By STEVE BROWN
JOHNSON Park has defeated Eildon Park by 48 runs to win its third Reeves Shield premiership at the weekend.
The game was dominated by bowlers after tea on both days.
On day one, Johnson Park captain, Andrew Devenish, elected to bat, with openers Bryn Gaunt and Steven Devenish both surviving early chances until Devenish departed with the score on 36.
Feaver Medal winner Ben Stallworthy then joined Gaunt, moving the score to 74 before Adrian Baltruschaitis provided the ball of the day, having the dangerous Stallworthy caught behind for 12.
Skipper Devenish and Gaunt made the most of the chances offered by the Panthers attack, and the pair went to the tea interval in a healthy position at 2/104.
Panther’s leader, Cameron Cosstick, must have had a few stern words to his bowlers at the break, as they bowled at the top of off-stump to a ring field, creating scoring pressure resulting in wickets.
Gaunt was out, gliding one to slips for a patient 61 as medium-pacer Kyle Snyman stepped up for a return of 4/51 from 21 overs.
Left-arm seamer Nathan Caton-Robertson and Baltruschaitis each claimed two wickets.
The Sharks lost their last five wickets for just 31 runs to be all out for 184 in the 78th over, losing any ascendancy they may have had at tea.
Day two was a mirror image of the previous day’s play, with the Morris brothers dismissed early, bringing together John Doak and wicketkeeper Nathan Hicks.
The pair looked set until Hicks fell to a brilliant catch in the outfield by Barrington, but with Doak picking off everything pitched on leg stump, the Panthers were in the box seat at 3/78 at the main break.
When play resumed, left-arm paceman Martin Weightman then bowled Doak for 32 with the score on 82 before Devenish threw the ball to his brother Steven and allrounder Stallworthy.
Runs were hard to come by and a pressure catch on the boundary by Jordy Dunstone signalled the end for the Panthers who were at 7/59 after tea.
Off-spinner Devenish finished with 3/37 from 17, while Stallworthy claimed 3/39 from 28 overs, including 11 maidens to win the Stephen Lee Medal.
In Decoite Shield, Ferntree Gully Footballers were up against neighbours Mountain Gate for the first time in a final and were in trouble early at 4/24, as Gators openers Cameron Wheeler and Marshall Bunting took control with the ball.
Footballers skipper Ben Rawlings top scored with 45 but fell to Steve Deller on the last ball before tea.
The steady fall of wickets saw the Ballers knocked over for 140 in a season that has seen them struggle with the bat against Mountain Gate’s attack.
Bunting collected 3/30, Josh Linder 3/36 while Cam Wheeler’s 3/36 took his tally to 43 wickets for the season.
At the completion of day one, the Gators were on track for the flag and promotion at 3/52.
Footballers had their chances with a succession of dropped catches when play resumed, and it was left to Dewayne Bowden and Josh Linder to bring home the bacon for the Gators with four wickets to spare.
Scores
Reeves Shield
Johnson Park 184 (Gaunt 61, D. Devenish 24no, Snyman 4/51, Caton-Robertson 2/16 Baltruschaitis 2/27) d Eildon Park 137 (Doak 32, Stallworthy 3/39, S. Devenish 3/37)
Decoite Shield
Mt Gate 6/142 (Bowden 41no, Linder 44no) d FTG Footballers 140 (Rawlings 45 Bunting 3/30 Wheeler 3/36 Lindner 3/33)
Ken Utting Medal – Dewayne Bowden
Division 3
Knox Gardens 3/187 (Marget 58, Morrison 50, Singh 43no) d The Basin 185 (Betka 71, Brown 60 Grasser 4/49 Metherall 4/68)
Division 4
Knox Boronia Churches 255 (White 38, Williams 130) d Lysterfield 165 (Finch 34, Spencer 4/41)
Division 5
Ferntree Gully 3/151 (Catalano 75 Sharp 32no) d Knox Gardens 150 (Cole 5/38)
Division 6 (split innings grade)
Upwey Tecoma 1/125 (Spence 55no, Hayward 37no) d FTG Footballers 122 (Leathem 58no, Capon 3/9 Cross 3/24)
Division 7 (split innings grade)
Monbulk 7/203 (Dekkers 35 Lamers 61no, Hobbs 3/16) d The Basin 98 (Gill 36, Lamers 5/19).
