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Jonty's Jottings - February 21-23

by Brendan Rhodes

WOW!!!!!

What an amazing weekend for our juniors stars and future club champions!

First I thought this week's report was going to be all about Bevan Holder making a second straight brilliant unbeaten century. Then it was Bevan and Tomas Morrissy, then Dejan Gilevski, then Luca Nimorakiotakis and finally add Nam Nguyen and Felix Fischer! And that's without again congratulating Josh Norsetter on his 100th senior game!

Let's start with Bevan - just a week after reaching 100 for the first time, he did it again, cracking 101 not out with six sixes and nine fours against a team that is likely to be playing in the finals. I only wish I had finished work sooner to see more of it, but from all reports it was another mature captain's knock from a player with great promise. What a great way to finish your junior career and launch into senior cricket next season!

Dejan was attempting to bowl 6th Grade into the finals in a do-or-die last game of the season, and the fact a team of vastly experienced senior cricketers simply could not score off him kept the pressure on all day, despite the fact wickets weren't falling. Then, with figures of 0/11 off 13 overs, Dejan finally got his just desserts - not once, not twice, but thrice - when he knocked over the stumps of the No.8 and No.9 before trapping the No.10 plumb in front for a stunning hat-trick!

Luca headed back to 2nd grade on Sunday after a two-game taste of life at the top, and cashed in on the experience with what should be a match-winning spell of bowling. There's nothing like ripping out the top three batsmen of a finals-bound team on your way to figures of 6/28 off 11 overs to put your hand up for selection for a 1st Grade semi final next week!

Tomas looked like having easily the best figures in the 6th Grade game (until Dejan's heroics), with his three scalps including bouncing out the league president for 99 and picking up the second top-scorer for 43, having earlier removed the other opener.

Nam was playing only his first senior game of the season, and looked like he had been there all year in 4th Grade, compiling the team's top score of 39 and sharing in a third-wicket partnership of 58 with Felix, who second top-scored with 26. They were only separated by dehydration against a team who had made no secret of its desire to beat us outright.

With the individual brilliance (five Is, Goz!) out of the way, let's look at how the teams fared in the second last week of the home and away season (for most anyway).

Don't forget the senior MVP vote counts will be held at the clubrooms next Sunday night, March 8 --- https://www.facebook.com/events/604187786804572/ --- so if you have played any senior cricket (or even if you haven't) we would love to see you there! The club's presentation night will be on Saturday, April 18, with further details to come soon.

Here's what happened last weekend:

1st Grade - Two-dayer - Moonee Valley 121 v Footscray ANA 5/71. The match hangs in the balance, and taking these five wickets are crucial with the Valley able to finish anywhere from first to fifth. Nadeera Thuppahi (42) rescued us from another batting collapse that had us 6/46. Shiwantha Kumara (2/5) and Jack Newman (1/6 off 7) hold the key to victory. Ladder Position: 1st

2nd Grade - Two-dayer - Moonee Valley 5/40 v Footscray ANA 88. Another one that is sitting on a knife's edge. The finals may be out of reach, but it is a big chance to finish the season on a high. Luca Nimorakiotakis' stunning 6/28 made him the hero with the ball, while Josh Norsetter (0/6 off 5) was miserly in his 100th game. Josh (1) is out in the chase, but could Luca cap off an allround matchwinning display? Ladder Position: 5th

3rd Grade - 45 overs - Moonee Valley 7/206 def Parkville District 144 by 62 runs. A solid performance to secure the much-needed win that keeps our season alive for another week. Heading into the last game, we need a win over 6th-placed Royal Park Reds and required either Indigos (3rd) or Youlden Parkville (4th) to lose - and they play the top two teams. Mark Gauci (59) knocked up his second-straight half-century with support from Ian Denny (30), Dean Jukic (22no), Sohail Hussain (21) and Mick Bannister (20), before Sunil Bhandari (4/9 off 9) proved unplayable. Juka (2/23) and Matt Esmore (2/34) chipped in. Ladder Position: 5th

4th Grade - 45 overs - Moonee Valley 7/136 lost to Power House 1/142 by nine wickets with 96 balls to spare. This game was an exercise in throwing the magnets around to give guys a go at batting and bowling that haven't been getting them. And it was our two juniors who stood up. Nam Nguyen and Felix Fischer came together at 2/37 and produced a mature and assured partnership of 58 that was only broken when Felix had to retire hurt (he recovered quickly). They made 39 and 26ret - the team's top two scores. Our frontline bowlers did better than the figures suggest, but the luck didn't run our way. Nam threw the ball to Felix to secure our only wicket, a run out. Our Grand Final this week! Ladder Position: 7th

5th Grade - 35 overs QUARTER FINAL - Moonee Valley 2/111 def Aberfeldie St Johns 8/104 by eight wickets with 120 balls to spare. A dominant opening to the finals from the Shiners, who moved to within one win of the Grand Final with an easy victory. Shane Chalmers (2/5 off 7) set the tone and Dom Rettino (3/11) finished off the innings before Ryan Chirgwin (56no) and Jarrad Sims (30no) took charge after two early wickets. A home semi-final awaits against our next-door neighbour Marby Park. Ladder Position: 2nd

6th Grade - Two-dayer - Moonee Valley v Pascoe Vale Central 9/197. The equation is simple. 198 runs sends us into the finals. Anything less sees the season come to an end. And the reason we have an achievable target is down to our two junior stars, as mentioned above. Dejan Gilevski (3/15 off 16) bowled brilliantly all day before getting his reward with a late hat-trick. Bowled, Bowled, LBW. It doesn't get much better than that! Tomas Morrissy (3/29 off 12) was also outstanding in dismissing the best two opposition batsmen. Jesse Felle (3/56) was the workhorse at the other end, going within a dropped catch of a hat-trick of his own. GO VALLEYS! Ladder Position: 5th

7th Grade - ELIMINATED - FINAL LADDER POSITION: 7th ---------- Grand Final is Donnybrook v Genesis at Donnybrook on Sunday

Under 16 (1) - Two-dayer - Moonee Valley 6dec/178 v Doutta Stars 1/29. Another outstanding performance by captain Bevan Holder, cracking 101no for the second week in a row! Luca Nimorakiotakis (28) shared in an 86-run opening stand with Bevan. Only having eight fielders will be a challenge, but if you hit the stumps, the fielders won't be necessary! Ladder Position: 6th

Under 16 (2) - Two-dayer - Moonee Valley 37 and 0/17 v Pascoe Vale Hadfield 4dec/69. A horror night for our boys is all that can really be said. But from days like this come the most character-building performances. A golden opportunity to make a statement ahead of a likely semi-final rematch next week. No scores submitted as yet. Ladder Position: 3rd

Under 14 (3) - Two-dayer - Moonee Valley 1/87 v Aberfeldie 5/75. The boys are in a strong position as they attempt to finish their season with a win. Jack Bastian (2/9) was the pick of the bowlers, while wickets also came to Callan Morrissy, Jordy Walsh and Jack Shiers. Zac Nilsson (26ret) saw us to a handy lead with the bat and will look to build on that tomorrow night. Ladder Position: 7th

Under 12 (4) - One-dayer - Moonee Valley 5/128 lost to Sydenham-Hillside 6/132 by four runs. Two matches against the Storm. Two losses by a combined five runs. Another heartbreaker for our boys, but a terrific tune-up four our quarter-final tomorrow night. Wickets to Max Talone, Dante Mazzarella, James Cole, Diego Surace, Eden Del Citto and Angus Hughes. Angus (15ret), James Blanch (12ret) and Max (10ret) led the way with the bat. Get out to Greenvale to cheer the boys on tomorrow if you can. Ladder Position: 6th

Under 10 - One-dayer - Moonee Valley def Pascoe Vale United Gold on forfeit.

Here are the games this week:

FRIDAY

Under 16 (1) - Two-dayer v Doutta Stars at Ormond Park East 6th v 4th. A great win to finish the season?

Under 16 (2) - Two-dayer v Pascoe Vale Hadfield at James Martin Reserve, Hadfield 3rd v 1st. Test of character.

Under 14 (3) - Two-dayer v Aberfeldie at Fairbairn Park 1 7th v 6th. Finish off the win boys.

Under 12 (4) - QUARTER-FINAL v Greenvale Kangaroos at Barrymore Rd Reserve, Greenvale. 6th v 3rd. Finals have arrived! Go well boys and girl!

Under 10 - One-dayer v Maribyrnong Park St Marys 2 at Ormond Park East. Last game for the season.

SATURDAY

1st Grade - Two-dayer v Footscray ANA at Ormond Park West 1st v 8th. Five wickets needed to secure a finals position and likely top spot.

5th Grade - SEMI-FINAL - 35 overs v Maribyrnong Park-St Marys at Ormond Park East 2nd v 3rd. Win and play in a Grand Final.

6th Grade - Two-dayer v Pascoe Vale Central at Allard Park, Brunswick 5th v 4th. Elimination final. 198 runs needed to make the finals.

SUNDAY

This is our Grand Final. Hopefully we can finish strong!

7th Grade - Season over, 7th position.

GO VALLEYS!

Jonty (Brendan Rhodes)

February 24, 2020

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