Cricket action ramps up for Ballan

BALLAN Cricket Club’s Under-13s and Under-15s teams returned to the field last weekend.

Three of the games – the Under-15s, Senior Women and the Senior First XI – are two-day games continuing into this weekend.

The Under-13s team was valiant but was overrun by a much stronger Ballarat outfit.

Ballan 3/63 defeated by East Ballarat 3/99

Batting

K Grigg 16no

J Fenwick 16

Bowling

A Farron 2/10 off 2 overs

E Bayard 1/5 off 2 overs

Senior Women

Ballan 82 all out v Mt Clear 1/1 at stumps

Batting

S Burton 19

Nadene Shugg 6

Nicole Shugg 5

S Dehnert 1/1

 

This week and next Ballan is playing in a 40-over game over two Friday evenings against Mount Clear.

Ballan batters, both experienced and inexperienced, struggled all innings against some quality bowling and fielding from Mount Clear on the Mount Clear turf pitch.

Sarah Burton was the mainstay, opened the batting until out on 19. Nadene and Nicole also did well at the end of the Ballan innings.

Ballan was all out in the 36th over for 82. The umpire then sent the side out to bowl for one over and Summer Dehnert clean-bowled one of the opposing openers to have Ballan off to a good start going into this week.

The Under-15s a 50-over match on Saturday morning, to be played over two weeks.

Ballan 6/36 v Wendouree Knights 5/71 ( 25 overs each)

Batting

R Storer 6no

E Grigg 6

Bowling

E Bayard 2/15 off 3 overs

E Grigg 1/9 off 4 overs

S Burton 1/6 off 3 overs

B Rootsey Luke 1/8 off 2 overs

Ballan struggled against a strong and accurate pace attack, with Riley Storer and Jackson Letcher particularly digging in well to make it through the 25 overs and able to bat again this week.

It was great effort in the field too, with some excellent catching, particularly a real ‘screamer’ by Clover McIlwaine, backing up good efforts with the ball to have the opponent five down.

 

Senior 2nd XI (BCA 5th Grade)

Ballan 2/153 defeated Darley 9/150

Bowling

E Grigg 3/13 off 7 overs

J Burton 2/14 off 8 overs

J Wernicke 2/23 off 3 overs

Batting

Max Burton 50 retired not out

Matt Shugg 46no

Param Singh 27

Bowling first, Ballan got off to an excellent start with early wickets from Burton and Costello.

Some middle-order partnerships slowed wickets down but youngster Eamon Grigg, in great form with the ball, worked with Jake to get through the middle and the tail very quickly, leaving Darley 9/150 at the close of 40 overs.

Ballan batters made short work of that total, with another half-century from captain Burton and 46 not out from Matt Shugg getting Ballan past Darley’s total in the 30th over.

 

Ballan 1st XI (BCA 2nd Grade)

Ballan 7/113 v Coronet City all out 138

Bowling

Hayden Micallef 7/45 off 15 overs

K Heafield 2/49 off 15 overs

Batting

J McGregor 26

R Lister 22

J Jarvis 22

Bowling first, Ballan restricted Coronet City to 138 all out at the end of 40 overs.

Hayden Micallef, in blistering form, had a day out with 7/45 off 15 overs and a catch.

At one stage he was on a hat trick as well.

Batting was also difficult for Ballan, meaning it must must be a bowler’s wicket, with BCC on 7/113 at stumps.

It promises to be a nail-biting finish ahead this week.