WACA Premier Cricket: Perth and South Perth have mixed fortunes

PERTH bounced back strongly in rounds 3 and 4 of WACA Premier Cricket over the weekend.

With 50 over matches on both days, these were very important games for the Perth Demons and its 2017-18 season.

At Fletcher Park on Saturday, Perth posted 226 on the back of form batsman Dain Moreton’s 58.

Gosnells were dismissed in the last over for 211.

In second grade Isaac Townsend was the star with 83 before Alex Calmy (2-17) and Aidan Enright (5-3) routed Gosnells for 53.

Brenton Williams was among the wickets again as his 5-50 led third grade to victory.

On Sunday, Perth played Wanneroo in the top two grades.

First grade batted first and the opening stand by Luke Jury (122) and Jacob Snadden (92) of 187 threatened a 65-year-old record.

Jury went on 122, with twelve boundaries and a six as, Perth posted a formidable 273.

A very tight bowling attack, led by Liam Guthrie and Aidan Enright, dismissed Wanneroo for 180.

Second grade was a thriller as Perth’s bowlers reeled in Wanneroo to set themselves 233 for victory.

Young guns Kai Hickey (55) and Connor Smith (43) had the Demons well placed before a middle order collapse left Perth 8-194.

But Lachlan Pratt and Alex Calmy swung hard and Calmy’s boundary in the final over brought home a terrific one-wicket victory.

Perth hosts Fremantle next Saturday as the two-day format matches commence.

South Perth has mixed weekend

A DOMINANT Sunday display left South Perth with an even-ledger of results over the weekend and had the Sky Blues creep into the top six of WACA Premier Cricket first grade.

The importance of the fifth-placed Sky Blues’ refusal to give up and their potent bowling attack has been highlighted after four rounds of one day play, with the club the best-placed on the ladder among eight teams with two wins and two losses, separated by quotient.

Those traits were again on show last weekend.

South Perth stumbled in its pursuit of University’s 9-230 on Saturday at Richardson Park, but did so by just 17 runs, dismissed for 213 and ensuring minimal damage to their quotient.

The nine wickets taken were crucial and indicative of South Perth captain Hugh Brown’s confidence in his bowling attack, having won the toss and sent University in.

Chris Chellew (3-42) proved effective throughout, striking early to have the Students 1-14 with the dismissal of opener Max Hopes for just five, before striking again at 6-212 to remove the dangerous Matthew Birrell (41) after University eyed a strong finish to its innings.

The support from South Perth’s only other multiple wicket taker Robert Jones (2-32) was crucial, striking as University began to impose itself to trap Josh Mason for 33 and have the Students 3-147.

The chase began well, with Brown (39) combining with Brandon Guest (40) for an 81-run first-wicket stand, but when the latter was bowled by University captain Will Bosisto, the wickets began to fall at a regular pace.

Sky Blues batsmen Brooke Guest (27) and Darius D’Silva (32) were the only other pairing to manage a significant stand, as the hosts battled their way towards the total before eventually falling 17 runs shy.

Sunday was a different tale, as Brown’s faith in his batsmen paid dividends, winning the toss and batting to an imposing 2-303.

The Sky Blues would have felt shaky at 1-10, with Brown’s dismissal for just one and would have been unaware of the domination that was looming when Brandon Guest fell for 23 to leave the side 2-58.

Enter Jones (158 not out) and D’Silva (102 not out); the pair remained unbeaten to punish a Scarborough attack bereft of some of its front-line bowlers, who were away for the WA’s JLT One Day Cup win.

The intimidating total was always going to be a tall-order, but the Gulls made a fist of it, led by century-maker Jeremy Boyle (102), but another fine bowling display from Jones (4-38) put South Perth well on top, eventually winning by 90 runs and taking six points.

The performance moved South Perth to fifth place on the first grade table, inside the top-six finals group, but just outside the top-four grouping on the one day table.

The competition now moves into a four-round block of two-day competition.

Bentley CC results

THE old saying of a week can be a long time in cricket could not be truer for the Bentley Cricket Club first grade team this weekend.

Bentley skipper Tim Horan won the toss against his counterpart Brett Pilling from Murdoch Melville and after two 100 run partnerships for the first two wickets there may have been some second guessing from the Bentley Blues.

Murdoch marched to 9-330 after their allotted 80 overs, probably a few short of its early expectations.

William Barrett and William Johnson put on 121 for the first wicket, with Johnson being dismissed first by Adam Palumbo for 71.

Barrett then combined with Josh Montgomerie for the second of two consecutive 100 run partnerships.

Montgomerie made 55 and Barrett eventually fell for 103 from 150 deliveries.

Brendan Daye fished with 5-92 from 29 overs and Adam Palumbo took 2-68.

Bentley second grade played its second game at Wyong Reserve this season, dismissing Ocean Reef for a competitive score of 174.

Bentley would have been second guessing its performance after having Ocean Reef 4-6, with seamers Mitch Duncan and Mauneek Solanki both talking two wickets.

Bentley is 4-52 in reply.

Third grade dismissed Balcatta for 174 at Shelley Reserve, with Andrew Stace taking three wickets while Afrasiab Khan and Tony Magill took two wickets a piece.

Bentley slumped to 5-27 at stumps.

MORE: Resident reunited with missing dog urges others to register pets

MORE: Telethon Kids Institute partners with NEC to help fight childhood autism

MORE: Watch the East Perth station upgrade