Kangas in powerful position in division one

by Samuel Laffy
Hallora (313) vs Catani (yet to bat)
Having vanquished all who dared challenge them in the early part of the summer, Catani find themselves pushed to the brink in recent weeks, having tasted defeat against Western Park and Ellinbank and now staring down the barrel of a mammoth runchase against Hallora.
And for the Kangaroos faithful it came as no surprise that it was Gamini Kumara who was the catalyst for Hallora's endeavours, with the superstar all-rounder compiling one of his most memorable knocks.
On a greenish surface – in stark comparison to the straw-coloured outfield – Kumara's innings showcased his full repertoire of strokes.
Wristily whipping anything that strayed near his pads, quickly seizing upon back-of-a-length deliveries and scything them to the off-side fence, and driving on the up through the covers, Kumara was unfazed by any and all plans the Cats threw at him.
He reached his century in the 67th over of the day (off 179 deliveries) thanks to a superbly timed leg glance, but he wasn't content with a 'regulation' ton. He continued the attack and made his way to 142 before finally having his defences breached by Riley McDonald.
Mitchell Smith (28) and Grant Duncan (43) chimed in with useful contributions to support Kumara, and together they helped Hallora reach 313 at the end of play.
Catani have surprised many across the association this summer, but it will take one of their more spectacular efforts to emerge victorious as they enter day two.

Western Park (9/342) vs Longwarry (yet to bat)
Meanwhile, Western Park ensured that this writer has well and truly exhausted his list of superlatives as the Warriors enjoyed a sublime day with the bat in their round 12 clash against Longwarry.
There is little doubt that the unbeaten three-peaters are a class above much of the competition, and the sweltering conditions provided Western Park the perfect excuse to flex their muscles.
However, their dominant stumps score wasn't as straightforward as the scorecard might suggest, with the Warriors in trouble early at 3/54.
Henry Allsop had his stumps splattered by Matthew Aslett (2/42), Joel Batson came and went without scoring courtesy of a sharp catch at first slip by Harrison Stephens, and Gavin Roulston's sojourn was interrupted by a ball that move moved just enough to kiss the edge of his bat.
However, at that point Greg Munro strode to the crease and the complexion of the game changed.
His first boundary – a well-timed glance off his pads – released the pressure valve and from that point the talented batter was unstoppable.
His ability to quickly pick up on the length of a ball is unparalleled in the WDCA, as is his want to punish bowlers who even fractionally stray from their desired target.
Using his feet to great effect against the spinners and blasting multiple boundaries through the leg-side from ill-advised short balls, Munro brought up his 50 with a back foot hoick off Stephens and carried on relentlessly.
His century came amongst a flurry of boundaries – courtesy of a punch through backward square off Samarasinghe - and he posted a magnificent 139 before finally holing out off the bowling of Jonah Serong (2/56).
With Sanjaya Gangodawila (40), Sam Batson (38), and Zane Harper (39) providing excellent support, Western Park finished the day at 9/342 – a total that will take a borderline miracle for Longwarry to chase next weekend.

Iona (177) vs Ellinbank (0/1)
Iona meanwhile showed tremendous spirit in their clash with Ellinbank, as the Swamp Tigers set a challenging total for their opponents to chase when play resumes next weekend.
With Aaditya Varadharajan (4/58 from 28) refusing to stray from a disciplined line-and-length, and Sean Masterson (2/23 off 12.3) bowling with pleasing pace, it was never going to be easy for Iona to score, and their top order adopted a cautious approach in the early part of the afternoon.
Hayden Stockdale (20 off 59) and Thomas Cottrell (18 from 34) looked promising at the crease, but lapses in concentration meant they couldn't maximise their opportunities.
However, Liam Lenders was once again in exceptional form and the talented Ionan bat led the way.
Recognising the importance of crease occupation in sapping the energy of the opposition, he mixed resolute defence with extravagant boundary-hitting – notching five fours and two sixes – and his 108-ball 56 was the stand-out innings of the day.
Eventually trapped in front by Varadharajan, Lenders' half-century helped the Swamp Tigers post 177 before being dismissed in the 76th over.
With one over to face, Euan Hurst and Daniel Pandolfo safely made it to stumps, and they will be keen to continue Ellinbank's charge towards the top four when play resumes on Saturday.

Drouin (110) vs Trafalgar (2/11)
The final division one clash saw Drouin and Trafalgar duke it out on a Bellbird Park wicket that thoroughly tested the defences of all who took to the crease, with the match evenly poised at stumps on day one.
It was an eagerly anticipated clash, with the Ships needing to steady following recent struggles after a surprise start to the summer, and the Hawks looking to firm their position in the top four.
As it was, David Bremner (4/13 from 15) delivered a lionhearted spell to inspire Trafalgar early, the seamer taking full advantage of the movement enabled by the pitch and the tennis ball bounce that caught many batters by surprise.
Paul Timewell (33 from 107) delivered the standout innings of the day, and his conviction with bat-in-hand helped Drouin reach a relative position of comfort at 2/65, but once he was removed – losing his stumps to a Bremner delivery that darted back in late – wickets tumbled.
Rhys Holdsworth (4/42 from 21.5) delivered a lengthy spell that thoroughly examined the defensive techniques of Drouin, and after 54.5 overs the Hawks found themselves dismissed for just 110.
However, the experienced squad knew that the Ships would face similar challenges to what they endured and the Drouin attack were able to apply tremendous pressure in the 22 overs they had at Trafalgar.
James Wilcock (1/2 from 6) and Thomas Brown (1/1 off 7) delivered nary a loose ball and consistently flummoxed the opening pair of Liam Durkin and Riley White.
Durkin through was unmoved, and – recognising the importance of protecting the likes of Aiden George and Rhys Holdsworth late in the afternoon – delivered one of the all-time defensive knocks. Seventy deliveries faced. Zero runs scored. But, not out at the end of play.
His salvo saw the Ships make just 2/11 in the extended period they had batting, but could very well go a long way towards helping them claim victory in the long run.