Goannas go down in first match

After a first round forfeit the Gippsland Goannas over 50s got their season off to a start with a trip down to the picturesque Caulfield Cricket Club oval to front up against the strong South East Veterans Cricket Club.
The side that made the trip was a tad stronger than the one that ventured down for the corresponding game last season and was a great initiation for a couple of Goanna newcomers playing their first game including Chris 'Buddha' Malone and Dave 'Caveman' Noble.
Goannas skipper Graeme Rankin won the toss and had no hesitation in electing to bat on the dry wicket which appeared as though it may play a little low later in the day.
The Goannas were off to a horrible start when there was confusion between the opening pair of Rankin and Bloomfield with 'Ranks' being run out for a duck.
Wells joined Bloomfield at the crease and set about savaging the attack to all parts of the ground, retiring on 41 with the score on 71.
Not to be outdone, Bloomfield then finished off his innings with three boundaries in an over retiring on 40 with the score on 94.
This had the Goanna's eyeing off a 200-plus score when Kinnish joined Snags McDonald at the crease, however Kinnish didn't waste any time in departing after being clean bowled for a duck.
McDonald fluffed around for a patient eight after scoring heavily on the Saturday, obviously his reflexes weren't quite what they should have been and he left the centre stage with the score on 5/99.
Steve 'Buck' Rogers and Pat Spiteri set about re-establishing the innings and were looking good until Spiteri was judged LBW off his thigh pad for a well-made 14 with the score 109.
Chris Malone strode to the crease as the youngest player in the side for the first time in around 20 years and struck the ball beautifully and ran well between the wickets with Rogers taking the score to 134.
South East moved a fielder into the deep and sure enough Malone had a brain fade the very next ball placing one onto the chest of that fielder.
The tide had certainly turned and the innings became a matter of survival, and as Rogers was bowled for a handy 15 the score moved to 8/144. Rodney Jones and Chris Anders took the score to 155 before Jones fell to a spectacular catch for five.
Anders was joined by Dave 'Caveman' Noble in his first hit out and the Goannas crept their way to 166 at the completion of the 40 overs, Anders finished on 13 not out and Noble finished on four not out.
The South East bowlers fought back well after being mauled in the early overs with Wilkes and Stacey each taking two wickets while Rando and Sharp each took a wicket.
After the tea break the Goannas took to the field, and struggled a little with their line as current Australian over 50s opener in Whyird and Bethume put on a solid opening stand of 56.
That was before Cecil Haysom got the breakthrough as Bloomfield took a regulation catch that many predicted he would drop as the ball floated and spun in his direction.
Haysom picked up his second wicket for the day when Whybird departed with the score on 74.
The Goannas were still half a chance of taking out the win when McDonald became airborne and nearly held on to what would have been a miracle catch, ultimately though the force of the big boy's body hitting the deck saw the ball spill out.
Rankin had to deal with a three-year old pitch invader who out sprinted our fielders and mum was informed of the ramifications if little Johnny wore a cricket ball in the head and maybe it was in everyone's best interests if mum could encourage her kids back to the playground.
While the Goannas bowlers toiled hard we were outplayed in the end as the South East Vets scored the winning runs with a little over six overs to spare for loss of just two wickets.
Malone added some youth and enthusiasm to the side and displayed some quality fielding efforts.
In the end the Goannas' batting didn't quite stand up and had the scorecard continued the way it started then this would have been a very tight hard fought game right to the end.
A number of the Goannas will soon head off to New Zealand for the National Over 55 tournament, no doubt Rankin and Kinnish will sit next to one another on the plane trip and compare notes about their duck pond exploits and how they plan to get their seasons back on track in the coming weeks.