Close season has its twists

Bendigo Weekly | Bendigo Weekly | 10-Feb-2012

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HOT COMPETITION: Darren DeMarchi bats for Golden Gully against Mandurang. Photo: ANDREW PERRYMAN.
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With just three rounds remaining in the Emu Valley Cricket Association season things are really starting to heat up with the top four far from settled and the start to Round 10 on Saturday providing even more twists to the closest season in years.
Early season strugglers Spring Gully are peaking at the right time of the year, setting United the formidable total of 272 for victory.
Ricky Mannix (106), scoring his first century for the Crows this summer, and Shaun Makepeace (50), reaching another half century, led the way. Tim Gleeson returned the fine figures of 5/69 from 21 overs to be the best of the United bowlers.
United will be looking at big innings from in-form skipper Alex Collins and a return to form from Forbes Klemm, if they are     to have any chance of hauling in the Spring Gully total.
Maiden Gully, thanks mainly to skipper Mark Smith (102) who made his first century for the Gully, was the last man dismissed in the 76th over as the team compiled a very respectable total of 266.
He had some good support from Paul Martin (57) and Leigh Draper (30) while the best of the bowlers for West Bendigo was Dion Prange (3/49).
West Bendigo will be looking to Ken Bell and Travis O’Connell to provide them with a platform to chase the 267 needed for victory and hold on to fourth spot on the ladder.
Golden Gully would have been happy posting 204 against top side Mandurang with Geoff Maggs (80) and Darren DeMarchi (51) leading the way, only to see Mandurang go to stumps at 3/118.
Golden Gully skipper Brad Webster will be looking for early wickets when play resumes if they are to have any chance of upsetting Mandurang.
Axe Creek have set Sedgwick a very competitive 224 to chase with Charles Ready, Travis Nolan and Jamie Morgan all passing 30. David Forde with three wickets was the chief destroyer for Sedgwick.
Marong will be confident of defending their score of 283 against Emu Creek, as Richard Murphy and Scott Ross again led the way with half centuries in a very even team performance.
They will be looking to Jeremy Ross to get among the wickets early and expose the fragile Emu Creek middle order that have lost their past four games.
This week saw the beginning of the Emu Valley Major League Indoor Sports Bash For Cash competition with Round One providing a couple of blowout results but also a couple of cliffhangers.
Maiden Gully (3/120) hung on to defeat Strathfieldsaye (6/118) by two runs with Paul Martin (53) and Mark Smith (45) leading the way with the bat and Mark Roberts returning the incredible figures of 2/1 from one over.
Mandurang (7/166) easily accounted for Kangaroo Flat (4/68), with Matt Giri (39) the best of the Mandurang batsmen, while Sedgwick (3/111) with Andrew Sharpe (54) and Scott McKenzie (41) the best batsmen, defeating Emu Creek’s 8/85.
Andrew Gladstone (98 not out) fell agonisingly short of his century in the Marong total of 3/174, as Axe Creek could only manage 5/117 in reply, with Charles Ready (41) the best for the Cowboys. United’s 5/142 was too strong for West Bendigo’s 7/98, and Spring Gully (2/154) edged out Golden Gully (5/147).
Round Two this Tuesday two games are played at Maiden Gully, Club Court Strathfieldsaye and also Tannery Lane so get along and watch some fantastic Emu Valley Cricket action.
b.Entertained

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