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Sean O'Kane leads the big Valley hitters

The big hitters come out on a big Valley weekend
Big shots were all the rage when Moonee Valley came to town on the January 17/18 weekend, but there were none bigger than Sean O'Kane (right).
Playing in the double-header First Eleven round at Ormond Park, Sean didn't get a hit on the Saturday against Seabrook, but really cut loose against Flemington on the Sunday, slamming 113.
But Sean wasn't the only big hitter on the weekend, as Valley teams and players piled on some big scores.
Bryce Peter-Budge slammed his maiden Valley ton in the Seconds at Seabrook on the Saturday with 107, while Under 16s player Frankie Reitano made 113 in the Fifths against East Coburg. Frankie emulated the feat of older brother Joe from some five seasons earlier, when he made a ton in the Fourths while still a junior.
And the big hitting didn't end there.
Other big scores came from Raj Aiyappan, Simon Payton, newcomer Jenny Demarte, Sam Marr, Nicole McLachlan, Bede Gannon, Matt Gauci, Pat Felmingham and Jesse Felle.
The one-day rules in the Thirds denied two Valley centuries, as the game finished when we passed East Coburg's score - with Pat Felmingham 94no and Matt Gauci 93no.
Raj Aiyappan made 70 on Saturday in the Firsts, while Simon Payton made 72 batting alongside Frankie Reitano in the Fifths.
Jenny Demarte may have come down to Ormond Park on Sunday to make up numbers for the Women's Black team, but she was anything but a fill-in as her masterful knock of 74no set up a challenging total of 3/207.
But the White team was up to the challenge, and there was plenty of suspense as Skipper Sam Marr led from the front with 65 as the Chicks posted 7/210 to rein them in. Sam was well supported by Nicole McLachlan, with Nic steering the Whites home with her maiden half-century - 51no.
Our Fifths lost their game on the first weekend, but put it together on Week 2 to turn the tables, led by Bede Gannon with 73no and Joe Carroll on 44.
Jesse Felle supported Frankie and Simon in the Fifths with 52no, as we made 293 in a valiant attempt to run down East Coburg's 361.
But the weekend belonged to Sean O'Kane.
Sean didn't get a bat on the Saturday when we cleaned up Seabrook, but came in at No. 5 on the Sunday against Flemington.
His 11 sixes was only two short of our all-time Club record, and some of the shots cleared Pattison St or went most of the way to the soccer pavilion.
One of the sixes slammed into a house across the road with a mighty thud.
A Flemington bowler gave Sean a bit of lip over his free-swinging technique, and Sean replied by belting him for 24 the next over - a feat which will get Sean another mention in our Wisden.
It was Sean's third century at Moonee Valley, following on from a couple of brutal assaults in the Eighths in his debut year last season.
We had built up the weekend for an action-packed feast of cricket, and Moonee Valley didn't let us down.
The Firsts jumped clear to the top of the ladder with their two big wins, while two-out-of-two affirmed the Seconds as the runaway team in North B2.
The Thirds were untroubled to record a big win as part of their unbeaten run this season, and we had some other solid results.
But we need to ensure we keep things in perspective. Our winning ways will just help us get to where we want to be in some finals action - but the hard work starts then.

January 19, 2009

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