Pollock pounces on Kangas

by Samuel Laffy

Hallora (5/211) def. by Buln Buln (5/239)

Whilst run-scoring proved difficult for many across the competition, Wilson Pollock delivered a timely reminder of his run-scoring ways courtesy of a dominant century that helped Buln Buln post a 28-run win over Hallora.

Corey (22 off 17) and Lachlan Jagoe (24 from 41) laid the foundations for a fruitful festival of runs and Pollock wasted little time in making life difficult for the Halloran attack.

Blasting 11 fours and two maximums, the boisterous hitter slammed a 79-ball 109* that propelled the Lyrebirds to 5/239 at the end of their allotted overs.

Whilst squad size might be an issue for Buln Buln, their capacity for runs remains unabated.

In reply, the Kangaroos began in the worst possible fashion as Aaron Maxwell and Tom Williams both departed without scoring, with Wilson McKerrow (2/32) wreaking havoc with the new ball. However, Andrew Donohue (58 from 63) and Brayden Hunter (54 off 52) fought back with some audacious strokeplay.
Amidst it all, Max Boxall (71* from 113) anchored the chase, and his ability to remain unbothered at the crease was a feature.
However, Hallora lacked the requisite firepower to combat Buln Buln, and they could only muster 5/211 in reply.
Iona (2/133) def. Garfield-Tynong (6/128)
Matt Dodman and Jack Salan delivered watchful knocks that enabled Garfield-Tynong to post a competitive total against Iona, but their efforts were eventually in vain as the Swamp Tigers romped to an eight-wicket win.
Dodman (23 from 71) and Salan (22 off 86) added 56 for the opening wicket, but their attempts to boost the run rate were stymied by some tremendous bowling from the Ionan attack, with Fletcher Pallot (1/10 from 8) and Carter Davis (0/19) stifling scoring early.
Once the Titans' opening combination departed the remainder of the order attempted to hit out, which allowed Liam Lenders (2/28) and Darcy Flanagan (3/33) to reap the benefits as the Titans were restricted to 6/128 in their allotted overs.
In reply, Grant Pearson (1/18) removed the dangerous Davis for just three, but there was precious little else to celebrate for the Garfield-Tynong attack.
Kieran Lenders (a dogged 30 in his first hit-out for the summer) was effective at the top of the order, and Liam Lenders (61*) and Flanagan (25* from just 17) applied the finishing touches as Iona reached 2/133 in the 28th over.
Western Park (6/165) def. Yarragon (163)
Western Park's batting depth came to the fore in their four-wicket win over Yarragon, with the Warriors making the most of the damp conditions on their way to victory.
The Panthers posed a challenging target of 163 – with Laytten Smith in sublime form on his way to 64 – and would have held high hopes of notching a successful defence, but some of Western Park's usual suspects came to the fore.
Dale Fawcett continued his renaissance with a blistering 43 at the top of the order, and Andrew Thompson delivered a balanced 38* in support to propel the Warriors from a slightly vulnerable 4/100 to 6/165.
Earlier in the day, Smith's half-century again highlighted his all-round talent and Madhawa Fonseka (26) and Chamath Fernando (20) chimed in with handy contributions, but in the end the Panthers fell short.
Longwarry (7/167) def. Drouin (121)
Ali Sarosh played a pivotal role in Longwarry's 46-run win over Drouin; the all-rounder a class above his opponents.
After Heath Darcy (39, including six boundaries) had provided the impetus in the early part of the Crows' innings, Sarosh – who finished with an unbeaten 51 – applied the finishing touches to boost Longwarry's total in the latter part of their innings.
Together with Samuel Wood (who struck an excellent 30), the duo helped the Crows post 7/167 from their allotted overs.
In reply, a host of Hawks' batters managed to make starts but none were able to dig deep and provide an innings of magnitude to effectively combat the Longwarry attack.
Sarosh (2/23), Daniel Waite (3/30), and Zac Wright (a magnificent 3/14) never allowed Drouin to settle at the crease, and their ability to build pressure meant that wickets regularly fell.
Ravindu Chamalka Kankanamgamage Don struck 30 to boost the Hawks' chances, but he lacked requisite support and they were dismissed for 121 in the 34th over.