Lakes Entrance scored its biggest win of an impressive season, easily eclipsing fellow premiership aspiration Meerlieu in round seven of the Bairnsdale Cricket Association at the Lakes Entrance Recreation Reserve last Saturday.
It was the Seagulls first victory over a top four side and sixth for the season, quickly erasing from the mind the season’s only aberration against ladder leader Lindenow South Glenaladale in the previous round.
After amassing a respectable 213 last week, the second-ranked Lakes took to the field knowing it would have to field well and hold its catches if it was to claim the scalp of the fourth-ranked Tussocks, who have a top order arsenal of stroke players which is the envy of most in the competition.
The Seagulls had a plan and they executed perfectly, beginning with co-captain Jake LeMaitre claiming the dangerous Jay Peiris without scoring in the first over.
Reagan Kyle showed plenty of patience batting at three, making a classy 47 from 102 balls, but his exit at 3-77 spelt the end for the Tussocks with key personnel Connor Mitchell and Rohan Blandford departing to dismissals they would be keen to have over again shortly after.
The last five wickets for Meerlieu added just 12 runs between them, spun out by the Seagulls spinners Sam Kincaid (4/33) and Josh Sackfield (5/15) for just 102.
The talented Sackfield continued his outstanding transformation with bat and ball in his second stint with Lakes Entrance, everything the Englishman touching in recent weeks turning to gold.
The Seagulls are now nipping at the heels of Lindenow South Glenaladale, who suffered a disappointing loss to Orbost last Saturday.
Remarkably this Saturday Lakes will do battle with Lucknow for the third time this season, in campaign where they don’t even play every side twice.
This week’s match is a one day encounter at home with the Seagulls needing to go in focused and without complacency, the Magpies continuing to improve with each outing.
Last week in the BCA 20/20 competition, Lakes was comfortably defeated by a focused West Bairnsdale.
In “B” grade Lakes Entrance were low on numbers and gallant in defeat in their match against St Marys Nagle.
Batting first with only eight players the Seagulls were dismissed in the 24th over for just 56, but to their credit they worked hard in the field.
The Saints got home in the 22nd over for the loss of six wickets with dismissals for Lakes shared between Sean Reid, Anna Quinsey Munro and Tully Davis, all with two each.
This week the Seagulls are matched against Meerlieu at Blennerhassett Oval at the Meerlieu Cricket Ground.
In the under 13’s Lakes Maroon were 30 run winners over West Bairnsdale at the Bairnsdale City oval, with Marli Butt and Remi Perera named players of the match.
Lakes Entrance White went down to Lucknow by 38 runs at St Brendans, with Thomas Hayes named player of the match.
