A late-order fight back from Camberwell Magpies has left Greenvale Kangaroos with a tough chase in Victorian Premier Cricket.
The fifth-placed Magpies started well and looked to be cruising at 1-84 before the Kangaroos started to strike with the ball.
The loss of two wickets for one run started a collapse which saw the Magpies slip to 7-112, Trent Waring doing most of the damage with three wickets.
Magpies top-order batsman Thomas Russ and number nine Jack McNamara then set about rescuing the innings, and when Russ was caught for 62, the partnership had added 74.
Matthew Whittaker then joined McNamara at the crease, and the pair took the Magpies to 8-243 at stumps.
Waring was the best of the bowlers for the Kangaroos, taking 4-61 from 21 overs.
IN the Diamond Valley Cricket Association, Old Paradians/St Francis landed a much-needed win over bottom side Plenty.
The Wolves, sitting just outside the top four but still a chance of being relegated due to three teams going down, easily accounted for the bottom side.
Plenty batted first and made only 122, with Supun Passikku Hannadige taking 5-45 with the ball.
Wolves’ skipper Jason Berthet made 63 in his side’s reply of 191.
Bundoora did its hopes of avoiding relegation a big boost by beating third-placed Epping.
Batting first, Bundoora made 177 – thanks largely to 50 not out from number nine Jason Kamiski – then bowled out Epping for 149.
Diamond Creek, Bundoora United, Research Eltham Collegians and Macleod were the other winners.
WHILE Premier and Diamond Valley cricket went ahead, many teams in the Victorian Turf and Victorian Sub-District Cricket associations weren’t so lucky.
All matches in the VTCA were called off because a number of grounds were not ready because of heavy rain during the week.
Many players took to social media to vent their frustrations at the association’s decision.
Among the hard luck stories, the unluckiest team of all was Tullamarine, who only needed six runs with three wickets left to beat McKinnon in senior division.
Craigieburn, who had already claimed first-innings points against Avondale Heights in North A1, was left to rue a missed opportunity for an outright win and the chance to put more pressure on the top four.
IN VSDCA, the top two grades went ahead but many clubs grounds weren’t in a state for play.
For a second straight week Plenty Valley and Roxburgh Park Broadmeadows were left without any cricket.
