Gleeson's gallant century in division three

by Samuel Laffy
Jindivick (1/15) vs Neerim District (210)
A stunning century to Jamie Gleeson propelled Neerim District to a position of strength in their round 14 clash, with the Stags opener ensuring Jindivick face a stern run chase next weekend.
Taking his time to settle at the crease – and facing some challenging bowling from the likes of Ranga Bandara (3/42 from 17.3) and Cameron Coster (4/36 off 7) – Gleeson mixed watchful defence with a volley of boundaries (including two huge sixes), even as wickets fell around him.
He brought up his hundred with a swivelled pull through backward square leg, as a hastily run two saw him raise the bat to generous applause from all in attendance.
Kody Wilson (23 from 57) and Matt Kelliher (27 off 57) provided invaluable support for Gleeson, and they carried Neerim District to 210 before they were dismissed in the 64th over.
Left with three overs to survive, Jindivick would have hoped to emerge unscathed, but Harrison Moore (9) had his stumps disturbed by Wilson (1/6) to leave the Jumping Jacks 1/15 at stumps.
Catani (104) vs Longwarry (1/13)
Having slumped to defeat in the one-day final on the back of a sub-par batting display, Catani once again found scoring difficult in their clash with Longwarry, and the Cats will be keen to quickly shrug off this indifferent form as the season heads into finals action.
Against typically parsimonious opening spells from Ali Sarosh (3/27 from 18) and Rohail Rafat (3/27 off 15), the usually free-flowing Catani XI were forced into a series of ill-advised shots in an attempt to break the shackles and as a result wickets began to tumble.
Only Brayden Hall (a determined 161-ball salvo that saw him notch 49) was able to occupy the crease with any intent, and just a handful of his teammates were able to come along for the ride as Zac Wright (3/17) wreaked havoc late in the innings.
All in all, the Cats compiled just 104 before being bundled out in the 55th over.
However, Jackson Pawsey (0/5 from 6) and Nathaniel Wade (1/8 off 5) ensured the Crows couldn't kickstart their chase rapidly, instead eking their way to 1/13 by stumps.
Iona (yet to bat) vs Western Park (5/243)
Another impressive batting performance saw Western Park effectively fine-tune for their upcoming finals campaign as they overcame some tidy bowling and a slow outfield to post 5/243 against Iona.
The nature of the venue saw batters rewarded for working through testing times at the start of their knocks, with the knowledge that bowlers would tire over the course of the afternoon meaning that runs would flow late.
Fletcher Kennedy (who thumped three sixes over mid-wicket along with a handful of fours) continued his excellent summer with a fine knock of 73, as Andrew Thompson (a determined 61* from 111) and Marc Fleming (a return to form with a hard-hitting 30* off 32) provided late firepower to propel Western Park to a seemingly winning total.
To their credit, the undermanned Swamp Tigers competed strongly for the entirety of the 70 overs the Warriors spent at the crease, and with batting reinforcements substituting in next Saturday will be keen to finish the season on a high note.
Trafalgar (yet to bat) vs Ellinbank (232)
A five-wicket haul to Owen McLeod-Agland wasn't enough for Trafalgar to prevent Ellinbank from post an intimidating first-innings total against the Ships, with the Eagles taking full advantage of the rapid outfield.
Jaxon Cook (60 from 141) anchored the Ellinbank innings and provided seemingly endless frustration for the Trafalgan attack, his ability to blunt the bowlers' tactics on full display.
Chris Pallot (37 off 92) chimed in with a typically gritty knock, and Brad Berry (35) was also effective as the innings progressed.
McLeod-Agland (5/63 from 22) maintained his attacking ways over an extended spell in the afternoon sun to lead the way for the Ships, whilst Shane White (3/50 off 14) was also in fine form with the ball.
Despite their efforts however, Ellinbank made their way to 232 before being dismissed in the 68th over, setting Trafalgar a stern task next Saturday.
Warragul (145) vs Garfield-Tynong (1/14)
Entering the final home-and-away round Warragul knew that a win over Garfield-Tynong would keep their slim finals hopes alive.
But despite a rollicking innings from Amandeep Singh at the top of the order, the rest of the Gulls line-up struggled to match his intent, and at the end of the first day's play the Titans require just 132 more runs to clinch victory.
Singh – who struck four fours and a six in his 27-ball 32 – attacked Glen Johnston (3/39 from 18) and Phill Young (3/37 off 8) early, but once he was removed the Garfield-Tynong attack were able to attain a more disciplined approach with the ball.
Jatinder Pal Singh (23 from 70) and Priyank Saini (20 off 46) combined for an invaluable 41-run eighth-wicket stand that boosted the Warragul total, but Matt Trofa (3/34) soon curtailed the innings at 145.
Left with 17 overs to face until stumps, the Titans began cautiously, with Jack Salan (6* from 57) opting for occupation of the crease rather than run scoring.
Brian Christensen (1/2) removed Michael Cooper for five – clean-bowling the opener – but Garfield-Tynong nonetheless made it to 1/14 at the of play.