There were wickets galore last Saturday at the Lakes Entrance Recreation Reserve in round 11 of the Bairnsdale Cricket Association “A” grade competition, with West Bairnsdale beating Lakes Entrance as 19 wickets fell in a day’s play.
With rain washing out action on Sunday in all matches, West was able to bank valuable first innings points, moving them two spots up the ladder to fifth, within two points of the top four.
West won the toss and sent the hosts in. Despite getting through the initial overs, Ben John (10) was the first to fall.
Liam Allen and Ryan Hooper combined to push the score to 38 before Allen (7) fell to Jack Lind, edging to slip.
Hooper soon fell for a well-made 23, which was the Seagulls’ highest score as the wheels began to fall off the innings soon after.
At 3-42 the game was there to be taken and taken it was as Lind and Ryan Halford both took five wickets each, dismissing the hosts for 71.
Lind finished with 5/31
off 19 and Halford with 5/19 off 11.1. Hooper played a
lone hand with John and Noah Dodd both contributing 10 each.
West came out with both openers, Tom Hudson and Brodie Anderson, finding the boundary early.
Hudson’s fast start was ended when he was bowled by Scott Tite for 16, with Anderson trapped lbw for 11 by Le Maitre soon after.
Ryan Halford’s dream day was cut short as he was bowled by Tite as West slumped to 3/33, before Atley Williams (57) steadied the ship and drove his side home, the visitors passing the total five wickets down before going on to reach 9/139 at stumps.
Englishman Ollie Chaplin took 3/15 off six overs while Tite and Le Maitre
both chipped in with two wickets each.
Lakes’ “A” graders will now enjoy an extended Christmas break, returning to play in a rematch of last season’s one-day grand final
against Lindenow South Glenaladale at the Lakeside Oval on January 17.
