Sport
20 February, 2025
Finals within sight
NOORAT Terang Lions Cricket Club has the end of the home and away season, and finals, in sight.
Wins were recorded by the club’s firsts and thirds last weekend.
At home on the Terang Turf, Koroit resumed at 2-12 in their run chase of 216.
Gus Bourke got an early through and went on to take 4-34 from 20 overs.
Tyson Hay fought back in his second spell to take two late wickets, including the final wicket for match, for figures of 3-28 from 13.1 overs.
Isaac Kenna bowled a great eight overs, frequently beating the bat to finish with 1-9.
Tim Delaney, with his left arm spin, reaped the benefits of control and turn to finish with 2-11 from seven.
Koroit was dismissed in the 58th over for 122.
Tim Keane continues to defy his age, taking two good catches in the slips, while keeper Luke Kenna also held two catches.
The Lions were going to start their second innings when a shower went through and both teams decided to end the day early.
This weekend they return to the one-day format when they take on Merrivale at their home ground.
Selectors will have a tough job fitting 14 players into 12 spots should everyone be available as they have three games left and sit in top spot to finalise the makeup of the team for a tilt at the flag.
The seconds were to play Nestles at the Reid Oval, however the game was shifted next door to the Walter Oval turf.
The home side batted on an extremely slow ground and were kept to 4-129 off 45 overs with only three boundaries hit.
Sam Munro 0-16 off nine overs was the most economical.
Martin Wynd captured two of the four wickets to fall for 18 off nine.
Johnathon McConnell 1-19 from nine and Brett Hunger 1-21 from nine also contributed tight spells.
Once again, the batting has been the achilles heel this season with only Dave Conheady 28 from 72 balls and Hugh Giblin 32 from 27 giving the team some hope of chasing down the target before being the last man out.
Both players managed to find the boundary three times and Hugh cleared the rope twice.
Special mention to Jack McConnell who guts out a top edge in the face to remain not out.
The Lions were dismissed for 99 off 34 overs.
Their chance of finals is still mathematically possible being one win out, however there are only two games remaining.
This weekend they will be at home on the Terang Turf wicket against North Warrnambool.
The thirds produced a much better batting performance and were victorious by 76 runs.
Playing Port Fairy at Noorat they batted first, with five players reaching double figures.
John Clarke produced his highest score of the season 36 from 62 balls with six boundaries and in the process bought up his 3500th career run.
Mark Lillico in his appearances has continually made runs and is one of the leading run scorers for the club in this division.
Mark finished with 22 from 37. Jesse Unthank, not renowned for his batting, made 21 from just 25 balls his highest score for the club.
Eamonn O’Connor 17 and young Flynn Gleeson 16 were the other major contributors to 9-163.
Port Fairy were dismissed in the 31st over for 87.
Dean Abbott, one of the association’s leading wicket takers this season, finished with 4-18 from seven.
Sam Lillico bowled only seven balls to take 2-0.
Tom Conheady was miserly taking 2-8 from five while Eamonn O’Connor 1-11 from four was the other wicket taker (with there being one run out).
The thirds are locked into a finals spot and currently sit equal top.
They travel to Bushfield to play North Warrnambool.
The under 13s are the only junior team still playing.
They finished their two-day game against Nestles going down by 45 runs.
Nestles made 6-188 with Bradley Wallace having the best figures of 2-18.
Harry Beaton, Archer Gleeson, Riley Dumesny and Jackson Irving all took a wicket.
With the bat, Liam Kenna made 40 ret, Olie Clarke 36 and Noah Conheady 10 were the major run makers.
This weekend they will play their final game, a consolation final against Spring Creek at Noorat Saturday morning.