Lions show skill with the bat

ON a day where only one premier division side managed to pass 200, the Noorat Terang Lions finished with the round’s second-best score, making 178 against Dennington at the Walter Oval.

“We were happy enough with the total,” Lions coach Liam Geary said.

“The goal was to get 200 and bat 80 overs which we weren’t far off doing.”

Sent into bat on a wicket that played low and parts of the ground were slow, the Lions did an impressive job to bat all but 17 balls of their allotted 80 overs.

Unfortunately, both openers were back in the shed early, which has been a recurring theme this season.

Seven players reached double figures.

Geary was in fine touch again making 49.

“I’ve gone up the order in recent times to fill some different roles.

“It’s been nice to bat some time but frustrating to not go on and make some bigger scores.”

Oscar Ritchie showed what he is capable of with 30 off 52 balls with three boundaries.

“Oscar batted with a plan, stuck to that and batted really well.

“He was a bit more circumspect early, it was a controlled innings.”

Co-captain Tim Delaney, batting at number 10, made an extremely valuable 21 to put on 22 for the final wicket with Darcy

Abbott who survived 14 balls to enable the side to not have to bowl before stumps.

“Our bowlers have a target to bowl to and hopefully they can put enough balls in the right areas to put the pressure on the opposition.

“We are still losing wickets in clumps which is our next challenge to fix as a batting group.”

The captains of the seconds and thirds were under the pump with finding enough players to field sides as a bucks party and the Noorat Show made a number of players unavailable.

In division two, Noorat Terang had a seven wicket loss to Russells Creek.

The division two Lions, already without their co-captains for an extended time due to medical issues, were led from the front by Brett Hunger.

Hunger finished with the highest score of 37 from 44 balls with four boundaries and a six in the match played at the Terang Turf.

Unfortunately, only Dom Moloney with 16 and Ryan Lowth with 11 reached double figures.

The side was dismissed in the 39th overfor113.

With the ball, 15 wides were conceded and the game would have been over early except for Charlie

Kenna’s many chase downs in the field turning twos and threes into singles.

Hunger was the leading wicket taker with 2-13 from 5 overs.

Charlie Roberts took the other wicket as the opposition chased down the total in the 25th over for the loss of only three wickets.

This weekend the division two Lions will host North Warrnambool at the Terang Turf.

The division four Lions looked like Dad’s Army as a number of older former players helped to get a side on the field.

Dennington proved too strong, winning by five wickets at Dennington number two oval.

One returning player, Nick Roberts, proceeded to hit a career high unbeaten 73 off just 63 balls with eight fours and four sixes.

Mark Lillico contributed 20 and John Clarke 16 which saw the team reach153off34 overs.

Dennington in reply chased down the total in the 26th over for the loss of five wickets.

Both Tom Conheady and Sam Lillico took two wickets.

The division four Lions will host Wangoom at Noorat this Saturday.

The under 13s will play a one-day game against Allansford Panmure at Allansford Saturday morning.

The under 15s Lions started a two day game against Allansford-Panmure at Panmure on Friday with thehome side reaching 7-218 off their 45 overs.

Early in the game the bowlers had the home side 3-32 before their middle order started to put on big partnerships.

Ned Abbott was the only multiple wicket taker with 2-31.

Ollie and Lucia Clarke, Liam Kenna, Riley McIntosh and Brad Wallace all took one each.

Noah Conheady and Ollie Clarke held two catches.

This Friday the young Lions will need to average nearly five runs an over for victory.

The under 17 bowlers were on the receiving end of a bit of stick from the West Warrnambool batters who racked up 3-258 from 38 overs at Noorat on Tuesday.

Ollie Clarke was the most economical of the bowlers with 1-13 from four overs.

Jack Farrell was next best with 0-20 from five.

Late in the innings Cooper Wilson took two wickets.

This will be a big ask for the side to chase the total on Tuesday.