Round 13 for the NMCA was played over two Saturdays on February 10 and 17.
The E-Grade Sault Shield game was contested between Kinglake and Bundoora Park’s 3rd XI at the Kinglake Memorial Oval.
Bundoora Park needed an outright win to obtain enough points to get them into a position for the possibility of playing in the finals which are only a couple of weeks away.
On the first day Kinglake won the toss and elected to bat first.
After 32.5 overs of concentrated, accurate bowling Bundoora had dismissed Kinglake for 89 runs.
Kinglake’s batmen’s scores were as follows: Alex Hybinett 0, James Edwards 10, Jason Gaffee 44, Simon Andrews 8, James Gibbs 0, Nick Stella 10, Ken Aitken 1, Lachlan Martin 1, Declan Walters 2*, Josh Green 0 and Keith Martin 0 with 13 extras.
Bundoora Park then had 37 overs to face which they used to good effect and at stumps were 3/209 giving them a lead of 120 runs.
Come the second day and Bundoora decided to continue their innings.
They batted for 16 overs and proceeded to slap the ball to all parts of the ground before declaring at 4/ 317.
This gave Kinglake a target of 228 in 54 overs to make them bat again – an unlikely prospect this season.
It was the 15th over before Alex Hybinett lost his wicket, bowled by D. Hallyburton for 3 runs having faced 41 balls in a partnership with James Edwards that produced a grand total of 8 runs. James was the next to go, 10 runs from 62 balls. 2 for 23 in the 21st over. Jason and Simon Andrews then helped the total to grow to 63 before Jason was caught in the 40th over for 36 runs from 66 balls faced. Simon was a rock standing against the storm of bowlers and had partners in James Gibbs (3 from 18 balls) Nick Stella (2 from 9) and Ken Aitken (1* from 9). At the end of the 54 overs of play prior to stumps, Simon remained 16*, having faced 118 balls from Bundoora Park’s eight bowlers.
– Bruce Stonehouse