Bombers fall short of target

EMERALD Cricket Club’s A Grade, were always going to do it tough after Pakenham made the good total of 238 last week. The Bombers fell just 24 runs short.
Emerald didn’t get off to the best start and were then 2/19 off 18 overs. Quenten Lucas and John Noonan started to tick the runs over but once they looked set Noonan was out for 21.
Brodie Lucas joined his brother and looked in form from the word go and the two batted until the 56th over where Quenten was out for 43. Brodie was then joined by Wes Wright and with the two needing quick runs to keep the Bombers in the game they put on 60.
After Lucas was out for 55 the Bombers needed 80 runs off 9 overs and despite good hitting from Clinton Marsh 33, and Mark Wheatley they were not able to reach the total. A respectable total of 214 was reached but it just wasn’t enough for the Bombers.
In B Grade, playing Cranbourne Meadows at home, Emerald was chasing 265 and resumed at 1/30. Geoff Worrell and David Alenson resumed and looked solid before Worrell was out for a good 33.
Alenson was then out in the 25th over for 19 when Andrew Morris and James Litterbach both batted very patiently to bring the score to 4/108 and looked to have put the Bombers into a good position.
But then it all went wrong as Litterbach and Morris were out for 24 and 23 respectively. Emerald collapsed to be all out for 132 after 51 overs.
Sent back in the Bombers looked to try and avoid the outright as David Cox and Cameron Williams got them off to a great start as they brought the score to 0/62 before Cox was out for 14.
Another quick wicket was lost, Litterbach came in and again batted well to make another 24. He was out with the score on 3/102. Williams was out for a great 61 as he regained some form.
But as in the first innings Emerald had a collapse to be 8/128 before Worrell and Alenson again steadied the ship to see the Bombers out 8/150 and they avoided the outright.
In D Grade, Emerald travelled down to Nar Nar Goon to chase the modest total of 110. Resuming at 1/21 the Bombers got off to a bad start with only Yo Roelink’s patient 11 the only positive in a score, which fell to 7/44.
Andrew Rolfs and Jay Kleinsmit helped steady the ship as they brought the score to 64 before Rolfs was out in the 47th over. Mark Hamilton came in and took to the bowling and with Kleinsmit took the score to 91 before Hamilton was out for 17.
With 20 runs still needed for victory Robert Wynne joined Kleinsmit and the two young Bombers batted very well to take them to victory by a mere 7 runs. Wynne made 14 and Kleinsmit, who batted for 40 overs made a match winning 30 not out.
In E Grade, playing at home against Pakenham, the Bombers were chasing the total of 122 for victory.
Resuming at 3/18 the Bombers got off to a bad start to be in a dodgy position of 8/43, Jesse Mather was the only batsman to reach double figures with 15.
Then Daniel Carlton and Callum Benoiton batted very well and looked to give the Bombers some sniff of a chance as they made 16 and 17 respectively but it wasn’t to be as the Bombers were out for 76.
Emerald had a second bowl and did well to have Pakenham 4/43 after 19 overs. Benoiton claimed 3/8 off 4 overs.
In F Grade, Emerald’s one-day team played a home game against Clyde. Batting first Emerald made a respectable total of 7/111 off their overs.
For the Bombers Kevin Stapleton and Jim Burke batted well up the top of the order. Neil Gillespie with 24 and Paul Dodd with 28 helped the Bombers reach the total of 111.
In reply Brad Wynd got the Bombers off to a great start taking 2/7 off 6 overs. Gary Santini 3/11, and Paul Dodd 2/11, also both bowled very well as the Bombers fell just short of victory as Clyde made 113 off their overs.