 1
P. Scholes c B. Minogue b J. Hodoras 15
T. Wright c F. Bear b. A. Cockerell 2
R. Metelmann c H. Weaver b D. Lehman 22
C. Hancock b H. Weaver 18
K. Hewett c J. Byrne b A. Cockerell 0
F. Lock c H. Malone b A. Cockerell 1
M. Dale c J. Byrne b A. Cockerell 1
I. McLean c&b D. Lehman 16
A. Davies not out 5
H. Lakey c F. Bear b D. Lehman 1
Extras 11
Total 10/93
Bowling: H. Weaver 7-3-18-1, A. Cockerell 7-1-24-5, J. Hodoras 4-1-11-1, D. Lehman 4.2-0-28-3, B. Minogue 1-0-6-0.