Spellbinding semi-finals play out CRICKET CLV PREMIER A By LIAM DURKIN   CRICKET really is a funny game. Finals cricket especially. The two biggest local cricket powerhouses in recent seasons won’t be playing off in this season’s Cricket Latrobe Valley Premier A Grand Final. Ex Students and Glengarry were defeated by Churchill and Morwell respectively at the weekend. The result sets up not only a Grand Final, but a huge grudge match given players from both sides have swapped between clubs over the last few years. Expect plenty of fireworks at Morwell’s Keegan Street Reserve this Saturday and Sunday. “Something tells me they’ll be plenty in it,” a source close to one of the competing clubs told this author. Morwell will be looking to cap off a strong season that saw it finish second on the home-and-away ladder. The Tigers have won two first grade flags in the last decade: 2017/18 and 2022/23. Somewhat fittingly, given Morwell is one of the oldest cricket clubs in Gippsland, both came in what was the last season of those respective competitions. Central Gippsland finished after 2017/18, becoming Latrobe Valley District, which then finished after 2022/23 when Traralgon District combined to form the Cricket Latrobe Valley that exists today. Having won premierships in the two smaller leagues, the Tigers will be aiming to assert true Latrobe Valley dominance in the expanded comp. While Churchill certainly doesn’t have the length of history Morwell does (the town only being just over 60 years old), the Cobras won the first-ever Latrobe Valley District Premier A flag in season 2018/19. Finals are a part of Churchill’s DNA, and it’s fair to say anything less is a real shock to the system (in footy or cricket). In the last 10 seasons, Churchill has missed cricket finals just once, and played in five consecutive grand finals. One part of the record however is hard to ignore – just one premiership in that time. The Cobras will therefore be desperate to make up for some lost ground. Churchill has already well and truly proven a point though in reaching the Premier A Grand Final. The Cobras did not take kindly to getting relegated last season, and enticed most of its past guns back to ensure its stay in A Grade was short-lived. Churchill succeeded in that, spending just one season in the lower division, and is now into the decider of the top grade. One disgruntled local cricket follower thought Churchill shouldn’t have been promoted because it didn’t win the premiership. Having now made the Premier A Grand Final with the same team however, there can surely be little doubt the Cobras were bumped up on merit. Once again, there is the beauty and also the harsh reality of finals – you can be the best team all year and not make it.   Premier A Semi Finals Churchill 7/170 def Ex Students 10/41 IT’S not often Squid gets outdone by his namesake. The ‘other’ Chris Williams had his moment of glory at the weekend, getting Churchill into the Premier A Grand Final. Churchill’s most capped sportsman had arguably his crowning glory, after taking 5/12 against Ex Students. Day 1 of the semi-final left most league pundits dumbfounded, as the Sharks were knocked over for just 41 at Terry Hunter Oval. Ryan Ayres started the rot, taking the first three wickets to fall, before Williams took the next five. Williams bowled Michael Stockdale first ball, and nabbed Rick Battista for a duck, before bowling league linchpin Lee Stockdale. In scarcely believable scenes, Ex Students slumped to 6/33. Equally astonishing, seven batsmen were bowled, and two Churchill players took five fas. The Cobras used just three bowlers, with Ayres taking 5/10 off 15.1 overs alongside Williams. The first innings meant just one thing as far as Churchill was concerned – bat, and bat, and keep batting. Only 31 overs had been completed by the time the Cobras started its innings, meaning ample time for the Sharks to try and set up a reverse outright. Churchill’s first task was winning on first innings, which it was able to do for the loss of only two wickets. By stumps however the score was 7/122 – giving the Cobras a lead of 81. The Sharks needed early wickets on Day 2, however Ayres and Matt Harvey batted the entire second day to see their team to safety. Jordan Higham scored 35 on Day 1, yet it was Ayres who stood tallest with an unbeaten 93 in a total of 7/170. He was denied a century, but was happy to shake hands with Ex Students counterpart Jimmy Pryde once it became clear no other result was achievable. Harvey put up one of the great stonewall efforts, scoring 12 not out off 109 balls (respect). Stockdale took 5/36 off 29 overs. The result was perhaps a degree of levelling out for both teams. The Sharks won the 2023/24 premiership after somewhat controversially blocking out to escape with a draw in that season’s semi-final. Churchill, by the same token, was bundled out of finals after a dominant season in A Grade just on 12 months ago. Remarkably, this will be the first season since 2012/13 not to feature Ex Students in an A Grade playoff.   Morwell 10/236 def Glengarry 10/199 GETTING close to Tiger Time. Morwell defeated Glengarry in a thrilling Premier A semi-final. The Tigers were asked to have a bat at the toss, and ended up doing so for more than 100 overs at Keegan Street Reserve. The home side eventually put up 236, with the middle order all making some form of contribution, either by runs or balls faced. Morwell’s depth was on full display, as Jordan Campbell scored 57 not out batting at seven. The club favourite has been described as the first player one would choose for a final, and it was evident why, as he steered his team past 200. Blake Mills also registered a half-century, while Mark Cukier made 28 earlier in the day off just 25 balls. The Tigers were 9/222 overnight, and added a handy 14 runs on the resumption. Importantly, Morwell kept Glengarry in the field for 107.4 overs. Nat Freitag sent down a back-breaking 37.4 overs for figures of 5/51, while Al Jenkin bowled 40 overs of finger spin. A high-class second day saw both teams fight tooth and nail for a spot in the big dance. The Magpies were mighty in defeat, getting to 199 before the last wicket was taken. The telling moment came when Freitag was bowled by Morwell off-spinner Ross Whelpdale for 18. This left the Marks boys, Frank and Ben, to take up the slack. Frank batted for an eternity, while Ben played an attacking hand off 70 balls as both players scored 52. Morwell however bowled very well as a collective, and saw wickets shared among four bowlers. Tim Ford (who registered his 1000th club run during the game) continued his sublime form, taking 4/93, while Dylan Day (2/15) and Whelpdale (2/38) chipped in. The Magpies were bowled out in 72 overs, setting up the first Morwell versus Churchill Grand Final since season 1980/81.   A Grade Semi Finals Rovers 10/242 def Willow Grove 10/123 ROVERS have waited a long time for this. The boys from Duncan Cameron are just one win away from the Cricket Latrobe Valley A Grade premiership. Rovers defeated Willow Grove by 119 runs in the semi-final at the weekend. A suburb effort from Ewan Williams saw Rovers to a total of 242 batting first on a Mirboo North strip that had plenty of runs in it. Conditions could not have been better for batting, with a true surface and bowling green outfield. The Wolves’ hand was somewhat forced however, given Rovers was the higher ranked team. As conditions were so good, there remained the chance Rovers could have blocked out on Day 2 to draw its way to the Grand Final. Rovers openers Liam Little and Tyler Pearce combined for a 53 run opening stand, with the former making 27. They fell either side of each other, however Rovers veteran Simon Duff steadied the ship with 32. James Hayter scored 40, but similar to what had taken place earlier, Rovers lost two wickets back-to-back. At 4/125 the game was delicately poised, but Williams batted with the rest of the card to take the score close to 250. Willow Grove toiled well, and were rewarded with wickets at semi-regular intervals. Rovers were nine down at stumps, and batted on into Day 2 to make it 96.2 overs in its innings. Darcy Walsh took 3/48 with his leg spinners, and younger brother Logan 2/16. Wolves veteran Peter Grima was brought into the side for the first time this season, replacing Anthony Wilkes, who had commitments with a veterans team overseas. Thing started disastrously for Willow Grove, with a wicket falling off the very first ball of the innings. The situation didn’t improve much from there, and when Duff took the key wicket of Luke Payton for 39, it was just about game. Darcy Walsh added some runs with 32 off 42 and was the last man out, leaving the Wolves well short at 123. It was perhaps fitting that Little, grandson of Rovers 200 gamer Dave, took 3/8, including the winning wicket, to send Rovers into the Grand Final. Equally fitting, the only other Rovers 200 gamer, Duff, took 3/34. In an interview with the Express after his 200th A Grade game in 2022, Duff said the lure of a premiership was what kept him playing. “It would be the ultimate, that is the only thing left to do,” he said at the time. He now has a chance to do just that. The result put to rest a tricky week for Rovers, after it is understood some tense words were shared between club officials and captain Dougal Williams, who chose to forgo a home ground advantage at Duncan Cameron by playing at Mirboo North. For Willow Grove, while it was a disappointing end, it should not detract from the season, nor the growth the club has had in recent times. The Wolves decided to play A Grade only four years ago, and had six teams from across the club play finals this season. (A Grade, womens, veterans and juniors)   Raiders 10/119 def Traralgon West 10/48 & 10/36 RIDICULOUS really. Keenan Hughes made a mockery of what a semi-final is usually like, taking 12 wickets in a single day. The carnage saw Raiders win outright on Day 1, totally embarrassing Traralgon West in the process. Raiders elected to bowl first on its home deck, and took just 24.3 overs to complete the job. Hughes and Will Robertson were the only two bowlers used, and they each took five fas. Chasing 48, the home side had no interest batting for two days, and got the runs only four down. Tom Griffiths almost outdid the Eagles on his own, making 45. Raiders were bowled out for 119, making for a lead of 70. Ben Fleming took a somewhat forgotten 5/31, while Hayden Kimpton (3/42) and Alfie Peck (2/30) got among the wickets. Just 17.3 overs is all Raiders needed to win outright, wrapping things up to ensure they got an extra day’s rest heading into the Grand Final. Hughes turned up the heat even further, taking insane figures of 7/11. Robertson had to make do with 2/8. Traralgon West was bowled out for 36 second time around, completing what is surely the most tame finals exit in Gippsland cricket history. Hughes has set a new Raiders record with an astonishing 60 wickets to his name for the season. An interesting hypothetical: where would he bowl if he played when Raiders had Jeff, Brett and Brad Knowles all playing, along with Les Brown? It was said Raiders’ bowling was so strong back then, they would have little trouble defending scores as low as 80. It is set to be a big weekend at Yinnar, with Raiders in the A and B Grade grand finals.

LV Express: Spellbinding semi-finals play out #Sport #AGrade #Churchill

Finals spots up for grabs CRICKET CLV By LIAM DURKIN   TWO spots remain live on the Cricket Latrobe Valley Premier A ladder with one round to go. Glengarry (33 points), Churchill (33), Imperials (32) and Moe (31) occupy places three to six, meaning it is all on the line over the next two Saturdays. Only two of those sides will qualify for finals, and play either Ex Students or Morwell. The Sharks and Tigers are both equal first on 51 points, and have home semi-finals sewn up. At the other end of the ladder, Toongabbie (19) and Centrals (13) cannot avoid relegation, and have a fortnight remaining to play in the top division.   Ex Students 8-d/286 def Churchill 10/159 ONE of the greats. Ex Students superstar Lee Stockdale completed an outstanding individual game, taking his side to victory over Churchill. Having already tonned up on Day 1, the Vic Country veteran took 5/69 off 21 overs on Day 2. The Sharks had little trouble defending 286, bowling the Cobras out for 159 at Andrews Park West. Stockdale ripped Churchill apart, taking four of the first five wickets to fall. Having dismissed nightwatchman Chris Williams (not Squid, the other one), he then had Jordan Higham and Ben Kearns – fresh off a century the previous game – back in the sheds. The home side sank to 5/15, which effectively took the sting out of the contest. John Keighran added some respectability to the scoreboard with 30, before he was bowled by Adam Brady with a delivery that seemed to get onto him a lot quicker. Ex-regular Kurt Holt filled in and made 31 off 38 balls down the order. Stockdale bowled mostly in tandem with Jimmy Pryde, who took 3/49 off 15.4 overs. Ex Students will most likely look to get batting practice in before finals, as they play Centrals in the last round. One imagines the order might be rejigged to give blokes who don’t usually get much of a bat a hit.   Toongabbie 9/241 def Traralgon Imperials 10/226 ARE we now seeing the real Imps? The team from Catterick Crescent lost its third consecutive game at the weekend. Imps surprised many by going into the Christmas break as a top-two side, yet the reality of a long cricket season might now be coming to the surface. Imperials haven’t won since January 10. The latest result saw them lose narrowly to Toongabbie by 15 runs – a margin seldom seen in two day cricket. The Rams resumed at 7/215, and took the score to 241 off the entitled 10 extra overs on Day 2. Toongabbie legend Tom Shippen fell just one run short of a home ground century, after spending the entire week on 94 not out (when is cricket good). His captain Tim Dunn batted through for an unbeaten 32. Wickets were shared between the Imperials bowlers. Charlie Pilling (3/29), Tylah Donoghue (2/46) and Scott Aitken (2/81) all chipped in. Ryan Morley played an innings of similar substance to Shippen for Imperials, scoring 96 opening the batting. He combined with Brett Chapman (29) to take the score into triple figures before the innings took a dramatic turn. From 1/102, the visitors were soon 4/110. Dennis Caulfield (41 not out) did his best to stabilise the situation, yet wickets fell around him. When Morley was dismissed the score was 7/173, which allowed Toongabbie’s experienced bowlers to control the rest of the game until victory was secured. The Rams survived a few nervy moments, especially after letting 19 extras slip. Shippen delivered once again, taking 6/65 off 30.4 overs, adding yet another outstanding performance to his career CV. Nathan Farley (2/32) took the game-changing wicket of Morley, while Gayashan Munasinghe (2/39) bent his back across 19 overs. Imperials play Glengarry in the last round, in what is essentially an elimination final.   Centrals 10/177 & 8/65 def Moe 10/81 PITCHES they come, they go. Moe was knocked over for 81 in pursuit of 177 against Centrals. The result could have huge ramifications for the maroon Lions, who would have just about secured a finals position with victory. Conditions however were reportedly markedly different on Day 2 at Apex Park, which was perhaps reflected as 15 wickets fell between the two sides. By the same token, it is hard to see why the pitch would have been doctored, given Centrals had nothing to gain from potentially winning outright. Even if they took 10 points, the blue Lions would still be getting relegated. And when you have a bowler the calibre of Tyron Gamage, you don’t need any extra assistance. The express quick was simply too good for few Moe batsmen, who copped inch-perfect deliveries. Of his 5/35, all were top order players, while two clipped the very top of the stumps – one sending leg stump cartwheeling, At the other end, left arm swinger Marc Fenech took 4/31, as the pair bowled 43 of the 50 overs in Moe’s first dig. Centrals batted again, yet showed themselves just how tricky conditions were, finishing at 8/65 off 49 overs. Royce Colgrave took 6/16, to make it 10 wickets in the match. Fortunately for Moe, results in other games this round hardly altered the ladder. The maroon Lions simply have to beat Toongabbie and rely on Morwell defeating Churchill in the last round to make finals. It will never happen, but is it worth playing a one dayer in the last round to take pitches out of the equation?   Morwell 3/121 def Glengarry 10/118 MORWELL will be rightly daring to dream. The Tigers clinically took down Glengarry, needing just 16 overs to do so on Day 2. Resuming at 1/76 chasing 118, club stalwart Mark Cukier steered his side home with an unbeaten 67. Morwell was only three down when the score was passed, and were happy to have an early beer at Keegan Street. It perhaps wasn’t all bad news for the Glengarry boys, who would have been home so early their wives would think they’d just been to Bunnings. Morwell celebrated club favourite and all-round nice guy Rob Semmler, who brought up his 400th game in the Premier B match.   A Grade SIMILARLY in A Grade, six teams are still alive as far as finals go. The difference however is the parity, with a number of teams still a chance of securing a home semi. In a ladder that would confuse even some mathematicians, Raiders are first, yet have lost the same number of games as sixth-placed Latrobe. The team from Yinnar has catapulted to first with 48 points off the back of a couple of outrights, after sitting near the bottom of the table before Christmas. Traralgon West is second on 43, while Rovers has slipped out on 40. Willow Grove (39) is on track to feature in finals, while CATS (36) have hit a huge stumbling block after appearing a near certainty of finishing top-two. Latrobe (33) is still in the hunt, and can play finals if it defeats CATS and Willow Grove loses to Mirboo North. The Sharks are the only team not to gain any bonus points this season, which may come back to haunt them. The A Grade competition is shaping as one where any team inside the top four could realistically win the premiership. That being said, it is hard to remember a more ‘random’ competition, where results have fluctuated so drastically week-to-week.   Willow Grove 3/180 def Rovers 10/171 WILLOW GROVE took a giant leap toward finals. The Wolves chased the remaining runs against Rovers, winning by seven wickets at Duncan Cameron. Resuming at 1/49, the visitors got the 180 needed in less than 50 overs. Nathan Wheildon played arguably his best innings for the club, scoring an unbeaten 65. That his knock came off 169 balls showed he has perhaps finally turned a corner, where previously he was guilty of being a reckless slogger. Luke Payton also reined in his usually attacking ways, scoring 60 off 103. Both players cleared the rope on three occasions.   Raiders 7-d/222 def CATS 10/70 & 10/113 RAIDERS defeated CATS outright. A fast-moving and somewhat farcical game at Yinnar saw the home side skittle CATS inside 25 overs second time around. That 76 of CATS’ 113 second innings runs came from Tinashe Panyangara off 45 balls perhaps said it all about the difference in attitude some had. Before that, Raiders declared at 7/222, giving them a lead of 152. Skipper Liam Maynard bumped his average up with 73 not out. Dane Fawcett (3/19), Ben Hagley (2/52) and Panyangara (2/59) took multiple poles. Adding to the farcical nature of CATS’ second dig, two players took five wicket hauls for Raiders. Keenan Hughes added another ball to the mount with 5/45, while Harvey Rogers-Collen took 5/22.   Mirboo North 6/224 def Latrobe 8-d/223 YOU can just never write these blokes off. While Mirboo North can’t play finals, they can still have a major say in who does. The Tigers put a serious dent in Latrobe’s aspirations, defeating the Sharks by four wickets. Taking to the Mercer/McKenzie wicket, a Zach Hollis masterclass took the home side to victory. The big boy and big hitter smacked a 129-ball ton, whacking 16 fours across the pristine Mirboo North outfield. His effort helped the Tigers out of a precariously-placed 3/54, and with captain Ben Heath (45 red) holding up an end, Mirboo North won in the 63rd over. Latrobe youngsters Izayah Terrick (2/31) and Jacob Bloomfield (2/38) were productive with the ball.   Traralgon West 9-d/146 & 2/26 def Gormandale 10/92 & 8-d/145 ANOTHER bizarre game played out at Jack Canavan Oval. Traralgon West won on first innings, but not before Gormandale tried admirably to set up a sneaky reverse outright. The Tigers dangled an outright carrot to the Eagles, who accepted, only for the match to fizzle out after eight fourth innings overs. Traralgon West began the day 5/85 chasing 92 on first innings. The home side took six points after getting to 146, thanks mainly to Alfie Peck, who scored at virtually a run-a-ball in his 46 not out. They were however thwarted by Yohan Soyza’s mastery, with the Tigers allrounder snaring insane figures of 7/18 off 20 overs. Buddhima Dissanayake (2/79) was also noteworthy. The Eagles only took 20 overs to win on first innings, meaning Gormandale had ample time to bat a second time around. The Tigers used up 61 overs to compile 145, making a sporting declaration eight down. Yohan scored 52 not out, while Nimesh Soyza made a patient 32 and Bailey Fulham 26. Ben Fleming was impressive for Traralgon West, taking 4/56, as was Peck (3/48). With 91 to get, the Eagles were content with first innings points, seeing off eight overs for 2/26. Dissanayake took both wickets. Traralgon West and Rovers will battle for a home semi in a possible semi-final preview in the last round. Gormandale meanwhile will play for pride against Raiders.

LV Express: Finals spots up for grabs #Sport #AGrade #Cats

Cricket with loved ones CRICKET CLV By LIAM DURKIN   WHAT better way to spend Valentine’s Day than playing cricket. Much like dating, fortunes were mixed for Cricket Latrobe Valley teams when Day 1 of Round 13 ended. Games particularly in A Grade appear fairly predictive heading into Day 2.   Premier A Toongabbie 7/215 to Imperials THE perfect man doesn’t exis … A Tom Shippen rescue mission helped Toongabbie to a strong position at stumps against Imperials. Staring down the barrel of sub-par total, the Rams’ veteran came in at number seven and ended the day 94 not out. Shippen displayed incredible discipline on the Roger Reis Oval turf, striking just one four and one six across 173 balls faced. Toongabbie captain Tim Dunn will surely bat on this Saturday to give Shippen the chance to score his century. The Rams are 7/215, having batted an insane 96 overs. Dunn (26 not out) will look to push the total toward 250, adding to the contribution of Sam Moran (27) further up the order. Imperials shone bright with the ball until Shippen came to the crease, with Charlie Pilling (3/29), Tylah Donoghue (2/30) and Scott Aitken (2/81) decimating the middle order. The trio was forced to bowl more overs than usual, as opening quick Todd Mann was serving a one week suspension after running his mouth in the game against Moe. Mann will come in for Day 2, a slightly strange arrangement that will see him play in the same game he’s suspended in.   Glengarry 10/118 to Morwell 1/76 DO Glengarry just sacrifice this game? The Magpies are as good as gone against Morwell, with the Tigers needing just 42 runs with nine wickets in hand. After electing to bat first at Keegan Street, the visitors became the latest line-up to suffer at the hands of Tim Ford. The seamer, who would have to be one of the finds of the century, returned figures of 5/38 off 22 overs. His haul included Nat Freitag, Cam Graham and Frank Marks. Only Sam Marks with a patient 54 off 171 balls was able to offer any resistance, as Glengarry was skittled for 118. Dylan Day took 2/21 for the Tigers, adding further to the ‘good problem to have’ for Morwell, as he hasn’t had to bowl much this season. The home side resumes at 1/76. Mark Cukier is 36 not out, while Kris Fortuin earlier knocked 34 runs off the total. Few sneaky wickets from club legend Craig Giddens in the twos as well at the weekend. Glengarry may just look to get out of this match with a first innings loss, given it should still stay in the top four if other games go as expected. The Magpies are third on 33 points, equal with Churchill in fourth and a point clear of Imperials. The Cobras will most likely lose to Ex Students, and Imperials will be chasing more than 200 against Toongabbie. Glengarry plays Imperials in the last round, which could determine the finals fate of both sides.   Centrals 10/177 to Moe 3/36 GOOD news, Centrals has runs to play with. Bad news, Andrew Philip is not out. The Traralgon Lions need to take seven wickets before Moe scores 144 runs. Given this is looming as a genuine chance for Centrals to win its first game of the season, one expects the home side to come out firing when play resumes. Batting first at Apex Park, the boys in light blue compiled 177. Jaxon Murdoch top-scored with 53, and was assisted by Tye Hourigan (41) and Lachie Speairs (27). Royce Colgrave took 4/45 for Moe, while Rob Phoenix ended with familiar-looking figures of 3/15 off 10 overs with four maidens. (A dollar for every time he has taken those sort of figures). Moe had 19 overs to bat before stumps, and lost three wickets along the way. Philip and skipper Matt Hibbs will resume with the score 3/36. Note the name Joel Jacovou in the Moe line-up. Anyone’s guess when he last played A Grade. Even MyCricket doesn’t have an answer.   Ex Students 8-d/286 to Churchill 2/5 CHURCHILL might want to stay in the snake pit. The Cobras are 2/5 chasing 287 against Ex Students. The home side’s decision to bowl first at the toss backfired, thanks mainly to another Lee Stockdale masterclass. Stockdale scored a sublime 134 off 144 balls, enabling the Sharks to declare eight down after 80 overs. His brother Michael scored a brisk 43 off 41, while Woodside footy teammate Matt Dyke kept things in order with 33, facing the exact same number of balls as Lee. Ex Students picked their bowlers to target, taking three for fives while sitting on their stick against three others. Chris Williams took 4/74 off 18 serviceable overs. Not to be outdone, Lee took two wickets in the five overs before stumps. Just where will Stocky rate among the greats of Gippsland cricket in years to come? He would have to be right up there.   A Grade Rovers 10/171 to Willow Grove 1/49 ROVERS and Willow Grove are in the middle of a competitive match. The Wolves need another 122 runs with nine wickets in hand at Duncan Cameron. While mathematically, WinViz would have the visitors in the majority, collapses have been common across the A Grade competition this season. Batting first after winning the toss, Rovers scored 171 off 63.4 overs. James Hayter was the standout with 73, and was supported by skipper Dougal Williams with 26. Nathan Findlay helped with an unbeaten 30 batting at number nine. Darcy Walsh showed no signs of fatigue from country week, taking 5/46 off 15.4 overs. Dylan van der Stoep added to his wickets from the weekend, snaring 2/11. The youngster took a five fa playing juniors for Trafalgar the night before. Willow Grove had plenty of time to bat before stumps, and knocked 49 runs off the total in 28 overs.   CATS 10/70 to Raiders 4/158 YOU do have to wonder how much CATS rely on a handful of players. The team from Traralgon South was knocked over for just 70, and has already lost on first innings against Raiders. One look at the CATS team sheet was enough for Raiders captain Liam Maynard to bowl first. There was no Callum Stewart, Josh Keyhoe or Jamie Cochrane, and with that, Raiders went in for the kill. In somewhat farcical scenes, the home side only used two bowlers. Keenan Hughes and Will Robertson bowled unchanged for 35.4 overs. The former took another five wicket haul (5/38), making it 40 wickets and no tattoo for the season. Robertson meanwhile grabbed 4/30 in just his second game for the season. Raiders officials will be hoping the Yinnar footballer qualifies for finals. Raiders batted 50 overs to stumps, and are 4/158. Maynard will resume on 54, after Mick Higgins juiced 45 off 53. Tinashe Panyangara (2/35) and Ben Hagley (2/48) bowled most of the overs for CATS on Day 1.   Latrobe 8-d/223 to Mirboo North 0/11 HE’S probably still their best player. Latrobe veteran Anthony Bloomfield scored 81 out of his team’s 223 against Mirboo North. Batting first on the Mercer/McKenzie wicket, Bloomfield came in at five, backing up the work of opener Ed Hopper (44) and youngster Izayah Terrick, who saw off 137 balls for his 28. Bloomfield struck at a perfect clip for a two day game, going at 72.97. He hit 12 fours and a six, well and truly showing age is no barrier. In fact, Bloomfield is reportedly hitting the ball further than he ever has. Not surprising given he was coached by BBL great Chris Lynn as part of training for the national over 50’s team recently. The Sharks declared eight down, as George Fairbairn (3/68) and Dale Banks (2/36) toiled manfully. The Tigers were given the old one over to survive before stumps. Gee looking at that Mirboo North team, Banksy is about the only one left from the club’s premiership era (flags in 2013/14, 2015/16, 2020/21, 2022/23).   Gormandale 10/92 to Traralgon West 5/85 THIS one is a good chance of going reverse. Traralgon West needs just eight runs to defeat Gormandale, but has half its side already in the sheds. In a somewhat ‘ffs boys’ scorecard, the Eagles are 5/85 chasing 92. The Tigers were again bowled out cheaply, with only Cal Polo (33) and Yohan Soyza hanging around for any considerable length of time. Alfie Peck continued his wicket-taking ways for Traralgon West, finishing with 4/32. Criminally underrated off spinner Reece Falla took 3/11. With 26 overs to bat before stumps, the home side made a meal of things, struggling to contain Soyza, who walked off with figures of 4/8 from 12 overs. Captain Kimpton (Hayden) made a quick 35 off 33 balls, yet he will now have to watch from the sidelines as his team goes about getting these last eight runs. Assuming the Eagles pass the total, there will still be virtually an entire day ahead, leaving the gate open for Gormandale to bat again and set up a fourth innings chase.

LV Express: Cricket with loved ones #Sport #AGrade #Cats

Mr Kearns, he cricket bat good CRICKET CLV By LIAM DURKIN   Glengarry 6-d/151 & 0/54 def Centrals 10/42 & 10/162 GLENGARRY jumped into third on the Cricket Latrobe Valley Premier A ladder after the completion of Round 12. The Magpies, looking like a possible finals miss only a fortnight ago, catapulted a few rungs after defeating Centrals outright. Centrals had already lost on first innings heading into Day 2 at the weekend, and were 1/32 on resumption. The Lions redeemed its first innings of 42 with 162 second time round. Skipper Tye Hourigan played well for 86, yet most others fell victim to Cam Graham, who took 5/31 on his home deck. Glengarry needed only 54 runs to take all 10 points, and got them in 11 second innings overs. Graham completed a solid day’s work with 27 not out off 31 balls. The Magpie match reports may have been entertaining back at the sheds, after one batsman suffered a classic meltdown in Premier B upon being triggered by a teammate.   Churchill 9/251 def Moe 10/247 GOOD players are always good. A sublime century from Ben Kearns saw Churchill to victory over Moe. Chasing 248, the Cobras survived a late scare to win by one wicket. The home side was 9/244, yet Kearns batted through to finish unbeaten on 118. While he hasn’t played as much in recent seasons, his effort was another class act from what could well be the best sporting family in Gippsland. Fellow Churchill stalwart John Keighran also had a big say in the result, scoring a brisk 58 off 70 balls. Keighran, who by his own admission is “getting too old for this”, has well and truly earnt the right to now come in and bat at number seven. Moe will be disappointed not to close, especially after having Churchill 5/53. By all reports however the Lions didn’t bowl overly well, reflecting a possible poor start to the day with the bat. Moe batted on into Day 2, but lasted only four overs. Matt Hibbs was dismissed for 62, and the last three wickets fell for just three runs. As tends to happen, that can have a deflating effect on the team once it comes time to field. Hibbs (4/47) and Royce Colgrave (2/59) ended with multiple scalps. Moe players still had a good story to bring back to the rooms, after its Premier C won a thriller by two runs against Ex Students. Speaking from experience, any Moe win against Traralgon is memorable regardless of what grade.   Morwell 10/207 def Traralgon Imperials 10/109 MORWELL had 100 runs too many. The Tigers left Catterick Crescent content with first innings points. The visitors shot Imperials out for just 109 in 37.4 overs. Just 33 overs were completed on Day 2, yet Morwell was happy to shake hands and have an early beer. Imperials’ innings fell apart once Ryan Morley was dismissed with the score on 50. He made 39, while fellow Imps veteran Brett Chapman made 35 not out, watching wickets fall from the other end. Tim Ford returned insane figures of 8/50 to single-handedly drive Morwell to victory. His effort was the best-ever bowling for a Morwell player against Imperials (trick stat). How lucky you can get at times. Ford arrived at Morwell a few seasons ago simply as a mate of Brendan Brincat’s. Morwell is now top of the table, and looking to have a healthy squad to choose from at the right time of year. Their depth is so strong that genuine A Graders Dylan Day, Lachlan Day and Joel Mason played B Grade at the weekend. Mason has made runs against Ex Students in the ones this season, while Day took a seven-fa against a Glengarry team that played in the Premier A grand final last season. With this in mind, it is often pointless to debate how good the standard of a particular grade is, because you never quite know who is going to front up.   Toongabbie 10/99 & 5/154 def Ex Students 5-d/310 TOONGABBIE blocked out to avoid an outright. The Rams started the day 1/31 chasing 310 against Ex Students, but were bowled out for just 99. The Sharks enforced the follow-on, and saw the visitors get to 5/154 second time around. By then the damage had already been done, thanks mainly to Jimmy Pryde taking crazy figures of 7/9. His spin partner Lee Stockdale chipped in with 2/17. Only Amal Athulathmudali and Rob Wheildon made contributions for Toongabbie. Athulathmudali perhaps showed where his desire was at, getting to 34 off just 20 rocks. Wheildon meanwhile displayed what playing for the club means, seeing off 115 balls, and then 120 in the second dig. Athulathmudali made it 100 runs for the day, smacking 83 off 75 balls. Stockdale took 3/29 in the second innings.   A Grade Traralgon West 10/51 & 10/161 def Raiders 10/107 & 10/44 POOR Razor must be having a heart attack. Raiders lost reverse outright to Traralgon West, in what ended up being a complete reversal of form inside seven days. Truthfully, the team from Yinnar did well to lose reverse. The Eagles started the day at 4/43, still 13 runs shy of making the home side bat again in A Grade. A half-century to Hayden Kimpton (adding 21 runs to his overnight score), and scores of 35 and 31 to Josh Monacella and Alfie Peck took Traralgon West to 161. With half the day still to go, Raiders were set 105 to take all 10 points. Little more than 20 overs later however, they’d been shot out for 44. Peck ran riot with 5/19, while Connor Hughes took 4/20. Perhaps most damming for Raiders – nine batsmen were either bowled or lbw. The win was arguably Traralgon West’s most memorable since doing a similar job on CATS earlier this decade. The result could destabilise Raiders meanwhile, and further reinforce the message that Keenan Hughes can’t do it all himself.   CATS 10/161 def Mirboo North 10/138 & 4/145 WHAT a time to step up. Josh Bellingham made a name for himself, after peeling off 67 batting at 10 for CATS against Mirboo North. He partnered with Ben Hagley in a 113-run partnership for the ninth wicket, rescuing CATS and completely demoralising the Tigers. There is honestly nothing worse than a nagging lower order partnership (still have nightmares of Roger Henry coming in at eight that time). CATS started Day 2 in all sorts at 8/48 chasing 138 at John Black Oval. Bellingham however showed incredible poise, to get through amid the most severe amount of pressure imaginable, knowing that one mistake could have led to defeat for his team. Hagley was 31 not out overnight, and got to 55 after the match was won. The Tigers batted again to try and manufacture something, but ended at 4/145 after 48 overs. Ben Heath scored 63 not out and George Fairbairn 28 red. Zach Hollis (4/10) and Frankie Ingram (2/61) were unable to add to their Day 1 wicket tallies for Mirboo North.   Latrobe 10/216 def Rovers 10/180 BORING cricket is a good tactic at this level. Latrobe defeated Rovers by 36 runs at Duncan Cameron. Defending 216, made after 80 overs on Day 1, the Sharks kept Rovers to 180 off the same amount. Jacob Bloomfield (3/24), Rhys Noble (3/53) and Rob Webber (2/18) ensured the screws were tightened, as Rovers lost wickets at semi-regular intervals. Rovers veteran Simon Duff kept the Sharks nervous with 40 batting at number nine, yet his dismissal by Ed Hopper (2/12) sparked a sigh of relief from the visitors. The home side was 8/126, before a 50 run partnership kept the game alive. James Hayter also scored 40 for Rovers.   Willow Grove 8-d/247 def Gormandale 10/64 & 4/137 GORMANDALE was another team forced to block out. The Tigers were destroyed on first innings, but put up a good fight second time around against Willow Grove. Taking to Moe Racecourse Turf, the Wolves picked up from 3/104, and declared with 247 on the board. Luke Payton made a run-a-ball 79, while Dylan van der Stoep struck at the same rate in his 34 not out. Buddhima Dissanayake got one for the mantlepiece, taking 5/95. Yohan Soyza snared 2/70 off 29 economical overs. Soyza then scored 85, batting for a period with Cal Polo, who went through the innings with 36 red.

LV Express: Mr Kearns, he cricket bat good #News #AGrade #Centrals

Premier A thrillers on return CRICKET CLV PREMIER A By LIAM DURKIN   LOCAL cricket returned after the Christmas break at the weekend. Players battled high winds and smoke from nearby bushfires out on the field. Round 9 matches of Cricket Latrobe Valley were played as one dayers, as all concerned got back into the swing of things. Another good innovation saw Centrals and Glengarry play a double header at Apex Park. The day started with Premier B at 9am, before moving into the Premier C twilight match from 3pm. Premier A returned some very competitive matches – one decided in the last over, and another by one wicket.   Ex Students 9/199 def Churchill 9/194 GOOD teams find away. Ex Students got up by one wicket against Churchill in a Terry Hunter Oval thriller – but not after one of the most astonishing knocks from a player in a losing cause. Chasing 195, the Sharks took it to the 48th over, requiring the years of experience from Adam Brady and Michael Stockdale to see them through. Ryan Ayres had earlier played the innings of his time at the Cobras, making an unbeaten 105. Such was the magnificence, the next highest score was 24 (any danger boys). He also came in when the score was 2/9, and was out in the middle when it read 4/13. Ben Kearns and John Keighran provided support down the order, needing to rein in their usually attacking nature to do the team thing and get Ayres on strike. He single-handedly gave Churchill a decent total, up against an attack led by Jimmy Pryde, who took 4/33. The total appeared insignificant when the Sharks got to 1/138, thanks to a 101-run second wicket partnership between Daniel Trease and Matt Dyke. Both men registered half-centuries, before the match took a dramatic turn from the most unlikely of sources. Cobras top-order bat Ric Velardi was introduced into the attack, and ended up ripping through the middle order, taking up after Matt Harvey dismissed Trease and Dyke with his left arm orthodox. Velardi snared three consecutive wickets to all of a sudden leave the game precariously placed at 7/174. A run out thereafter only added to the mayhem, and when Ex Students veteran Andy Matthews was trapped by Cobras equivalent Chris Williams, the Sharks still needed nine to win with one wicket in hand. Going for broke, the Cobras were denied victory after a no ball was hit to the boundary. Velardi took 4/28 off his six overs, while Harvey and Williams returned identical figures of 2/21.   Traralgon Imperials 5/197 def Glengarry 6/195 IMPERIALS kept its winning form up. Glengarry was the team’s latest scalp, after winning by five wickets at Catterick Crescent. The margin did not reflect the closeness of the game however, as the match was not decided until the last over. The return of Nat Freitag had immediate affect for the Magpies as far as run-scoring went, with the superstar left hander making an unbeaten 57. He was however more subdued than usual, striking at 60, likely because of a lengthy layoff following injury. Frank Marks played in a similar fashion, scoring 62 off 80, taking off from Cam Graham who opened with 31 off 57. Wickets proved hard to take at Catterick for both sides. Dilshan Thilakarathne bobbed up with 3/29 for Imperials. The home side saw double-figure scores from the entire top six, and breathed a sigh of relief when the total was eventually reached. Lewis Blake top-scored with 65, followed by Thilakarathne (40 not out) and Leighton Shuttleworth (31). Freitag bowled eight overs, in further encouraging signs for his recovery. Graham completed a decent all-round game, taking 3/43. The game will likely provide the competition with a couple of references: that Glengarry is every chance to come home with a wet sail as finals approach, and that Imps might have been lucky to scamper over the line.   Toongabbie 10/197 def Centrals 10/160 TOONGABBIE secured its first win of the Premier A season. The Rams won by 37 runs against Centrals, meaning the Lions remain as the only winless side in 2025/26. Batting first at Roger Ries Oval after being sent in, the home team recovered from 3/23 to post 197. Toongabbie legend Tom Shippen rescued the innings, along with Kyle O’Reilly, putting on 51 for the fourth wicket. Shippen reached his half-century, while O’Reilly played a busy hand of 35 off 38 balls. This paved the way for Jason Veneman to come in at eight, although he was certainly not taking the mickey, scoring an unbeaten 30. Tyron Gamage threatened to capitulate the Rams’ innings after taking two wickets with the new ball. The Centrals spearhead was the best of the bowlers with 4/39, in a card that saw all six bowlers used take wickets. Tarkyn Shankland was next best with 2/26. The Lions looks set for victory at 1/55, yet Toongabbie’s big guns then swung the match. Skipper Tim Dunn took the decisive wicket of Jaxon Murdoch for 32, before Shippen and Amal Athulathmudali joined in. Centrals fell in a heap, losing 3/6, the result of which meant the middle to lower order was left with too much to do. Dunn collected 3/17, Brady Hood 2/18 and Shippen 2/20 off his 10 overs with two maidens.   Morwell 3/168 def Moe 10/165 MORWELL was methodical in its chase against Moe. The Tigers chased 165 in 38.3 overs at Keegan Street, losing just three wickets in the process. The visitors had a less than ideal start, with the top four batsmen struggling to get going. Moe captain Matt Hibbs was forced to rebuild, and made a patient 49 off 95 rocks. He found a willing ally in youngster Brodyn Blandford, who hung around for a defiant 33 off 70 – sure to give his confidence the world of good against a quality attack. Morwell’s new ball bowlers Tim Ford and Brendan Brincat got the ball talking, and ended with three wickets each. Tigers skipper Blair Clymo picked up 2/16 and was then out in the middle as the winning runs were hit. The Morwell top order did the opposite to Moe, with Kris Fortuin (37), Mark Cukier (50) and Blake Mills (46 off 32) all contributing significantly. Ben McCartney had some success for the Lions, nabbing 2/22.   A Grade Traralgon West 6/105 def Rovers 10/104 TRARALGON WEST raised a number of eyebrows after defeating equal top-side Rovers. Chasing only 104, the Eagles won with four wickets in the shed at Duncan Cameron. The visitors bowled very well, hardly allowing Rovers to get the run rate moving. Liam Little made 29 opening the batting, yet most of his teammates returned scores in single figures. Things were looking dire for Rovers at 5/42, and ultimately, they just had to try and get to triple figures. Ben Fleming bowled an economical spell of 3/16 off 10, as did Alfie Peck, who took 2/27 off the same amount. The Eagles got the required runs without too much hassle, at one stage being 2/60. Kane Scott and Little took a pair of wickets each for Rovers.   Willow Grove 9/181 def Latrobe 10/145 HONESTY is the best policy – even though it can sometimes cost you. A terrific act of sportsmanship from Latrobe captain Steven Freshwater saw him recall Willow Grove batsman Ben Edebohls at the weekend. Edebohls had been given out lbw, yet the Sharks skipper, feeling the wrong decision had been made, graciously allowed his opposite number to take his guard again. Edebohls was on 30 at the time, and went on to score a match-winning 88 not out for the Wolves. Willow Grove closed at 9/181at Moe Racecourse, and then bowled Latrobe out for 145. Anthony Wilkes helped Edebohls with 26 at the top of the order up against Rob Webber, who took 2/26. Sharks youngster Liam Duncan had his coming-of-age moment, taking 5/30 with his off spin. His uncle, Michael Duncan, is best mates with former Australian quick Peter Siddle, who would have surely delighted in hearing about another Latrobe cricketer taking a bag of wickets. The Latrobe response was in danger early at 2/16, before Rhys Noble (35) got things around parity. The Sharks however were always a partnership short, and Freshwater (38 not out) was out in the middle when the last wicket fell with the score 145. Darcy Walsh continued his wicket-taking ways, grabbing 4/32 with his leg breaks. He bowled in tandem with his brother Logan, who took one of the biggest wickets in Gippsland, that of Anthony Bloomfield. Dylan van der Stoep (2/13) also had a major say in the result, dismissing Webber cheaply.   Raiders 10/254 def CATS 10/124 THAT’S why they recruited him. A whirlwind innings from Keenan Hughes propelled Raiders to a commanding victory over CATS. The big-hitting allrounder smoked 115 off just 80 balls after coming in at number seven. He hit seven sixes and 10 fours, showing absolute disregard for the fact CATS had a former Test bowler in its line-up. His performance was such that Raiders did not even bat its entire 50 over allotment at John Black Oval, as the visitors registered 254 in 46.3 overs. Hughes’ innings was made even more special given Raiders were in deep trouble at 5/38. Hughes and Tom Robertson however got together for one of the more astonishing middle order partnerships imaginable, putting on 180 for the sixth wicket. Robertson took something of a back seat to the Hughes onslaught, but still made 71 off 91 balls himself. Equally amazingly, a lot of the CATS bowlers still returned reasonable figures. Sam Gissara took 4/58, Josh Moore 3/45 and Dane Fawcett 3/47 with two maidens. With his confidence sky-high, Hughes then took the first two wickets with the new ball, before coming back to walk off with 4/29. Fittingly, he took the last wicket, that of Callum Stewart, who went down swinging with 34 off 28. Not to be outdone, Hughes also caught Tinashe Panyangara, the one player on CATS’ team who could have potentially played a similar innings to Hughes. Other wicket-takers for Raiders were Harvey Rogers-Collen (3/35) and Robertson (2/15).   Gormandale 6/194 def Mirboo North 10/140 GORMANDALE scored a much-needed victory. The Tigers of Traralgon defeated the Tigers of Mirboo North by four wickets at Stoddart Oval after posting 6/194. Batting first, Cal Polo and Nick Scammell put on a near-century opening stand to put their side in a promising position. Polo made 47 and Scammell 38, before Patrick Brooks came in down the order and blasted 40 red off just 23 balls. Wickets were shared in the Mirboo North camp. Dale Banks (2/20), Darien Matthews (2/25) and Max Woodall (2/45) all chipped in. Linc Chila played his best innings in the top grade, scoring 54 off 60 deliveries opening the batting. His effort was in vain however, as the rest of the order struggled to either convert or get started. Mirboo North was bowled out for 140 in less than 40 overs, thanks to the work of Gormandale bowlers Buddhima Dissanayake (3/31) and Scammell (2/6).

LV Express: Premier A thrillers on return #Sport #AGrade #Centrals

Too early to play the rain card? CRICKET CLV By LIAM DURKIN THE first day of red ball cricket in Cricket Latrobe Valley was tinged with sadness at the weekend. Usual gamesmanship synonymous with club cricket was momentarily shelved, as players and officials paused to pay respect to Melbourne teenager Ben Austin, who was tragically killed after being struck by a ball during a training drill gone fatally wrong. A minute’s silence was observed before play at games across the state, reminiscent of the feeling the nation felt following the death of Phillip Hughes. While both were freakish incidents, the importance of cricket safety was again thrust into public consciousness. Those who have played for a while will attest to the countless close calls seen in games and at training. It is also a minor miracle the game hasn’t seen more injuries, especially in the days before helmets. Senior batsmen are, and should always be, free to bat without a lid if they choose, but by the same token, other measures can be taken to decrease the risk of injury. How many nuffies get on a bowling machine and start slogging, meaning those bowling in the next net are constantly worried about balls flying everywhere? Or how many want to show-off by facing speeds they never will in a game? Councils and sporting bodies can also come in to help provide safer training environments. Many clubs still have old-school caged nets, which, when the ball hits the metal poles at speed, ricochet off in unpredictable fashion. Most teams found the adjustment from short form cricket difficult at the weekend, and as a result, second innings results are on the cards across Premier A and A Grade. Rain however is forecast for all of this week, meaning there is every chance of a Day 2 washout. Should that happen, a few teams will surely only have one song to play inside the sheds: ‘If I could escape, and recreate a place as my own world … ‘ Premier A TON or seven fa? Porque no los dos? (Why don’t we have both?) Lee Stockdale once again proved the calibre of player he is, putting together one of the most prolific solo efforts of not only his career, but in recent Gippsland cricket history. The Ex Students all rounder started by running through the Morwell middle and lower order, finishing with figures of 7/14, then going on to torch an unbeaten 100 off 102 balls, before ending his day with two more wickets at stumps. His work has virtually ensured the Sharks will secure outright points. The Tigers are six down, and need to score another 57 runs just to make Ex Students bat again. In what would have to be Morwell’s worst performance in some time, the Tigers were knocked over for 65 in their first dig after winning the toss at Keegan Street. The scorecard appeared like a duck shooting range with five in total, including four in a row from numbers eight down. A further three were added in the second innings, after the Sharks declared with 186 on the board. Stockdale’s exploits perhaps overshadowed the work of Matt Dyke at the top of the order, who made 57 in a second wicket stand of 119. Stockdale’s performance with the bat (11 fours and two sixes) was elevated further by the fact two of his teammates also failed to trouble the scorers. On a day when hardly anyone could hit it off the square, Stockdale made what appeared 22 yards of wet cement to some, 22 yards of concrete to him. Tim Ford had some joy with the ball for Morwell, nabbing 2/49, and Joel Mason scored 39 in a second innings that saw Mitch Harris end the day with 2/17 for the Sharks. WHO would you rather be? Churchill is 4/16 chasing 141 against Imperials at Andrews Park West. The Cobras sent the visitors in, who negotiated 78 overs at a breathtaking run rate of 1.8 before being dismissed for 141. Some lower order resistance followed Dilshan Thilakarathne and Brett Chapman, who scored 37 and 29 respectively further up. The defensive tactics meant Churchill’s bowlers all returned economical figures, with spinner Matt Harvey the only to go at more than two runs an over. Harvey got the key wicket of Chapman, one of his two, while Ryan Ayres snared 4/38 and Ross Whelpdale 3/25. The Cobras then showed exactly how not to survive until stumps, losing four wickets in 14 overs. Speedster Todd Mann’s post-match darts would have been all the more satisfying after taking 2/7, and he will look to make further inroads should play resume this weekend. As a result of the game hardly moving, a ridiculous total of 92 overs were bowled in the day. Under current rules, teams play to time, meaning there is no real incentive to push through overs. Talk of bringing in compulsory close has done the rounds for years, and has surely already resurfaced again after the first two dayer of the new season. After being in the field for 78 overs, there is little to no doubt Churchill and Imps players would have been quite happy to have a beer after the first innings. THE most typical Moe scorecard. Bat first, bat all day, make 200 plus. The Lions did exactly that against Glengarry (didn’t they just play each other?), ending Day 1 with 5/237 on the board after 89 overs at Burrage Reserve. The top five allowed the rest of the team to rotate square leg duties without the need to rush off and get padded up, as all got among the runs. In a bizarre sense, such a safe innings was a welcome sight given the respective town’s football ties, where one league is seemingly trying to outdo the other. Moe opener Callum Grant top-scored with 65, putting on 50 for the first wicket with Rob Phoenix in his first game for the season. Phoenix went against the flow of what the game ended up, making 27 off 33 balls. Andrew Phillip then contributed 28 before picking out a fielder on the legside. Never one to dwell too much on a mistake, the Bradman of the bush walked off as soon as the shot was made, just like the famous namesake. Runs continued from the next generation, that of Benn Zomer (49) and skipper Matt Hibbs (43). As previously reported, the Burrage wicket (disused for more than a year) would take some time to mature, and it appears that time has come. IF you lose 8/109, you probably don’t deserve to win. That is the equation facing Toongabbie against Centrals. Both teams are chasing their first win of the season, and will be looking for any possible advantage should play resume on Day 2. The Lions decided to have a hit batting first at Apex Park, cautiously getting to 144 after 73 overs. Opener Jaxon Murdoch negotiated a tricky opening, making 39 off more than 100 rocks, while Tye Hourigan played a similar hand. The Centrals skipper was adjudged lbw to Gayashan Munasinghe, and slapped his pad with his bat in frustration as he walked off. Humorously, the comment of “well f**k, that’s not good” was picked up on the FrogBox audio from someone on the sidelines. While some clubs have FrogBox on mute, it does add to the viewing experience hearing background chatter. You hear some absolute classics, especially if the camera is near where blokes are waiting to bat. Munasinghe bent his back for 20 overs and took 4/31, while Amal Athulathmudali bowled just as many and took 3/38. Toongabbie lost two poles before stumps, to the father-and-son duo of Tyron and Nethul Gamage. Athulathmudali is still at the crease however, and players on both sides know full well he will be a huge wicket if play resumes. A Grade GORMANDALE is in a strong position at stumps against Mirboo North. The Traralgon-based Tigers made 248 batting first against the team sharing the same nickname. Yohan Soyza stood out with a superb 92 off 137 balls, cracking nine fours and two bombs on the Mirboo North turf. A number of others made handy contributions, in a scorecard that saw eight players reach double figures. Nimesh Soyza (27) chipped in, while some late runs from Budath Karunasingha (29) took the score near 250. Mirboo North kept their energy in the field, with the very tall FrogBox stand picking up some great commentary. George Fairbairn took 3/56 off 22 overs, while Frankie Ingram (2/24), Nila Thillekarathna (2/38) and Dale Banks (2/50) also made inroads. The home side survived six balls, which may well have felt like 60 before stumps without losing a wicket. CATS feel they have enough. The team from Traralgon South declared with 163 on the board against Rovers. CATS only batted 51 overs at Duncan Cameron, before having a 10-over go at their opponents. Rovers shut up shop with the stick, seeing the scoreboard read 0/16 at stumps. Veteran Paul McGill did most of the heavy lifting for CATS earlier in the day, scoring 74 against the new ball. His Rovers counterpart Simon Duff also showed his vast experience, taking 4/66 off 24 overs. Another veteran made an appearance – journeyman cricketer Rory Hare, who came out of first grade retirement to help CATS. CATS skipper Nathan Harrup meanwhile made an unbeaten 30, setting up his declaration. LATROBE has Raiders by the jugular at 2/18 chasing 203. The Sharks used most resources to compile their score, led by treasurer-extraordinaire Jamie Coltman who podged 66 in a marathon 192-ball stay. Wickets were shared among the Raiders camp. Harri McColl, Harvey Rogers-Collen and Tom Robertson each picked up three. Latrobe’s Rhys Noble scored 29, before unleashing a devastating three over burst with the new ball. He knocked Barney Webber’s off pole out of the ground, and trapped Jack Daddo in front, sending both openers back to the pavilion for globes. MAYBE it’s a good thing not every club has FrogBox. In a scorecard reminiscent of pre-WW1 cricket when games were played in paddocks and bats likely carved out of fenceposts, Traralgon West and Willow Grove (without sounding too harsh) did the reputation of the league no great service. In years to come when people say ‘the standard was better back then’, one look at this game may quickly disprove any such notion. The Wolves were bowled out for 36 chasing a grand total of 45 at Jack Canavan. More than 20 wickets fell across three scarcely believable innings, which started with former Eagle Ben Edebohls taking 6/11 off 13 overs. Luke Tumino had to make do with 2/19, as the procession continued. The procession didn’t stop at the change of innings though. Willow Grove was in an ‘okay’ position at 4/31 (okay in the context of chasing 45), and then lost its last six wickets for five runs. Ben Fleming (5/3) and Connor Hughes (4/19) each returned insane figures across 26 overs of velcro doing and undoing. Traralgon West then made a mockery of what had happened across the first two innings, going to stumps 1/71 after 24 overs. Hayden Kimpton remains not out on 43, and amazingly, the Eagles could come out of this round as the only A Grade team with first innings points.  

LV Express: Too early to play the rain card? #Sport #AGrade #BenAustin

THE WORLD UNSUNDERED, THE FINAL DAYS. An ancient one, IVY, whose true name is PSYKE and whose title is AZEM, is covered in a not insignificant quantity of blood, and stripped to their undershirt. IVY (AZEM): I really thought it was it this time. IVY (AZEM): Thanks for coming all this way... OFFSCREEN: It's your whole leg, Ivy. I could hardly say no. IVY (AZEM): PAH. Everyone else did. IVY (AZEM): It's like everyone else has given up, and you and I are the last ones left.

IVY speaks to the HOODED FIGURE who has answered their call. IVY (AZEM): Even Venat! Can you believe it?! IVY (AZEM): After all this time! She said she "couldn't"! The HOODED FIGURE listens to IVY. IVY (AZEM): And I'd heard you were dead too... IVY (AZEM): ...so I waa really glad when you answered. IVY (AZEM): Aletheia. ALETHEIA is IVY's trusted Creator, and one of the few confidants that can repair IVY's Weave, as IVY cannot heal naturally and normal healing spells have little effect on them. However, IVY suddenly notices something that alarms them...

IVY (AZEM): ...Aletheia...? The HOODED FIGURE that wears the face of ALETHEIA, but the eyes of SOMETHING OTHER, looms over the injured and helpless IVY. In the OTHER's grip is a sharp knife, not unlike those used by another of ALETHEIA's many Creations, the Tonberries.

And so ended the tale of Psyke, last of their Seat and first of their Name. By their blood did the future come to pass 🦋

2023 #azem #ffxiv #ffxivcomic #ffxivart #Agrade

only the best for the best 🖤🧡 the idea of verrot pondering one of those cheesy HANG IN THERE kitty posters. Greetings and good vibes from England this morning. 🧡🖤🧡🖤 #Agrade

#setsnosou #Agrade
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The sun rises over the Matchlock Menagerie in Final Fantasy 14. Two of Living Memory's hi-rise buildings flank it, and its rays peek from between them, mirroring the shape of the artificed volcano below. A faint steam softens the outlines of the distant, deactivated buildings.

3-panel comic by me PANEL 1 A young Sou Seta (my raen OC from Final Fantasy 14) places their hands on the sill of an open window. PANEL 2 Hoisting their leg up onto the sill, they concentrate on balancing up onto it, their tail flipping up to aid their climb. A hand smooths the folds of their high-class hakama over their raised leg. PANEL 3 All at once, their weight tips over the sill, and they fall forward into the garden. A guest at the party they are leaving notices the trail of their tail, but doesn't seem to know what it was they saw moving. (The comic is drawn in a notes app using the pen and highlighter tools. There is some visual artefacting from the glazing.)

Selfie in derby kit. I'm in a sports hall waiting for a game to start, in my black Concrete Cows team shirt with my number #148 on both sleeves. I'm wearing cowprint thigh-highs and shorts over black leggings to complement the shirt. My helmet is covered in stars, with a Cygnus sticker in trans pride colours, and a prominent THEY/THEM pronoun sticker. I'm wearing my purple anti-migraine sunglasses and looking up at the camera.

sleeve of saltines meme. Plain white background with serif font: off work late? hungry, but too tired to cook? try eating SLEEVE OF SALTINES [stock photo of a full sleeve of plain saltines, still sealed] you will certainly not regret eating sleeve of saltines

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Cougars claim 2025 NGFNL crown It doesn’t get much better than winning a flag on your home court. Churchill is the 2025 North Gippsland Football-Netball......

Gippsland Times: Cougars claim 2025 NGFNL crown #Sport #Agrade #AGradeNetball **Paywall**

The Valley’s own King of the court TENNIS By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT   LOCAL tennis legend Murray French is being remembered. French died suddenly at the end of May, age 83. Regarded as one Gippsland’s greatest to ever grace the court, French began his tennis journey in Yallourn, where he was a dominant force in Latrobe Valley ranks, but shot to even further success as a veteran-age player. Initially, and beginning in the 1950s, French won Latrobe Valley Singles Championships 25 times, split between Yallourn and Morwell, all the way through to 1988, a record that still stands among the region, before moving into the veterans age group where he represented Australia nine times, including at the World Team Championships and World Doubles Championships. Vale: Tributes have flown for Murray French, regarded as one of Gippsland’s greatest ever tennis players. Photographs supplied From the period of 1999 to 2003, French consistently ranked among the top five senior-ranked tennis players in the world, and was Australian captain at these world championships in 1999, 2002 and 2004. He won Australian Veterans Tennis Championships in 2004 (additional runner-up/final appearances in 1999, 2003 and 2006) and Australian Veterans Doubles Championships in 1998 (as well as winning the 130 combined in the same year), 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 – competing primarily alongside Sale’s Tom Downie. French also won the Victorian and Queensland Singles Championships four times each, and was a torch carrier for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He was inducted into the Latrobe Sporting Hall of Fame in 2015. French began his journey with ball and racket in hand at the Yallourn Tennis Club when he was 12-years-old, invited down by his friends’ father Arthur Tibballs, which along with French’s father taking him to the Yallourn Open around the same time, prompted the beginning of a 60-year obsession. In 2015, French reflected on his time at the Yallourn Tennis Club in a piece contributed to the Virtual Yallourn website. “Every evening in the summer, it would be a race to get home and down to the courts,” he wrote. “There would be 40 kids with the same idea and if you weren’t quick enough, you would miss out on a court – us kids would only have the courts until 4.45pm, then we would have to vacate the courts for the seniors. “We all knew our place and everything was wonderfully organised and everyone enjoyed themselves. “I remember just being there and enjoying an atmosphere that taught me so much.” French quickly became regarded as the best among his peers, with former Latrobe City Mayor, Darrell White regularly facing off against him from the other side of the net. Speaking to the Express after his passing, White weighed similar comparisons to tennis stars like Rafael Nadal, due to French’s considerable height and length, to accompany his natural ability. “He had the ideal build for a tennis player, he was bout six-foot-one, but he had a good reach as well,” he said. “You’d think you’d be getting a ball down past him on the side-line, but he just put his long arm out with the racket and just volley it over. “He was also lithe … skinny as a rake, he didn’t carry extra weight (and) he did a lot of extra fitness training as a part of his regime to achieve his potential. “He had the stamina for those long, drawn out matches, he had the energy levels to see it through … (as well as) the temperament for the game, he was tenacious and a great competitor.” As French got older, stronger, and even more confident in his game, he rose through local and regional competitions to arrive at the heralded Victoria Country Week, alongside White. The duo, along with fellow Morwell gun Dick Wilson, began at the event in 1963/64, and won A Grade pennants every year until 1969/70. “Dick arrived at the right time for us to be able to have a complete team, so we had this team that had the potential to do pretty well at Country Week, but none of us realised that we were going to have that sequence from ’64 to ’70… (it was) very memorable,” White said. Newborough’s Mike Andrijczak featured in five of those victories from 1966 to 1970, and the four teammates recently got back together prior to French’s passing, with the Morwell Historical Society holding an exhibition for the Morwell Tennis Club. Other trade: French was also a prolific ruckman for Yallourn Football Club for a short period of time, taking out senior best-and-fairest honours. Photographs supplied To add to an exceptionally brilliant life in tennis, French was also a prolific ruckman for Yallourn Football Club in five seasons from 1961 to 1965, playing 77 senior games.   In his final year of football, French took home club best-and-fairest honours (off the back of three previous runner-up acknowledgments). He was runner-up for the Trood Award and Rodda Medal for the best player in the Latrobe Valley Football League (the highest standard locally) in the same year. He also played representative level for LVFL in 1965, playing alongside Sale’s Bill Stephenson (88 games for St Kilda), with former Carlton and Richmond player Frank Munro as coach. French was selected to Yallourn Football Club’s pennant side in 2019 as one of their best players from 1954 to the club’s merger with Yallourn North in 1976. A decorated sporting career was only eclipsed by the character he presented in the community as a well-respected teacher, whilst he also returned to his roots and coached juniors locally deep into his twilight years.

LV Express: The Valley’s own King of the court #Sport #2000SydneyOlympics #AGrade