By STEVE BROWN
FTGDCA
JOHNSON Park inflicted the first loss of the season to competition leader The Basin in a close encounter at Fairpark to complete round nine of the Reeves Shield.
With inclement weather holding off, The Basin took first use of the wicket posting 5/164 with Scott Vozzo 46 not out and Ron Heskes 36 top scoring for the Bears.
Their innings included four run outs.
The Sharks started their innings cautiously with the game swinging The Basin’s way until Ben Stallworthy gradually got on top of the bowling for 43 before the Devenish brothers, Andrew (60 not out) and David (38 not out) picked off a run a ball to win in the second last over.
Upwey Tecoma enhanced its finals chances when it polished off Belgrave to the tune of 26 runs with former Lysterfield batsman Nicholas Whitty scoring a half-century.
Belgrave’s Michael Litterbach continues to be a lone hand with the ball taking 3/26.
Upwey welcomed the return of off spinner Steve Gannell who added something extra to the attack with a handy 3/15 with the only resistance coming from the bat of Jon Levell with 56.
Knox Gardens (7/154) continues to impress with a hard-fought win at home to Ferntree Gully (151) by three wickets thanks to a solid 55 from opener Shannon Small.
In the Gully’s innings, Luke Bowyer compiled 67 and impressive seamer Scott McInerney captured 3/36.
Eighth-placed Ferntree Gully has now lost touch with the four, while the Falcons are searching for their first finals campaign in Reeves Shield since joining the competition.
At Carrington Park, Knoxfield held out Monbulk in a close encounter by two wickets in a low scoring affair.
Man of the match Trent Scholfield top scored with the bat with 44 in a total of 8/104 before taking 1/8 from 8 overs, outstanding figures for a 40-over game.
Scholfield combined well with Scott McKenzie, who was equally impressive with 3/18 from eight to relieve some ladder pressure for the Knights.
For Monbulk, David McKay performed well with 3/7.
Eildon Park successfully chased 151 set by Upper Ferntree Gully with the usual modus operandi of Cody and Ben Morris picking off the bowlers. Both brothers scored fifties before passing the target losing only three wickets in the process.
In other news, congratulations to the inaugural FTGDCA under-12 girls team in making the VMCU Fatone Shield grand final at Ivanhoe next Sunday, and a special mention to Belgrave’s Albie Collie who will be recognised by Cricket Victoria for playing in his 50th season of cricket.
Bendigo Country Week Squad to play (19-23 January) C. Cosstick (captain – Eildon Park), R. Burnie (Upper Gully), M. Bunting (Mountain Gate), K. Chandler (St John’s Tecoma), S. Devenish (Johnson Park), J. Evans (Eildon Park), Z. Flintoff (Knox Gardens), P. McKenna (Upper Gully), S. Moore (vice-captain – Upwey Tecoma), D. Rundle (The Basin), P. Turner (Ferntree Gully), D. Salan (Ferntree Gully), C. Wheeler (Mountain Gate).
Draw for Division 1: 19 January against Goulburn Murray at QEO, 20 January against Murray Valley at Huntly, 21 January against Emu Valley at Strathdale, 22 January against Castlemaine at Harcourt and 23 January, final at QEO.
Reeves Shield
Upwey Tecoma 9/162 (Whitty 50, Berenato 44, Litterbach 3/26) d Belgrave 136 (Levell 56, Gannell 3/15).
Knox Gardens 7/154 (Small 55) d Ferntree Gully 151 (Bowyer 67, S. McInerney 3/36).
Johnson Park 3/168 (Stallworthy 43, A. Devenish 60 not out, D. Devenish 38 not out) d The Basin 5/164 (Clarke 33, R. Heskes 36, Vozzo 46 not out).
Knoxfield 8/104 (Scholfield 44, McKay 3/7) d Monbulk 8/103 (Simmonds 31, McKenzie 3/18).
Eildon Park 3/153 (C. Morris 69 not out, B. Morris 51) d Upper Gully 6/151 (McKenna 47, Cosstick 3/42).
Decoite Shield
South Belgrave 9/209 (Baker 61, McKendry 33, Smith 3/38) d St John’s Tecoma 192 (Chandler 45, Brasher 48).
Lysterfield 9/142 (Brolic 40, Eagleton 30 not out) d Auravale 141
Mt Gate 5/66 (Cranston 3/32) d Footballers 62 (Bowden 3/16).
Rowville 9/148 (Hill 36, Dunn 37 not out) d Knox City 103 (Searle 6/24 including hat-trick, Hill 3/15).
Division 3
The Basin 6/162 (Cook 56 not out, Duke 3/35) d Johnson Park 156 (Dunstone 36, Rickard 50, Lee 5/30).
Knox Gardens 123 (Morrison 38, Manneart 4/23, Brown 3/14) d Ferntree Gully 100 (Grasser 3/19, Jongen 3/19, Pasonage 3/17).
Upwey Tecoma 6/166 (Cross 53 not out) d Belgrave 8/147 (Paul 42).
Knoxfield 6/162 (Mitchell 45, Milligan 35, Dekkers 3/42) d Monbulk 6/64 (Casement 3/9).
Upper Gully v Eildon Park (no result available).
Division 4
Knox Boronia Churches 8/158 (Williams 52) d Rowville 7/157 (Freeman 51, Woods 53, Kurzweg 3/43).
South Belgrave 4/237 (Ray 52, Barry 117 not out, Maddox 30) d St John’s Tecoma 66 (Betts 33, McDermott 3/11, Lawson 4/12).
Lysterfield 9/165 (Ferguson 48 not out, Walker 3/28) d Auravale 67 (Carland 6/12, Ferguson 3/10).
Mt Gate 8/122 (Storey 3/28) d Footballers 68 (Wimalaratna 4/8, Croxford 3/16).
Division 5
The Basin 8/165 (Blangiardo 36 not out, Aaltonan 43) d South Belgrave 149 (Murray 30, Fedley 35, Anderson 38).
Knoxfield 3/160 (Wylde 76, Stewart 39, O’Dowd 3/28) d Ferntree Gully 152 (Spaulding 33, Manning 32, Pallamara 4/35).
Knox City 7/98 (Davis 34 not out, Rotherham 3/36, Siwick 3/25) d Eildon Park 91 (Hutchinson 3/14).
Division 6
Ferntree Gully 6/94 (R. McComb 39) d Rowville 91 (Ford 4/7).
Eildon Park 5/127 (Casey 33, Tibballs 50) d Knox Boronia Churches 121 (Ibrahim 3/32, Scobie 3/15, Skilbeck 35)
Johnson Park 7/176 (Wright 31 not out, Rickard 30) d Mt Gate 155 (Fabrici 31, Harrison 4/8, Sampi 3/38).
Belgrave v Upwey Tecoma.
Footballers 9/162 (VanMourik 5/42) d Lysterfield 8/135.
Division 7
The Basin 3/139 (Gibson 67) d Lysterfield 7/136 (Polwarth 43, Thomson 30 not out, Betka 3/29).
Knoxfield 2/68 (Gregg 38) d Ferntree Gully 66 (Maibaum 3/16).
Johnson Park 5/121 d Knox Gardens 119 (Bakker 31).
Monbulk 4/211 (Jackson 62, Jones 83 not out) d Eildon Park 141 (Bowes 38).
