Cricket round-up: McDonald scores century and Leopold snare win

THE 2019/20 cricket season got underway at the weekend.

In the Geelong Cricket Association Division 2 Firsts, Torquay started their title defence strongly, clinically chasing down their target of 200 to defeat St Peters by seven wickets.

The undoubted star for Torquay was their captain Dale McDonald. McDonald took 2/32, before scoring 100 of 117 deliveries to ensure his side started with a victory.

Despite his own brilliant performance, McDonald said the result was a credit to the whole team.

“It’s always nice to make some runs, but it was a really good team performance where everyone played their part.”

He was optimistic about the team having another strong season, but acknowledged with just one game down it was difficult to know where the teams are at.

“I think we’ll be a really competitive side again, but it’s hard to say; we’ve got some really good competition in the division.”

In the GCA’s Division 1 Firsts Leopold started the season with an incredibly close one wicket victory over Bell Post Hill.

Bell Post Hill batted first and set a solid total of 6/181, despite Benjamin Horne’s 4/30.

Leopold’s batsmen made a series of starts, but none managed to truly press on with their innings. Tim Marshall top-scored with a brisk 39, yet Leopold had several batters contribute.

In the end it was down to Adam Bliss and Declan Gibson to get Leopold over the line. Their 11 run tenth-wicket partnership earning their side the narrowest of victories.

Leopold’s Thirds also had a special game, as their victory against Bell Post Hill also marked Chris Hennessy’s 200th match for the club.

In the Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association’s (BPCA) A Grade, Jan Juc caused the upset of the round, defeating last year’s winners Ocean grove by 25 runs.

Jan Juc batted first and posted made 189 of their 40 overs, largely thanks to captain Andrew Murden’s 104.

Ocean Grove’s Anton Scholtz kept the game alive with an unbeaten 70, but Jan Juc held their nerve to claim an early win.

Elsewhere in the league, Barwon Heads narrowly defeated Queenslciff, reaching their target with an over to spare.

Last year’s table-toppers Anglesea showed their strength, bowling Collendina out for 83 to secure a 64-run victory.

Barrabool defeated Portarlington by an even greater margin. They dismissed their opposition for 73 to claim a 120-run win.

Nathan Findlay led Barrabool’s bowling attack, taking 5/18.