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Premier Cricket, round 6, day 1: all the action around the grounds

Prestige PublishingEastern Reporter

Round 6 Day 1

Fremantle v Bayswater Morley

Fremantle appear to be in control against Bayswater Morley, after an eventful first day of action on Saturday at Stevens Reserve.

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After being sent in to bat, Fremantle found itself struggling for consistency early, losing Jake Carder, Matthew Micale and Sam Whiteman early.

Somewhat floundering at 3-44, Daniel Kennedy hit the crease emphatically, turning Fremantle’s fortunes around in style.

Kennedy and new batsman at the crease Chris Davenport managed to right the ship, producing a much-needed 62-run fourth-wicket partnership, boosting the total beyond 100.

As Davenport was removed for 40 at 4-106, Fremantle then lost Brayden Sutton not long after and finding itself in a flat patch throughout the middle overs.

However, Kennedy and new partner Bayley Holman dug deep to notch a possibly match-defining 49-run partnership.

Unfortunately for Fremantle, Kennedy could not carry the team any further, dismissed on 59, and with his dismissal came the end of Fremantle’s innings, as it lost its final five wickets in the space of 14 runs and was bowled out for 187.

Mitchell Todd broke the game open late in the innings, taking 3-4 in a breathtaking three-over spell of bowling.

With Fremantle being bowled out after 56 overs, there was still plenty of time in the day for Bayswater Morley to make a dent in the run chase.

However, that was not the case, as Fremantle’s bowlers took their opportunity to nullify the Bears’ batting line-up.

The Bears could only muster 69 runs from 32 overs, in which they lost five important wickets, leaving them with a further 119 runs to chase down on day 2 with only five wickets left in hand.

Josh Chojnowski was terrific in the late stages of the day with the ball for Fremantle, taking 3-26.

Day 2 of the action continues on Saturday at 11.40am at Stevens Reserve.

Gosnells v Subiaco Floreat

Subiaco Floreat look to have the edge against Gosnells in a close battle at Sutherlands Park following Saturday’s day 1 action.

After being sent in to bat, Gosnells rocketed to 93 off the back of a 54-run partnership between Ben Green and Matthew Leipold, following the early loss of Brandon Jacobs.

However, that’s where the runs decidedly dried up for Gosnells, as the Lions’ bowlers – and Aaron Lilly in particular – began to assert their authority on the match.

Lilly absolutely dominated the back half of the innings, taking wicket after wicket as Gosnells found itself in the midst of a batting collapse.

After looking so dominant early at 2-93, Gosnells was bowled out for 187 in the 62nd over, as Lilly bamboozled opponent after opponent.

Lilly ended the day with a whopping seven wickets to his name, producing one of the best individual bowling performances of the season so far.

The Lions should have been riding a wave of euphoria heading into the run chase towards the end of the day. However, they were quickly stripped of their confidence as Chris Prescott looked to match his counterpart’s efforts in Lilly, taking three wickets in the blink of an eye to have the Lions stunned on 3-8.

With the game seemingly on the line a lot earlier than planned, Aaron Lilly stepped in to save the day once again. Lilly and Hamish McKenzie produced a potentially match-saving 55-run fourth-wicket partnership to steady the innings by the end of the day.

Lilly and McKenzie boosted the total to 3-63 at the end of the day’s play.

Day 2 of the action continues on Saturday at 11.40am at Sutherlands Park.

Mount Lawley v Wanneroo

Wanneroo has put the onus squarely on Mount Lawley’s batsmen after posting a more-than-handy 280 runs following some solid middle-order batting and a tremendous third-wicket partnership on Saturday at Breckler Park.

After being sent in to bat, the Roos were in all sorts of trouble early, losing Travis Birt and Robert Richards early to be teetering on 2-4.

However, the ever-reliable Matthew Spoors and Stuart Thompson emphatically negated the early onslaught to provide one of their own.

The dynamic duo put on a sensational 119-run partnership to put the match back on an even keel.

Although Thompson was dismissed on 84 (eight fours and two sixes) at 3-123, the Roos continued to find gaps in the field throughout the middle overs of the innings, as Haydn Slodecki joined Spoors at the crease.

The pair added a further 40 runs to the total before both were removed in quick succession, leaving the Roos on 5-163.

Where the Roos would have, in the past, perhaps dropped off, a new-found hardness amongst the batsmen saw the visitors soldier on, with Kyle Millar and Christian Smith this time doing the damage with the bat.

A further 76 runs from the two middle-order batsmen saw the score soar to 239, before the end started to near.

Smith was dismissed at 6-239, and with that the last of the recognised batsmen had come and gone.

While Millar was still there and did his best to face every possible ball, he was the last wicket to fall, as the Roos were bowled out for a healthy 280 runs.

The Hawks managed seven runs from their three overs before the end of the day’s play.

Day 2 of the action continues on Saturday at 11.40am at Breckler Park.

Rockingham Mandurah v Midland Guildford

Rockingham Mandurah has continued its impressive start to the Premier Cricket season, posting an imposing total of 318 after batting out the 90 overs against Midland Guildford on Saturday at Lark Hill.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Mariners did not exactly get the start they were after, scrambling to 2-44 following the losses of Vincent Poller and James Bracey.

Although it was nothing to be alarmed about, the Mariners would have been heartened by the 55-run partnership produced by opener Tyler Robertson and Olly Colley medallist Dane Ugle.

The loss of Ugle at 3-99 did nothing to dampen the spirits of the Mariners, as their middle order let loose with some free hitting and propelled the score past 200 runs.

Craig Simmons came to the crease at number 7 and created even more havoc for the Midland Guildford bowlers.

Following the loss of Nathan Hutchison at 7-224, Simmons and Adam France enjoyed some late-innings freedom, belting the ball to all parts of the ground during their 76-run eighth-wicket partnership that boosted the score to 300.

After Simmons was removed for 60 runs, the Mariners added another 18 runs to the total to end the day on a whopping 8-318.

Day 2 of the action continues on Saturday at 11.40am at Lark Hill.

Scarborough v Melville

Melville has produced a superb 288 runs on the first day of action on Saturday, thanks to an impressive display of batting by top-order batsmen Sean Terry and Brad Turner at Abbett Park.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, Melville jumped out of the blocks.

Although the loss of Blake Reed at 1-22 was not ideal, Terry and Turner decidedly turned the match in the Storm’s favour.

The pair eked out a hard-fought 104-run second-wicket partnership before Turner was dismissed for 63 at 2-126.

Fraser Hay fell next and Terry followed soon after, ending his innings with a well-deserved 73.

At 4-162, the loss of Terry proved to be calamitous for Melville, as the Storm struggled for consistency throughout the last half of their innings.

Lance Morris and Liam Stevens began to get on top for Midland Guildford, as the pair helped rip through the tail.

Although there were no noteworthy partnerships late in the innings, Melville still managed to end the day with a more than defendable total of 288.

Day 2 of the action continues on Saturday at 11.40am at Abbett Park.

South Perth v Joondalup

South Perth look to have the advantage over Joondalup after day 1, holding the Centurions to 204 on Saturday at Richardson Park, before posting 22 runs at the end of the day’s play.

After being sent in to bat, Joondalup’s top order crumbled horribly under South Perth’s pressure.

Chris Chellew was irresistible with the ball, taking four of the first five wickets of the match, as Joondalup fell to 5-71.

A much-needed 83-run sixth-wicket partnership to Clinton Hinchliffe and Zak Birchall gave the Centurions some form of scoreboard pressure, with the wickets mounting, before Hinchliffe was dismissed after a terrific knock of 89 from 196 balls.

Unfortunately for the Centurions, the loss of Hinchliffe at 6-154 saw the tail exposed, as Chellew, Tasman Harris and Darius D’Silva took the final four wickets to bowl the visitors out for 204.

Chellew ended the day with the magnificent figures of 6-47, after harassing Joondalup’s batsmen for 28 overs.

With five overs left in the day, South Perth notched up 22 runs and look well on their way to snaring a first- innings victory.

Day 2 of the action continues on Saturday at 11.40am at Richardson Park.

University v Claremont Nedlands

University and Claremont Nedlands are locked in an epic battle following the first day of action at James Oval, with the Tigers posting a solid total of 283 on Saturday.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Tigers found themselves in trouble early, losing opener Jamie Crawley at 1-9.

However, Jacob Whiteaker and Nicholas Hobson picked up the slack and set about righting the ship.

The prolific pair produced a superb 130-run second-wicket partnership, boosting the score to 139 before Whitaker was removed for a terrific score of 77.

Tim David then came and went without troubling the scorers, as Hobson and new partner at the crease Bradley Hope continued to blast the ball to all parts of the ground.

The duo added a further 59 runs to the score during their fourth-wicket partnership, before the run-fest was brought to a crashing halt by Corey Rocchiccioli, who knocked over Hobson for 70 runs, taking his second wicket for the match.

Jackson Edmondstone fell soon after, leaving the Tigers sitting somewhat happily on 5-212.

Hope continued to navigate through the bowling attack, bringing up his half century with a 40-run partnership with Joel Paris.

Although the match was seemingly on the Tigers’ terms, the loss of Hope for 71 runs at 6-252 exposed the tail, with University’s Bailey Richards reaping the rewards.

Richards ripped through the tail, taking three of the final four wickets to end the day with 4-57, as the Tigers were bowled out for 283.

University managed 12 runs from its five overs, ending the day without loss.

Day 2 of the action continues on Saturday at 11.40am at James Oval.

Willetton v Perth

Perth are in a commanding position over Willetton, following a superb day of batting and bowling from the Demons on Saturday at Burrendah Park.

After being sent in to bat, Perth had a less-than-ideal start to its innings, losing opener Tom Casey cheaply at 1-29.

However, Jacob Snadden and captain Luke Jury immediately resurrected the innings with a beautifully timed 86-run second-wicket stand.

The loss of Jury did nothing to slow Snadden down, as he continued to increase the run rate.

Unfortunately for Snadden and the Demons, his innings was cut short on 88 runs (nine fours and three sixes) by a brilliant delivery from Simon Mackin, leaving Perth on 4-167.

Jordan Mast fell seconds later, increasing the anxiety levels for the Demons, before Sean Roberts and Joel Curtis calmed the situation.

Their cool heads under pressure ensure the Demons would have a decent total to defend, as the pair produced a hard-fought 85-run sixth-wicket partnership, which boosted the score to 253.

The runs dried up significantly from that point on, with Perth losing its final five wickets in the space of 17 runs.

Simon Mackin and Alex Hepburn were on fire with the ball throughout the innings for Willetton, taking four wickets each as they helped bowl the Demons out for 270.

With a small amount of time remaining in the day, Willetton hit the crease determined to knock off as many runs as possible before the end of the day’s play.

That situation did not unfold as planned for the Dragons, as they lost three wickets for 48 runs, leaving a further 223 runs for victory with only seven wickets in hand on day 2.

Day 2 of the action continues on Saturday at 11.40am at Burrendah Park.