Valley's amazing 300-run stand

Pat Felmingham and Darren "Spud" Nagle blitzed the record for the highest partnership at the Moonee Valley Cricket Club on November 18 when they put on an amazing 300-run stand in the Second Eleven.

The second wicket partnership at Ormond Park enabled Moonee Valley to post an imposing 7/403 against Seabrook, with Pat (right) contributing 159 and Spud 139.

The partnership eclipses the previous top second wicket stand in the Second Eleven of 180, set by Jim Polonidis and Mark Gauci in 2001/02.

It's also a new high for all grades, topping the 271 for the second wicket in the First Eleven, set by Glen Courts and Dave Jolley in 1999/2000.

Pat’s 159 is the eighth-highest score in the Club’s history, and one of only 14 scores from all grades which have topped 150.

And it really was a case of the old and new with the 300-run stand.

Darren (left), a life member who stood down as president at the end of last season after 13 years in the job, was playing his 243rd Club game. By contrast, Pat was playing just his ninth.

Darren, who has played virtually all his career in the First Eleven, stepped back to the Twos this season as part of a succession plan to give younger players the chance to move up the grades. Along with a game in the one-day Eights when he was unavailable for both days of a two-day game, Darren’s 139 took him to 324 runs for the season already, at an amazing average of 81.

The run feast has also taken him past 4000 runs – lifting Spud into exalted company, where only eight other Moonee Valley players have ever gone.

Pat, who turned 18 last month, has also become a regular First Eleven player in his short time at the Club, after being recruited from Strathmore.

Combining his cricket with his VCE exams this season has been a testing task, and Pat dropped back to the Seconds this game to re-establish his form.

With his last exam being held last week, Saturday was the chance for Pat to focus solely on the cricket, and to shake out the cobwebs.

And did he ever achieve that aim!

The 7/403 is the highest score which has been posted at the Ormond Park turf since we moved to the Victorian Turf Cricket Association for the 2002/03 season, and the highest score either for or against Moonee Valley in the turf grades in that time.

It eclipsed the previous highest VTCA turf scores at the ground of 6/344, scored by Greenvale last round, and 7/338, scored by the Kingsville Baptists First Eleven last season.

Moonee Valley’s previous highest VTCA turf score at home was our 317 for the Firsts in 2002/03, led by a Mick Harvey 145. We steamrolled Aberfeldie Park for just 77.

Saturday’s score fell just short of the highest-ever score for our Second Eleven – when Mark Gauci with 155 bank rolled a score of 5/420 against East Coburg in the Moreland Moonee Valley Cricket Association B Turf grade in 2001/02.

Pat’s magnificent knock is also testament to the youth policy which Moonee Valley is prepared to follow.

Joining him in the team were teenagers Joshua Maginness, up for his first game in the Seconds, 15yo Joe Van Loon, co-captain of the Under 16s and already an accomplished senior player, and Sam Wellard.

And when we’ve got wise heads like Darren Nagle, Sandro Capocchi and Ian Denny to help guide the way, the progress of our developing young players is in good hands.

20/11/06