Yarrawonga Mulwala Cricket Club has progressed to the WDCA grand final in both the A Grade and A Reserve divisions after impressive wins while the B Grade and C Grade sides both bowed out on the weekend in their semi-final clashes.
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Openers Matt Knight and Reid Clarke led the way for the A Grade Lakers with a 129-run opening partnership as the side posted a huge win to progress to the decider.
A Grade
Yarrawonga Mulwala 8/290 defeat Beechworth Wanderers 10/128
The Yarrawonga Mulwala Lakers A Grade side are into the Wangaratta and District Cricket Association grand final after a mammoth 162-run win against Beechworth at Stan Hargreaves Oval over the weekend.
Captain Kyle Archibald won the toss on Saturday and had no hesitation in batting on what looked like a beautiful pitch and fast outfield.
Matt Knight and Reid Clarke got the Lakers off to their best start of the season, putting on 129 runs for the opening stand.
The pair smacked anything loose– Knight was clinical on anything short while Clarke put away anything full, creating a nightmare for the Beechworth bowling attack.
The dismissal of Knight for a well-made 69 sparked a mini collapse, with Clarke falling soon after, bowled for 45, followed by Wheeler and Casey, all falling within the space of three runs.
Beechworth’s joy was to be short lived, with Brock McCabe and Ben Welsh forming an 85-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
The pair ran hard between the wickets and pounced on anything loose, hitting 14 boundaries between them. Welsh was dismissed with the score on 217, three short of his half-century.
Adam Dodd and McCabe then got to work forming another great partnership of 41 before Brock was dismissed caught behind for a brilliant 53.
Dodd was joined by Archibald, who smacked a boundary before being run out for seven, unselfishly chasing quick runs. Zach Moore then came and went for 10, run out with the score on 282 with two overs to go.
Dodd was joined by Jim Irvine, the pair seeing out the remaining overs, finishing on 29* and 1* respectively, the Lakers finishing on 8/290.
Day two saw the Lakers with ball in hand.
The day was off to a brilliant start with Angus Heslin snaring the first wicket of the day, having Kayde Surrey caught behind by Clarke, which was quickly followed up by a back of a length ball to Ellett, edged to gully and caught by Brock McCabe.
Matt McCabe was introduced to the attack and was quickly rewarded with a wicket, a brilliant delivery outside off stump had Beechworth’s number three Fendyk caught by Ben Welsh at point. He had another soon after, trapping Richards in front, lbw for a duck.
Legspinner Brock McCabe started brilliantly to Beechworth skipper Brenton Surrey, bowling aggressive line and length from his very first ball.
Surrey hit McCabe for a boundary straight down the ground but was then dismissed two balls later by a ball which can be compared to the late great Shane Warne’s ‘flipper’ – the ball skidding on and collecting Surrey’s stumps. Beechworth reeling at 5/52.
Beechworth’s Worcester and Prebble then put on 30 runs, Matt Casey breaking their partnership having Prebble caught behind by Clarke, who took a sharp chance with the gloves.
Irvine was reintroduced into the attack and had his first of the day, a well-directed short ball to Scalzo, top edged and caught at mid-off by Matt McCabe with the score on 119.
Angus Heslin started his second spell brilliantly, bowling great line and length, picking up two wickets in successive balls, finishing the day with figures of 4/22 off 12 overs in a great display of fast bowling.
The final wicket fell five runs later, Irvine having No.11 Fitzpatrick caught by Ben Welsh at point, Beechworth being bowled out for 128.
The semi-final win sees the boys come up against Rovers Bruck United at Barr Reserve this weekend in the Grand Final, played at Barr Reserve in Wangaratta.
A Reserve
Yarrawonga Mulwala 8/184 defeat Wangaratta Magpies 10/137
The Lakers travelled to Norm Minns Oval to take on the top side, Wangaratta Magpies.
Fraser Smart proved useful once again at the coin toss, winning and deciding to bat.
Openers/all-rounders Ben McDonald and Ollie Cope strode out to the crease looking to begin positively.
Cope was first to go being caught behind with the score on 14.
Van Kreeck was undone soon after by a short delivery getting caught by the keeper.
The third wicket partnership of 50 was pivotal to setting up the innings as Smart departed for 38 runs.
McDonald continued his patient innings whilst other batsmen around him played their shots.
Short cameos from Dishot, O'Brien, House, and Lovel brought the score up.
McDonald was caught out for 60 from 193 balls, batting most of the innings.
The Lakers batted out the overs finishing 8/184.
Boring cricket was the key for the bowling innings on day two.
Jyda ’Showtime’ House struck first with a screamer of a catch taken by Dishot at short cover.
Dishot had the Magpies at 2/16, smashing the front pad of the‘ Wang’ batsmen.
A faint edge to the keeper had the next wicket with just 30 runs on the board.
A partnership began to build but it didn't stop the energy in the field of Lovel and Mitchell who were chirping all day – such energy must've rubbed off onto Smart behind the stumps who had one of his better days stopping almost everything.
Despite having a singular working hamstring Brendan Hill collected one before lunch as the game stayed in the balance.
House's homemade icy poles at tea worked a treat as he tore through the Wangaratta middle order picking up four wickets in quick succession.
Dishot chimed in with another two himself, the Lakers claiming 5/10 after tea to win the match by 47 runs.
A solid all-round performance elevates A Reserve into the grand final against Wangaratta Rovers at Barr Reserve Oval 2.
B Grade
Benalla Bushrangers 8/136 defeat Yarrawonga Mulwala 10/81
The B Grade Lakers team travelled to the magnificent Benalla Gardens Oval to take on the top of the table Benalla Bushrangers team.
Winning the toss and sending Benalla into bat, Captain Browning was hoping for quick wickets against the all-conquering Benalla top order.
Unfortunately, they didn’t come quick enough and the openers put on 40 before Phillips broke through in his fifth over.
Browning bowled unsuccessfully so the change was made with evergreen veteran Hargreaves replacing him for nearly instant results, deceiving the competition leading run scorer with the dipping full toss.
He then continued his mastery bowling an excellent eight overs for five runs and two wickets, clawing the Lakers back into the contest.
Young up-and-coming star TJ Docking created chances with his big, turning offspinners claiming two wickets and Hunter Frauenfelder bowled a tight line over eight overs (1/28) to be among the best of the bowlers.
Benalla making 136 from their allotted overs, their second lowest score for the year, and the Lakers were a chance.
Hargreaves and the inform Hudson Gillies commenced the chase, getting away to a great start before Gillies got frustrated with the wide bowling and chased one – only to tickle it through to the keeper. Hargreaves skied one soon after then Montgomery fell trying to move the scoring along after some tight bowling.
A partnership was needed but never eventuated. Giblett came and went, Buerckner was run out with a direct hit from the boundary going for a third run. Luck wasn’t going the Lakers’ way.
Benalla’s tight bowling and the building pressure of an ever-increasing run rate taking its toll saw the the lower order chasing quick runs but the side was eventually bowled out for 81 in the 30th over, ending a great run of grand final appearances.
Good luck to the A and A Res sides this week.
C Grade
Beechworth Wanderers 5/161 defeat Yarrawonga Mulwala 6/160
At Vic Park 2, the Lakers faced the Beechworth Wanderers in a semi-final showdown.
With players missing due to odd excuses like attending field days, sore backs after anniversaries and chasing robbers, the Lakers' lineup was a mix of fresh faces and sore backs.
Skipper and f ather of Lucas ‘Rackemann’ Pickering, Ben ‘Chrome Dome’ Pickering won the toss for the first time and chose to bat.
‘Fingers’ Bozzola entered only to exit quickly for four, while ‘Red Ink’ Sullivan (47) and ‘Blocka’ Wilson (23) built a solid partnership.
Shaun Hawking joined ‘Red Ink’, and together they put on a stylish 40-run partnership until Hawking (23) skied one to short cover in a very stylish manner.
Crome Dome Pickering's entrance was marked by a swash buckling 39, including a massive six onto Dunlop Street.
‘Junior’ Brear, still feeling the effects of his penny-farthing tumble, bravely held the fort for nine runs.
Red Ink, meanwhile, stitched together a well-constructed 47, but ‘Train Burns’, armed with a bat crafted from a willow tree in 1947 from Avenel, saw his birthday bash ending with a zero.
With the Lakers setting a respectable 160, the Wanderers faced a challenging chase.
The Lakers' bowling saw moments of brilliance, with Chrome Dome Pickering bowling really well and the Wanderers captain driving one very low to the ground – young Brear clasping a one-hander catch for the ages.
From here the Wanderers looked reasonably comfortable.
Things changed especially when Train Burns was ordered into the attack, breathing life into the game with his looping deliveries.
The introduction of Hawk's spin before an SOS call to Maree for his “pace shoes” added to the drama. Chrome Dome even took a stunning catch off Hawk's lightning-fast delivery.
Despite their efforts, the Wanderers passed the Lakers' score, marching into the grand final.
Although the Lakers didn't clinch victory, it was a wild ride from the previous Friday night’s struggles with not having players, and being last on the ladder to finishing first on the ladder at the close of the home and away season.
A shoutout to the Lakers' better halves for keeping the team fed (best in the business) and keeping the whites white.
As the season ends, the Lakers bid farewell knowing that in cricket, the craziest stories often come from the most unexpected moments on and off the field.
All the best to our A & A Res Lakers on their quest to the ultimate glory.
Yarrawonga Chronicle