xxFrontPage09-0111

Our "Carlton Connection" was well to the fore at the Moonee Valley Cricket Club Melbourne Cup day function.

Three key administrators from the Carlton Cricket Club were at the function, and enjoyed themselves among the 100-odd players, family and supporters.

It's a bonus for our Club to have these connections wth a major Premier club, and ensures that any of our young guns who do well have the opportunity to further themselves.

Left to right: Tony Gleeson, Gary Schickerling and Phil "Gerry" Horner are part of the administrative group at Carlton - and also have links to Moonee Valley.

Tony is team manager of the Carlton Second Eleven. A Moonee Valley senior premiership coach, he has played around 80 games with us. Even though he's in his third season at Carlton he's still a regular visitor at Ormond Park, and played two games with us last season. Tony also coaches our Women's teams.

Phil is team manager of the Carlton Firsts. He's a past team-mate of Tony Gleeson and Paul Comino at the now-defunct Princes Hill Cricket Club, and came out of retirement last season when he joined Tony and Paul for a nostalgia game together, playing in the Moonee Valley Ninths. He's primed to add to his Valley tally this season.

Gary, a past president, secretary and committee member at Carlton and current Second Eleven scorer, takes a keen interest in what's happening at Ormond Park as he travels to and from Princes Park - and he makes sure his Premier club knows what we're doing right.

---

Sixths set the mark with new Club record score
Moonee Valley's Mighty Fighting Sixths - previously the Mighty Fighting Eighths - have posted the highest score in the 37-year history of the Club.

The record-breaking team is shown here: (L-R) Back - Frankie Reitano, Tony Villani, Norm Wright, Antony Sherer, Chris Micallef, Paul Hobbs. Middle - Dean Lawson, skipper Brett Curran, Alan Harry and Mark Madden. Front - Steven Ball and 12th man Ashley Harry.
 
Playing against Buckley Park Fourths on November 1 on the first day of a two-day game, the MFS posted an incredible 3/475 off 70 overs to set a new mark for the Club across all grades. The opening partnership of 212 between Steven Ball (77) and Dean Lawson fell just short of the Club record 231 by Peter Boulouxis and Ian Sutherland in the Seconds in 1992/93.
And Deano joins the small but illustrious band of players at Moonee Valley to hit centuries in consecutive innings. His big knock of 157 followed on from his maiden ton the previous match against Sydenham-Hillside, when he clubbed 124. And Alan Harry matched Deano ball for ball, making 155 not out.
The opening stand was pushing on towards our record stand across all wickets - the 300 posted by Darren Nagle and Pat Felmingham last season - which in turn eclipsed the previous all-wickets record of 271, which was for the second wicket by Glen Courts and David Jolley in the Firsts in 1999/00.
The Mighty Fighting Sixths beat a relatively short-lived record with their 3/475.
The previous mark was set by our Seconds against Tullamarine in 2006/07, when the Valleys piled on 6/453. The highest score for our First Eleven is 439.
In reply on Day 2 - November 8 - Buckley Park made 166 off 52 overs, with Mark Madden taking 4/9 off eight overs and Antony Sherer taking 3/56.
It's been an incredible rise for the Sixths, who played in the North West Cricket Association One Day grades two seasons ago, before moving up to the NWCA Seventh grade last season. This season we got "promoted" two grades to the NWCA Fifth grade, but still the guys are carrying all before them.