Orbost’s Cricket Club’s post-Christmas revival continued last Saturday on day one of Bairnsdale Cricket Association (BCA) round 14, with the Blues already first innings winners over a struggling Metung Swan Reach at the Swan Reach Recreation Reserve.
It’s Orbost’s fourth win for the season and third since the Christmas break, with this one likely to end in an outright victory inside the first hour of day two.
The Swans will resume in their second dig at 5/54, with a lead of just eight runs over a hungry Blues side that is keen to capitalise and climb at least one and possibly two places on the ladder by the end of home and away season on Saturday night.
The Blues won the toss and sent the Swans in to bat, and things looked promising early, with Robert Chambers (18) and Alec McPhee (19) adding 43 for the first wicket, but unfortunately the demise of Chambers quickly saw the Swans at 4/47 and 6/58, before the tail showed some resistance, led by Mark Linford who got 10 and extras, whose contribution was equal of the top scorer with 19.
Metung Swan Reach was dismissed for just 97 in the 40th over, with Nicholas Hulme (4/18), Luke Endley (2/13) and spearhead, Nick Davis (2/14) sharing the wickets.
Orbost batted with plenty of urgency, keen to get a maximum points result inside the first day’s play, if possible, but just like St Mary’s Nagle’s last round, they ran out of time.
Jayden Price (24 from 22 balls) and Mikael Hulme (50 from 46) got the Blues off to a flier, adding 50 in even time, with Price helping himself to a couple of huge maximums.
Orbost passed the Swans with just three wickets down and pushed onto 4/143 from just 21 overs before declaring and asking the Swans to bat 19 overs to stumps.
Alex Hulme (24 from 23) and the emerging Braeden Ross (30 from 19) played exciting cameos as the Blues pushed forward in search of quick runs.
Sam Tindley-Roe was the only multiple wicket taker for the Swans, picking up 2/29.
The Swans made it through to stumps, and managed to whittle away the Blues’ lead, but it came at a cost, finishing an eventful day’s play with just the five wickets in the locker, with Tindley-Roe top scoring with 24.
Young Mitchell Farley picked up his first wicket in “A” grade for Orbost, finishing the day with the impressive figures of 2/2.
In “B” grade Orbost went down to Lakes Entrance at the Orbost Recreation Reserve, but there were some positives for Blues fans.
Orbost won the toss and elected to bat and at the completion of their allocation of 40 overs, they had reached 8/108, highlighted by an impressive 32 from youngster Fletcher Kleinitz.
At 8/87 it looked like the Blues would be dismissed early but some stoic batting by veterans John Welsh (two from 31) and Chris Shanahan (14 from 47), saw Orbost bat its allotment of overs for just the second time for the season.
In reply, the Seagulls knocked the runs off in just 24 overs, for the loss of just two wickets.
The “B” grade season will come to its conclusion this Saturday with a home game against top side Bruthen at the Orbost Recreation Reserve.
The under 13 season concluded last Friday night at AJ Freeman Reserve in Paynesville, with the young Blues going down in a thriller to the Gulls.
Paynesville batted first, amassing 5/75 from its 20 overs, before a gallant effort by Orbost saw them finish at 3/73 after its allotment.
The game up for grabs right up to the final ball, with Paynesville taking bragging rights in the season finale.
