On the first day of the Round 3 Longmuir Shield encounter between Brighton Union 1 and Bentleigh Uniting 1, Phillip-Vincent Falvo stood out for the Brighton Union side with a sterling half-century knock. For Bentleigh Uniting, bowler Malin Silva’s staggering seven-wicket haul and Callum Cathcart’s crucial 11 runs remained the highlights.
At the 12:30 PM start on Saturday, 21st October 2030, Brighton Union 1, who batted first, managed to score 153 before being bowled out. Falvo emerged as the top runscorer with 62 runs off 59 balls, maintaining a steady partnership of 85 runs with teammate Anmol Malhotra who scored 24 off 70. Brighton’s middle order batsman, Aman Preet, was caught by Camp off Malin Silva’s bowling for 13 runs. It was Silva who also claimed the scalps of other key Brighton batsmen including Abhilash Sharma, Ankush Malhotra, Antony Persi, and Addy Khaneja resulting in a collapse.
Silva was the star of Bentleigh Uniting’s bowling attack, bagging an impressive 7 for 44 off his 21 overs spell. Meanwhile, Buddhika De Alwis also contributed with 2 wickets for 23 runs off 18 overs. Despite Silva’s fiery spell, Brighton managed a commendable total of 153, thanks to the sizable partnership between Falvo and Malhotra.
On the second innings of the day, Bentleigh Uniting took to the crease with reduced verve, losing two wickets for a meager 31 runs. Campbell James was among the first to go without troubling the scorers while Callum Cathcart added a significant 11 runs to the tally before being caught by Addy Khaneja off Robert Blair’s bowling. There were no major contributors from their middle order, leaving them trailing by 122 runs at the close of day one. Bowler Robert Blair claimed both wickets for a tally of 18 runs.
The day’s play undeniably belonged to Bentleigh Uniting’s Malin Silva, who left an indelible mark on the game with his awe-inspiring bowling spell. Brighton Union’s Falvo also emerged as the meritorious anchor of the innings, providing solidity to their batting line-up. On the contrary, Bentleigh Uniting’s batting order will be under immense pressure entering day two, with a huge deficit still remaining against Brighton Union’s first innings score. They will need some significant contributions from their remaining batsmen for any chance of a positive result in this encounter.
As the attention turns to day two, the pitch conditions and weather will also influence the game’s dynamic. With players like Silva and Falvo in remarkable form, fans can expect an action-filled cricketing day.
Quiney Shield
In the third round of the Quiney Shield, Bentleigh Uniting 2 delivered an impressive performance against Mackie 2. Contributors such as skipper Rory Drummond, who scored a brilliant fifty, Alex Zaia, Liam Manakis, and Rohan Wilson batted powerfully to snag a total of 231. In a significant turn of events, Finn Sharp and Gus O’Donnell were figures of prominence, taking several wickets to dent the batting contingent of Bentleigh Uniting 2.
One of the most pivotal moments of the first innings was when opener Rohan Wilson held the crease with dedication, contributing a decent score of 18 runs off 25 balls. The game got a significant shift when Alex Zaia, the third in the order, came in and put up an impressive score of 36 runs within 76 deliveries. However, it was not long before he was sent packing with a leg-before-wicket decision off a ball by Finn Sharp. At this point, Bentleigh Uniting was sitting relatively comfortably at 105.
But the momentum further intensified when Liam Manakis stepped up to the crease. The sixth-order batsman rapidly shifted gears, launching an array of shots to pull a brisk 44 off just 31 balls. Paul Dessent’s exit at the team score of 137, courtesy of Finn Sharp again, opened the gates for a major collapse.
Nonetheless, the cornerstone of the Bentleigh Uniting’s innings was undoubtedly Captain Rory Drummond. His resolute innings of 71 runs from 149 balls acted like a glue that held the game together for his team. But just when things started looking favourable for Bentleigh Uniting 2, Gus O’Donnell tightened the bolts. He rattled the batting order by claiming the wickets of Rory Drummond, Ethan Manakis, Noah Montgomery, and Jack Zaia. Finn Sharp also displayed an excellent bowling performance, capturing 4 crucial wickets and keeping the scoring in check.
Suddenly, a collapse loomed over Bentleigh Uniting, with the wicket of Harry Zaia falling at a team score of 133. From there, wickets kept falling steadily, with Finn Sharp mainly responsible, claiming successive wickets of Harry Zaia and Paul Dessent. This dramatic turn of events brought Bentleigh’s total to 231 for 10.
The Mackie 2 bowlers were not left out of the glory; on the contrary, they were instrumental in capitalising on the cracks in Bentleigh Uniting’s batting line-up. Gus O’Donnell and Finn Sharp were lethal, taking 3 and 4 wickets, respectively. Sharp, particularly, was a constant menace to the Bentleigh batsmen and remained a significant propeller of Mackie 2’s performance in the first innings.
For the second innings, Mackie 2 are left with a steep slope to climb, with a challenging target of 231 runs. With neither middle nor top order showing significant contributions yet, the task ahead is monumental. Caleb Smith and Damien Krotofil will have to pull off substantial scores to bring Mackie closer to the target.
This encounter hasput everybody at the edge of their seats. Bentleigh has performed well, butwill they edge out Mackie 2 at the end of Day 2? That, cricket fans, remains to be seen.
H Grade Round Three
In a thrilling H Grade Round 1 match, Bentleigh Uniting 3 put up a competitive total of 161, only to see East Oakleigh 1 chase it down with four wickets to spare. Major contributions came from Joe Aloi with a steadfast fifty, Jonathan Guttmann with a solid 36, and Chris Elkins with a crucial 21. Jason Baker, Ari Mamalis, and Bhargav Prakash delivered strategic blows for East Oakleigh, each bagging a few wickets.
The sun-dappled pitch of the Bentleigh Cricket Ground buzzed with anticipation on the sunny afternoon of 21st October 20230. The promising Bentleigh Uniting 3 took their stance against the formidable East Oakleigh 1 in the inaugural H Grade match of the season. Electing to bat first, Bentleigh Uniting 3 posted an imposing 161 runs, largely due to a resilient half-century by Joe Aloi.
The innings sprung to life with Nicholas Timms (c), despite falling early, having scored 6 runs off 16 deliveries. Chris Elkins, coming in at number 3, put an end to the early wobble by striking a brisk 21 off just 17 deliveries, adding a valuable 27 runs to the team score. Riding on the momentum, Jonathan Guttmann performed admirably, putting a robust 36 runs on the board, his partnership with Aloi adding a significant 88 runs and bringing the team score to 127.
A seemingly insurmountable total certainly seemed within reach until East Oakleigh’s Ari Mamalis wreaked havoc with the ball. James Bruce and Stephen Montgomery fell to his lethal attack at critical junctures, followed quickly by Doug Clowes, bringing about a dramatic middle-order collapse. The team score stumbled from a robust 151 to an unsteady 156, shaking the foundations of Bentleigh’s previous solidity.
Bentleigh’s bowling attack, marshaled by Rod Mikkelsen with 3 wickets and a crucial contribution of 1 wicket from Hasib Mahmudul, put a brave front. However, East Oakleigh’s top order, steered by the determined batting of Fill-in, with a match-winning 53, and Brodie Howie’s contribution of a quick 32, took the game away. Daniel Krongold and Trent Cuthell also provided useful contributions, keeping the scoreboard ticking in this high-stakes chase.
East Oakleigh 1’s combination of aggressive batting and disciplined bowling clinched the victory. On the bowling side, Bhargav Prakash proved pivotal, dismantling Bentleigh’s middle order with 3 wickets. Ari Mamalis and Jason Baker bagged a couple of wickets too, tightening the noose around Bentleigh’s neck at crucial junctures.
Bentleigh Uniting 3 must reflect on their performance – having made a good start, it was the inability to stem the fall of wickets that cost them the game. Nevertheless, with glimpses of brilliance in between, they are certainly a team full of potential and promise.
In the end, the game
was a telling reminder of the vagaries of this unpredictable sport – the twists and turns from the flickering hopes of a promising start to a devastating collapse, and finally, a nerve-wracking chase. Still, it’s just the beginning, and with plenty of cricket left in the season, all might not be lost for Bentleigh Uniting 3.
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