T20
Bentleigh Uniting T20 set an imposing score of 238, led by formidable half-centuries from Campbell James and Joshua Bregazzi. The home team demonstrated superior bowling, led by Malin Silva’s match defining haul of 4 wickets.
On the evening of Tuesday, 14 Nov 2023 at Centenary Park, Bentleigh Uniting T20 annihilated Cluden T20 in a masterclass of cricketing skill in the first round of the Senior T20. Bentleigh’s top-order batsmen unfurled a display of pure terror and set a daunting score of 238 with the loss of just four wickets.
Bentleigh’s top order batsmen Campbell James and Joshua Bregazzi each contributed with outstanding fifties. James led the onslaught with an impressive 94 off 50. Scarcely behind him, Bregazzi smashed 81 off 36, caught by a beleaguered Matt off a delivery by Marcus. For our home boys, Malin Silva’s quickfire 23 off 15 balls played its part before caught by Marcus Lavender off a delivery from Cameron Hemp.
Cluden’s Cameron Hemp and Marcus Lavender gave their best shots, both taking two wickets, but not enough to trim Bentleigh’s score.
As Cluden’s batsmen stepped onto the field, their fate seemed already cemented. The leading scorers were Cameron Hemp, with a commendable, but futile 24, Joseph Spicuglia managing 15, and Liam Riedel scraping together a mere 13 runs. Cluden’s top order, though trying their best, just couldn’t rise to the challenge. Their ship capsized at just 75 runs, an entire 163 runs shy of their formidable target.
Silva’s contribution to the triumphant Bentleigh bowling effort had Cluden’s batsmen in unending strife, ending with figures of 4/21. Not to be overlooked, Aaron Swann’s contribution of 2/5 added to the irrevocable damage.
In conclusion, Bentleigh’s resounding victoryserved as a warning shot to future competitors. With their top order batsmen’skiller performance and a tight bowling attack, the Bentleigh unite T20 isshaping up to be a serious force to reckon with this season.
Longmuir Shield
Bentleigh Uniting 1 suffered a defeat to Le Page Park 1 in Round 7 of the Longmuir Shield. Impressive fifties by Sashin Dilranga and Peter Mentiplay carried the home team to huge total of 262. Despite a resilient knock of 47 by Campbell James, Bentleigh Uniting 1 were bundled out for 208, 54 runs shy of the 262 target, highlighting the major contribution by OSHAN DE SILVA and Sashin Dilranga’s bowling for Le Page Park 1.
In cricket, fortunes can change like the wind. Saturday’s weather bore no comparison to the storm that unfolded at Le Page Reserve when Bentleigh Uniting 1 entered the lion’s den for the 7th round of the Longmuir Shield.
Le Page Park 1, hosting the clash, lit up first, pacing a total of 262 on the board. Bentleigh Uniting 1 bowlers were left haplessly watching as the pair of Sashin Dilranga and Peter Mentiplay painted the park with strokes of 94 and 68 runs respectively. Top order contributors, they set the narrative for the innings. The lower middle order merely added finishing touches to the masterpiece.
Bentleigh Uniting 1 bowlers were kept on the ropes, managing only sporadic success. George McCormick chipped in with two wickets including the crucial wicket of Mentiplay. Despite some decent contribution by bowling mates, Silva and Buddhika De Alwis each took a wicket, and they reduced them to five wickets, however the rampage of runs couldn’t be stopped.
Chasing 262, Bentleigh Uniting 1 was immediately pushed on the backfoot. The top order fell like dominoes, contributing next to nothing. The middle order, led by Campbell James with his knock of 47, strived to steady the rocking ship. They gnawed at the target, but the home team bowlers had another script in mind.
The stars with the ball for Le Page Park 1 were OSHAN DE SILVA and Sashin Dilranga. DE SILVA ran riot through the Uniting batting line up, grabbing six critical wickets, obliterating the lower order. Dilranga, contributing with mentors bat and ball, scalped two wickets, helping in cementing their victory.
Bentleigh Uniting 1 ended up with a score of 208 all out, falling short by a significant margin of 54 runs. The victory for Le Page Park 1 came with a statement – It’s their home, it’s their fortress.
Quiney Shield
Le Page Park 2 claimed victory on first innings with a blistering top-order performance. The standout stars were Aaron Carroll and Hayden Finkelde, who hit punishing fifties, despite fierce bowling attack led by Nicholas Halliday and Noah Montgomery, each clinching 3 wickets.
Saturday, 18th November 2023, felt the wrath of a formidable Le Page Park 2, as they bulldozed their way to a grand total of 336 in the first innings, leaving Bentleigh Uniting 2 a mountain to climb. Hayden Finkelde carved a batting masterclass, smashing 87 off 146 balls while his captain, Aaron Carroll, led from the front with a robust 90 runs.
Wilton, Kovacs, Shah, Carrol, Bolt, and Capp all dished out substantial contributions to the savage onslaught, contributing to the total of 336 runs. The onslaught remained unchecked as the Bentleigh Uniting 2’s bowling attack failed to give the desired breakthroughs, despite reasonable spells from Halliday and Montgomery, who bagged 3 wickets each.
But then came Bentleigh Uniting 2’s turn to bat, and they faced significant pressure from the target set by Le Page Park 2. At 138 all-out, they were a far cry from the required total of 336 runs. Paul Dessent attempted to ignite a resurgence with a gritty fifty and an overall score of 56 off 104 balls. Drummond’s beginnings couldn’t change the fortune of his team, amassing only 34 runs.
Ethan Capp, Bradley Pollard and Oliver Bolt stormed through their batting order claiming three, two, and three wickets respectively.
Le Page Park 2’s Ethan Capp deserved a special mention, demolishing the middle-order, and ensuring victory was imminent for his team. Bradley Pollard was not far behind, shining with two wickets, and Bolt’s impressive delivery earned him three scalps.
H Grade
“Unyielding Bentleigh Uniting Breaks Omega with a Massive Score; the Home team Blazes a whopping 247 in a Convincing Victory. Highlights: Peter Manakis, David Bregazzi, Chris Manakis all score half-centuries, Harry Block and Stephen Montgomery wreak havoc with the ball.”
On an electrifying Saturday at Bailey Reserve, Bentleigh Uniting 3 put up a scorching display of cricketing masterclass. Bentleigh Uniting 3, unsurprisingly, breached Omega 4’s defenses to chase down Omega’s score. Bentleigh deployed an aggressive strategy with a thunderous score of 247 runs, all thanks to the scorching fifties from Peter Manakis, David Bregazzi, and Chris Manakis who all stood out as iron pillars, unswayed by Omega’s desultory bowling.
Cameron Thorne, despite his early dismissal for a mere run by Dave Carmichael, set the ball rolling for Bentleigh with a steady start. Their top order crumbled in the face of Omega’s bowling, with Harry Block sent back to the pavilion with the team’s score standing at 167 runs. The other batsmen held their ground, not giving an inch to the opposition.
However, the Manakis brothers, Peter and Chris, alongside David Bregazzi, held nothing back as they launched a merciless assault on the rival bowling attack. Chris Manakis was unstoppable, his 51 runs resulting in the most significant contribution to the team’s score. Keith Fuller and Nicholas Timms also put up a good show, adding 33 and 25 runs respectively, driving the team to a challenging total.
Against a towering total of 247, Omega 4 put up a valiant fight. Standout batting efforts from Ben Iannello, who scored a sturdy 40, Tristan Reimers and team captain George Sawaya, who contributed 29 runs each, gave some respectability to Omega’s score. However, Alexander Arnaoutis’s fight went in vain as he was run out in a moment of confusion. Dave Carmichael remained not out with 5 runs, but it was all too late.
Bentleigh’s bowlers weren’t to be outdone by their batsmen. Stephen Montgomery with 3 wickets and David Bregazzi with his dual strikes, spelled doom for Omega. Harry Block, whose departure marked the beginning of Bentleigh’s mid-innings hiccup with the bat, came back strong to claim a crucial wicket for his side.
In the end, Bentleigh stood victorious, successfully taking down nine Omega wickets and restricting them to 202 runs, a good 45 runs short of the beastly total. The team’s stellar performance demonstrated its prowess and hunger for victory. Their aggression on the pitch,
combined with intelligent strategy, led to an overwhelming defeat for Omega 4. Bentleigh Uniting 3 demonstrated brute force and superior athleticism in every aspect of the game, making it a match to remember for the team and its fans.
J Grade
An intense encounter marked by towering figures, Jonathan Guttmann and Sameer Nemane, Bentleigh Uniting and Melbourne Premier showcased exceptional skill, strength and nerves. However, Melbourne Premier’s powerful upper order led them to a victory by score.
The turf felt the pinch as leg guards and gloves locked horns, echoing the roar of the crowd at Duncan Mackinnon Reserve. Round four of J Grade Cricket had the Bentleigh Uniting square off against the Melbourne Premier.
Bentleigh Uniting, who had home ground advantage, batted first. However, the advantage seemed redundant as none of the top order batsmen, including Captain Guy Aloi, Chris Elkins, and Brodie Downes, could contribute significantly. Bowlers from Melbourne Premier relentless onslaught saw the home team lose precious wickets cheaply.
But then arrived the stalwart, Jonathan Guttman, who held his nerve amidst the pressure, scoring an impressive 46 runs and thereby becoming the match’s highest-scoring player for Bentleigh Uniting. He, along with the middle orders, helped push the team to a respectable total of 112.
For Melbourne Premier’s bowling lineup, Mohan Sirugudi and Nakul Pisolkar spearheaded the attack. Both bowlers exhibited excellent control and accuracy, contributing significantly to restricting the output of Bentleigh Uniting. Sirugudi and Pisolkar ended with figures of 2/19 and 3/11 respectively, ripping through the home team’s batting lineup.
Chasing a modest target of 113, Melbourne Premier showcased their expertise, proving why they had a reputation of being formidable chasers. The upper order was on a rampage, contributing the majority of the runs. Batsmen Bhalchandra Datar posted 30 runs while Sameer Nemane and Aditya Ranjan amassed 39 and 31 runs respectively, leading Melbourne Premier to an emphatic victory by score.
For Bentleigh Uniting, Rod Mikkelsen was the standout bowler. He ran through the opponent’s top order, claiming two crucial wickets. However, his efforts weren’t enough to halt Melbourne Premier’s stampede to victory.
This match underlined the fact of cricket being a great leveler. Despite Bentleigh Uniting having home ground advantage and an impressive run in the previous rounds, Melbourne Premier managed to trump them, emphasizing the importance of resilience and adaptability in the contemporary cricketing landscape.
U16 Boys
Bentleigh Uniting U16 Stun South Melbourne U16 in a Commanding Victory. Dominating performances from Ned Cannington, Matthew Logan, and Noah Montgomery led to a massive victory.
Cricket, as they say, is a team game. But every once in a while, individual performances shine through, casting their light on every bit of the pitch. Such was Bentleigh Uniting U16’s statement victory today. On a balmy Friday evening, the home team reigned supreme in their U16 B Central, Round 4 fixture against South Melbourne U16 2, at Centenary Park. The end saw Bentleigh triumphing on the first innings, and it was a joy to behold.
Sticking their innings first, the South Melbourne U16 were restricted to just 97 runs, despite no such significant contributions from their top and middle orders, in fact, none of their batsmen managed to accumulate runs. Their innings displayed a severe lack of punch. Bentleigh’s aggressive bowling tactics paid off splendidly, with the home team bowlers attacking the stumps relentlessly.
The standout performances were from Matthew Logan, who bowled a disciplined spell of 6 overs, conceding a miserly 13 runs while bagging 3 scalps. The team’s captain, Noah Montgomery, matched Logan’s pace, breathing fire into his 5 over stint and picking up 3 wickets while giving up just 11 runs. The duo’s stellar bowling crippled South Melbourne’s batting lineup, keeping them under the double-digit mark.
With a modest target of 97 to reach, Bentleigh Uniting found themselves in the driver’s seat. Their chase was marked by a fiery assault from their top order. And standing at the helm was Ned Cannington, the vice-captain. Cannington proved himself a major asset, blasting a match-winning half-century. An aggressive innings of 52 off just 40 balls, combined with steady support from Logan, who scored a quickfire 18, helped the team comfortably cruise past the target.
Devan De Silva remained unbeaten on 13, accompanying Cannington, proving he was no slouch with the bat. With only 1 wicket down during the pursuit of the target, Benton’s batsmen showed great resolve and discipline. Their victory margin was vast, their dominance, incontestable.
Bentleigh Uniting U16’s crushing success against South Melbourne U16 2 was not just a win; it was an assertion of superiority. It was a lesson in teamwork, a masterclass in aggressive cricket, a testament to sheer determination, and a showcase of electrifying individual performances.
The day belonged to the indomitable Bentleigh Uniting, who exhibited a brand of cricket that was simply too hot for South Melbourne to handle.
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