Ships cruise past Swampies in division one

by Samuel Laffy
Trafalgar (8d/348) def. Iona (113 and 4/148)
Having piled on a mammoth 8/348 last weekend – with Trafalgan faithful still raving about the incredible 166 compiled by Rhys Holdsworth (and rightfully so) – all eyes were on how Iona might approach such a hefty run chase.
However, whilst the Ships used the outfield conditions to blast a torrent of boundaries, the Swamp Tigers were unable to match their scoring, largely in part to another incredible spell from David Bremner.
The seamer is renowned for his ability to challenge the stumps of opposing batters – even if he claims he's lost a handful of yards of pace in recent times – and his wily ways were on full display on Saturday.
In typical fashion, five of his six scalps amidst a 12-over haul of 6/19 were bowled, with Kieran Lenders suffering the ignominy of offering an ill-advised leave late in the piece only to see his off-stump cartwheel away to end Iona's innings at 113.
Recognising the potential frailty of the Swamp Tigers line-up, Trafalgar sent them back in with 52 overs to face out.
Iona, however, was able to adjust to conditions more effectively the second time round, Thomas Cottrell's exquisite 64* helping his side reach 4/148 at the conclusion of play.
Longwarry (117) def. by Hallora (161)
Hallora began their defence of 161 knowing that a loss would officially end their finals hopes but, although their chances of making the top four still remain slim, they shrugged off those potential nerves to seal a 44-run victory over Longwarry that keeps them in the hunt.
Led by superb new ball spells from Aidan Phillips (2/35) and Josh Wilson (3/24), the Kangaroos quickly had the Crows on the back foot, with Phillips snaring the key scalp of the day when he clean-bowled Yash Samarasinghe for a golden duck.
Only Jake Serong (35 from 87) and Scott Kelly (a defiant 17* off 84) were able to stave off the Halloran bowlers.
But despite their efforts the rate of scoring was never enough to disrupt the rhythm of Andrew Donohue (3/30 off 15.2) and their side was found well short, dismissed for 117 in the 59th over.
Catani (116) def. by Drouin (9/245)
Catani's woes in the second half of the summer continued unabated on the weekend, as the Cats slumped to a 129-run loss against Drouin.
Whilst their position in the top four was secured many weeks ago, the side would no doubt be keen to somehow recapture the early-season form that had them viewed by many as potential premiers.
Chasing a formidable target of 9/245, Catani were forced to be watchful early on as Simon Gardiner (2/17 from 9) and James Wilcock (2/20 off 7) homed in on any potential defensive flaws of the Cats' batters, and the slow start saw pressure build as the afternoon progressed.
This provided Thomas Brown (5/18 off 15.5) with the perfect opportunity to highlight his skill, as the spinner utilised clever changes in pace and an endlessly disciplined line-and-length to bundle out the Cats.
Liam Adams (26 from 53) was the standout performer for Catani, but he lacked support from team-mates as his side was dismissed for 116 in the 62nd over.
Ellinbank (137) def. by Western Park (225)
In the final division one clash, Western Park made light work of Ellinbank on the second day of their round 13 encounter, with the Warriors securing an 88-run win over the Eagles.
Euan Hurst (34 from 76 including a host of powerful drives) and Aaditya Varadharajan (57 off 107) provided hope for Ellinbank fans early in the afternoon.
But once Ellis Whiteford (4/34 from 19.4) out-foxed the duo – accepting a bunted return chance from Hurst and luring Varadharajan into an ill-advised hoick that saw his back foot slide out of his crease – there was little the Eagles could do to stymie the flow of wickets.
Joel Batson (4/26 off 14) captured outside edge after outside edge to quickly see Thomas Keily (6), Nick Fairbank (2), and Alex Gaudion (0) walking back to the pavilion, and all in all after 57.4 overs Ellinbank found themselves dismissed for just 137.
State of play
The division one ladder is tantalisingly poised as we enter the final home and away round, with four teams duking it out for the final berth in the top four.
Ellinbank (who currently hold onto fourth due to percentage), Longwarry, and Trafalgar are all tied on 36 points, whilst Hallora (six points behind) could well leapfrog all of them depending on the severity of victory and defeat.