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AUS GRADE CRICKET : Melbourne : 19, 26 Feb 94
Bernard Dunn from The Sunday Age
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19 Feb 94 : Five tons as finals pressure mounts
The battle for a finals berth remains wide open with six eyeing
third or fourth spot as batsmen dominated yesterday's 15th round
of District cricket. Five players made centuries.
Dandenong-Waverley lost key bowlers Darren Foley and Brian Lam-
bert to injury during its vital clash with Fitzroy-Doncaster at
Dandenong. Opener Gary Watts (104) took advantage, pounding his
third District century this season (and 16th overall) as he
shared a second-wicket partnership of100 in 124 minutes with
Brendan Joyce (48). Paul McDonald, who finished with 3/58
toiled well for Dandenong-Waverley, which held the competition
leader to 7/245.
An aggressive innings from University wicketkeeper Nigel Strong
(84) left the Students well placed to cause an upset against a
weakened Melbourne at the Albert Ground. Already without its
state players, Melbourne also lost leading bowler Richard Herman
with a back strain during the warm-up. University opener Wayne
Phillips (51) and Tim, Bush (32) put Melbourne further on the
back foot. Strong and Nick Bryan (26) added 63 in only 51 minutes
for the sixth wicket to enable the Students to reach 254. Univer-
sity then grabbed the wicket of Demon opener Michael Scalzo (7).
Ringwood skipper Brendan Ricci (150 not out) left his side well
placed at 6/273 against finals hopeful Northcote at Jubilee Park.
Ricci played a lone hand in reaching his fifth District century.
Northcote's Adam McGinty took 4/66
Former Victorian wicketkeeper Michael Dimattina (89) underpinned
St Kilda's innings against North Melbourne at Arden Street. He
hit nine fours and shared partnerships of 92 in 112 minutes with
Adam Ryan (29) for the second wicket, and 86 in only 74 minutes
with Craig Friebe (55) for the third wicket, to set up a respect-
able 8/318.
Collingwood fast bowler Rohan French put the Magpies in a strong
position to end their run of five losses with an inspired spell
against Geelong at Kardinia Park. He snared 5/28 from 20 overs to
have Geelong all out for 104. Collingwood looked shaky at 2/17,
but skipper David Emerson (39 not out) and Anthony Amalfi (16 not
out) steadied the ship and it finished at 2/76.
Footscray skipper Steve Cashen, with a career-best 145, enabled
his side to recover from 3/18 against Essendon at Windy Hill.
Cashen added 148 for the fifth wicket with Tony Dodemaide (56)
enabling Footscray to reach 7/300. Essendon paceman Darren Cullen
also re- turned career-best figures with 5/65 from 23 overs.
Finals hopefuls Prhran and Richmond were evenly poised at Toorak
Park. After a good start from openers Kyle Malligan (48) and Dion
Kratz (39), Prahran's middle order was rescued by a fighting 66
by skipper, Andrew Grant. Grant and Paul Barber (40) enabled the
two Blues to reach 7/242 - A fine fifth-wicket partnership 189 in
210 minutes between Carlton century makers Rohan Larkin (123) and
Ian Wrigglesworth (121 not out) put Carlton in a strong position
at 6/301 against Hawthorn at Princes Park. It was Larkin's second
successive century, his seventh for Carlton, and career-best per-
formance for Wrigglesworth.
Frankston Peninsula's Paul Wilson (3/56) and Adrian Mack (3/34)
helped hold South Melbourne to 209 at Frankston. Only Mark Butch-
er (47) and Phil Heatherington (44)- offered resistance.
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26 Feb
Richmond made a claim on a finals spot in yesterdays conclusion
to round 15 of District cricket. Five teams are locked in a bat-
tle for fourth spot. Leaders Fitzroy-Doncaster were the only team
in the four to gain points from the round.
Former Australian under-19 speedster Steven Cottrell threw
Dandenong-Waverley's finals plans into disarray. They were bun-
dled out for 122 in reply to Fitzroy-Doncaster's 255. Cottrell
Finished with 5/42 from 18 overs, making him the competition's
leading wicket taker with 35. He received great support from
veteran Alan Melbourne whose 3/43 from Z5.4 overs takes his wick-
et tally to 33.
A maiden century from Richmond's Michael Foster (109) thrust the
Tigers into finals calculations as they overcame a determined
Prahran at Toorak Park. Foster's runs came from 206 balls and in-
cluded 10 fours and a six, enabling Richmond to reach 8/278,
chasing Prah- ran's 261. A third-wicket partnership of 76 in 83
minutes between Foster and Andrew Cowper (29) set the Tigers on
their way.
Northcote's Grant Gardiner (85) continued an amazingly consistent
season with the bat, but it was all in vain as the game against
Ringwood finished in a tense draw. Chasing 291, Northcote was in
control as Gardiner and David Sharp added 162 in 199 minutes for
the second wicket. But Ringwood's Craig Howard proved difficult
to get away, taking 6/107. Northcote finished on 9/283.
Gardiner's innings makes him the competition's leading rungetter
with 885 runs.
Melbourne never looked likely to challenge University's 254, with
only captain-coach Michael Sholly (54) looking comfortable at the
Albert Ground. Ashley Robertson took the bowling honors with
4/57.
Essendon opener Matthew Drain (109 not out) compiled his third
century this season while single-handedly holding out the
Footscray attack. Chasing 300, Drain and number 11 Paul Causon (0
not out) batted for 50 balls to finish at 9/246.
Former North Melbourne skipper John Shannon (104 not out) and
current skipper Liam Pickering (92 not out) took charge of their
game against St Kilda to set up a surprising win. North finished
on 8/332 in reply to St Kilda's 318.
Carlton continued its climb up the ladder when it bundled
Hawthorn out for 72. Brett Sniegowski took 4/36.
A third-wicket partnership of 96 in 133 minutes between Colling-
wood skipper David Emerson (87) and Anthony Amalfi (36) took
their team to victory over Geelong, its first in five games. Brad
Stacey finished with 4/2l for the Cats.
Frankston-Peninsula achieved its first outright points making
3/107 after South Melbourne declared 3/24 in its second innings.
Earlier Englishman Mark Butcher had demolished the Frankston
line-up taking 7/49 to give the Swans first innings points.
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Contributed by Phil.Shead (ps@martyn.apana.org.au)