AUS_GRADE-MBOURNE_SUMMARY_13FEB94

AUS GRADE SUMMARY : Melbourne : 13 Feb 94
By MARTIN BLAKE (The Age)

The top four teams  in  Melbourne  District  cricket  -  Fitzroy-
Doncaster,    Melbourne,    Ringwood   and Dandenong-Waverley   -
consolidated their positions with wins in  yesterday's  round  of
one-day matches.

Fitzroy was again inspired  by  the  Watts  brothers,  Gary   and
Leigh,  who  hit  60  and 71 respectively to help their club past
Geelong's 7/199. The brothers have tallied more  than 1300   runs
between them this season.

Melbourne crushed Collingwood in the replay of last year's  grand
final, skittling it for 63 at Victoria Park, with Stuart Anderson
grabbing 4/11. After a shaky start, Warren Ayres (52) and skipper
Michael Sholly (40 not out) steered Melbourne to victory.

Ringwood won a thrilling  encounter  with   Richmond,   compiling
9/154 then dismissing Richmond for 151. Michael Foster (4/22) did
the damage with his medium-pacers.

Dandenong-Waverley eclipsed Footscray to  celebrate   the   300th
game  of  captain-coach Brendan McArdle. Robbie Bartlett's 70 set
up Dandenong's total of 9/150, and Footscray managed just 117.

Rain had washed out Saturday's play in  all  matches,   and   the
wickets  were  underprepared  at several venues. Only three sides
passed 200, and Rohan Larkin's unbeaten century  for Carlton   in
its easy win over Frankston Peninsula went against the tide.

Richmond, Prahran and Northcote are just outside the   top   four
with three games remaining, Grant Gardiner breaking a club record
for the Dragons yesterday  Gardiner's  97  not  out again   South
Melbourne  took  him  to  795  runs  this  season, passing Andrew
Wildsmith's tally of 779 in the summer of 1984-85.

The left-handed Gardiner, a Northcote veteran,  has   hit   three
centuries this season as well as several other substantial scores
and must now be pressing for state selection.

 Contributed by Bounty.Bob (bob@martyn.apana.org.au)