Bentleigh Uniting drew the short end of the stick in their clash with Elwood during the Longmuir Shield, Round 9. Key individual contributors for Bentleigh were Batsmen Charlie Davidson, Craig Short and Buddhika De Alwis. Although contributing significantly to the team’s score, the breakthrough efforts weren’t enough to claim victory over the home team.
Despite a nail-biting match at Elwood Park / Oval 1 – AC Watson, Saturday, 16th December 2023, it was a more ho-ho-home run for Elwood who managed to take the day. Bentleigh Uniting couldn’t quite deliver the cricketing Christmas miracle their fans were hoping for.
Setting the stage with an innings score of 178, Bentleigh Uniting lost 8 wickets with no top order batters reaching the fifties or hundreds. As tinsels twinkled under the summer sun, opening bat Joshua Bregazzi was bowled for just one run by Adam Howard.
Next up, Charlie Davidson and Captain Craig Short spread some festive cheer with scores of 42 and 32 respectively. Their united batting formed significant partnerships. Not letting the holly jolly atmosphere of the oval distract them, middle order batsman Buddhika De Alwis, with an impressive 29 runs and Noah Montgomery, wrapped up the innings, remaining not-out.
Yet despite their best efforts, the Bentleigh Uniting couldn’t steal this Christmas show as Elwood bounced back with compelling performances from Archie Murrihy, getting 2 wickets, Adam Howard, Jake Wilkinson and Nathan Knights, capturing 1, 1 and 3 wickets respectively. The victory sleigh was driven by Howard and Wilkinson as they both targeted the top order, significantly crippling the opposition’s chance for a hefty score.
Chasing a respectable target of 178, Elwood unwrapped their innings like eager kids opening their Christmas presents. The home team’s scoreboard lit up like a Christmas tree, mainly thanks to the heroics of Harvey Lockwood and Adam Howard.
Lockwood delivered a festive fifty, scoring a glittering 71 runs before being bowled by Callum Cathcart. Howard, however, played like Santa delivering gifts, going not-out with a magnificent 101. The duo’s partnership formed most of the team’s score, leading Elwood to a score of 181 for the loss of just one solitary wicket, granting them an early Christmas present – a victory.
On the bowling front, Bentleigh Uniting’s Buddhika De Alwis and George McCormick failed to unwrap any wickets. However, Callum Cathcart played the Scrooge, denying the opposition a perfect inning by taking a wicket.
Quiney Shield
“A Cracker of a Victory for Bentleigh Uniting in the Yuletide Quiney Shield Round 9”
In a thrilling festive battle of the Quiney Shield Round 9 cricket game at Centenary Park on Saturday, 16th December 2023, Bentleigh Uniting 2 celebrated a jubilant win over Elwood 2. Major contributors to the victory included an outstanding innings of 56 by Paul Dessent, a determined score of 39 by opener Campbell James, and solid contributions from the batsmen, James Still and Liam Manakis. On the bowling front, significant contributions were made by Liam Manakis, Paul Dessent, Pranay Sood and captain Rory Drummond who all took two wickets each.
As the midday sun cast a holiday cheer across Centenary Park, the hosts Bentleigh Uniting 2 took to the field, showcasing a dazzling first innings display of batting prowess to total a strong score of 219 runs for only five wickets. The crowds roared in appreciation as, Paul Dessent, stood unbeaten, displaying a classic festive spirit and grace, scoring a sublime fifty. Opener, Campbell James battled valiantly, contributing a solid 39 before being dismissed leg before wicket by Shekhar Gupta. James Still, coming in as the sixth batter, played an equally lively innings of 36 before being unfortunately run out.
Despite a commendable defence by the Elwood 2 team, with outstanding bowling performances from Shekhar Gupta claiming two wickets and Eoin O’Mahony and Billy Jones chipping in with a wicket each, Bentleigh Uniting maintained their firm grip on the game.
As the second innings kicked off, Elwood 2, powered by the batting finesse of Shekhar Gupta and Tom Scott scoring 35 and 27 respectively, put up a spirited pursuit of the 219-run target. However, the Bentleigh Uniting’s bowling attack, led by Liam Manakis, Paul Dessent, Pranay Sood and captain Rory Drummond, kept Elwood 2 on a tight leash, leading to a thrilling end where Elwood 2 fell short of 53 runs, being all out at 166 in the great battle.
Liam Manakis, in a stellar bowling instance, dispatched Alan Parkinson, the first wicket of the Elwood lineup, caught by Paul Dessent. Paul Dessent himself took the key wicket of Shekhar Gupta. Pranay Sood, with a key dismissal of the Elwood captain, Ryan Harris and Rory Drummond ending the spirited innings of Tom Scott, together kept the opposition’s score under control.
As the victory bells rang out for Bentleigh Uniting 2, the team erupted into festive cheer, their formidable performance setting the tone for a riveting cricket season. This thrilling victory was indeed the perfect Christmas gift for the Bentleigh Uniting community and a testament to the fact that when it comes to cricket, it’s all about team spirit, determination and enjoying the game. After all, that’s what the holiday season is all about!
As we continue into the festive season, we look forward to many more action-packed and enthusiastic fixtures and heartily congratulate Bentleigh Uniting 2 on their fantastic festive win!
H Grade
In the round 8 H Grade cricket match held at Bailey Reserve, Hampton United 3 emerged as winners with key performances from Ethan Baines, Matt Taylor, and Campbell Tweedie each bagging two wickets each, and Jacob Travers scoring a crucial fifty. The batting performance of the Bentleigh Uniting 3 side was led by Peter Manakis with an impressive fifty.
On the brisk sunshine afternoon of 16th December 2023, cricket fans gathered to witness a thrilling H Grade round 8 encounter between Bentleigh Uniting 3 and Hampton United 3. Bentleigh Uniting 3, playing at home, started cautiously after losing Trent Cody early with a scorecard reading 10 runs for 1 wicket. The innings began to shine as Keith Fuller and Peter Manakis partnered for a resilient 64 run stand before Fuller was dismissed for 16 runs.
The team’s capitain, Peter Manakis, continued the spirited fight, notching up a well-played fifty and remaining unbeaten on 65. David Bregazzi, lower down the order, provided some solid support as he scored a sturdy 44. The rest of the batting line-up, however, couldn’t quite ride the waves, with medium contributions leading Bentleigh’s total to 182 for 10 at the end of their innings.
Hampton United 3 showcased a terrific bowling performance. The bowling quartet of Ethan Baines, David McCaig, Matt Taylor, and Campbell Tweedie emerged as the star performers, scalping two wickets each and restricting their opposition to a fighting score.
When Hampton United 3 came in to bat, their top order batsmen, led by skipper Jacob Travers, put on a confident display. James Larkworthy and Campbell Tweedie, who scored 36 and 33 respectively, kept the run chase valiant. Jacob Travers’ fifty, decorated with exquisite strokes all around the park, gave the Hampton crowd plenty to cheer about.
Meanwhile, Bentleigh Uniting’s bowling, although spirited, fell short of making significant breakthroughs. David Bregazzi picked up 2 wickets, while Trent Cody and Stephen Montgomery chipped in with one each. However, the bowling efforts proved insufficient as Hampton United 3 cruised past the target losing only 4 wickets, rewriting the run tally to 183.
J Grade
Brighton District 1 has pulled off a victory against Bentleigh Uniting 4, with prominent performances from Chris Pratt (38 runs and 1 wicket), Darren Sacks (41 runs and a wicket), and Kaan Ozdemir (10 runs and 4 wickets). The star bowler for Bentleigh Uniting 4 was Brodie Downes with 4 wickets, while Jonathan Guttmann top-scored with 34.
Cricket bats and stumps serving as Christmas trees, and cheer of victory echoing on Duncan Mackinnon Reserve, mark the festive season for Brighton District 1 as they dominated J Grade, Round 8, fostering the spirit of Yule with a generous scoop of cricketing prowess.
Brighton District 1 took to the pitch first. The Christmas merriment had already spilled on the field as Chris Pratt and Darren Sacks embraced the festive spirit with a determined 38 and 41 respectively, setting a beautiful ambience for the day ahead. These impressive scores were followed by Kaan Ozdemir’s scored 10 runs. John Papadakos chipped in with 8, while Adam Walsh and Mobeen Malik made solid contributions of 33 and 19 not out, enhancing the team’s total to a solid 179 runs.
For Bentleigh Uniting 4, Brodie Downes led the bowling, picking up four Brighton wickets in a performance as sterling as a bow-tied Christmas gift. Zander Elkins supported him well with two wickets, keeping the festivities lively with his brisk bowling.
However, Bentleigh’s batting display was less merry. The team found themselves caught in Brighton’s Christmas lights, finding it hard to shine brightly. However, Jonathan Guttmann strived to keep the Yule log burning, with a tenacious innings of 34, while Hasib Mahmudul contributed eight runs.
Brighton’s bowlers, on the other hand, played the Grinch to Bentleigh’s attempt at merriment. Ethan Sacks delivered a masterclass, taking three wickets, while the star of the Christmas show was undoubtedly Kaan Ozdemir. His spectacular bowling performance saw him taking home four wickets for just 8 runs, a feat akin to finding the biggest gift under the Christmas tree.
The cheer of Christmas seemed to be with Brighton District 1 as they defeated Bentleigh Uniting 4 by a massive margin of 98 runs. The victory was as robust and merry as a well-filled Christmas pudding, savoured by all members of the winning team.
As the day ended, we were reminded of the Christmas spirit pervading through the match. Bentleigh Uniting 4, despite the loss, displayed sportsmanship, embracing the true spirit of Christmas and cricket. As we move forward towards more festive times, here’s hoping every game is as full of cheer, competitive spirit, and camaraderie as this one. Merry Cricket-mas to all!
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