Sport
27 February, 2025
Wins all round for Lions
THREE of the Noorat Terang Lions Cricket Club’s elder statesman showed their class on the weekend.
Combining with some up and coming younger players, this enabled all three sides to win their respective games.
The firsts played a one-day game that saw first and second on the ladder pitted against one another at Merrivale.
The Lions batted first and were in terrible trouble at 5-22 when Tim Keane joined Isaac Kenna at the crease.
This pairing has, on two previous occasions this season, batted really well together and this game was no exception.
They set a new club record against Merrivale for the sixth wicket of 74.
Isaac played very well for 35 off 86 balls and Tim 37 from 73.
This partnership then allowed Gus Bourke 29no from 36 and Ned Roberts 11 from 21 to increase the run rate and set a respectable 8-157 for the home team to chase.
Gus Bourke got the initial break through before the record-breaking batting pair continued their form with the ball.
Isaac took the next two wickets for 28 and Tim took his best figures for the season of 4-20 from their allotted nine overs.
Isaac Toombs cleaned up the tail to finish with 3-19.
Sam Munro and Liam Geary both took two catches and bowled extremely tightly to finish with miserly figures of 0-5 from five and 0-3 from four.
This weekend they return to the Terang Turf with a two-day match against Warrnambool which will be Stephen O’Connors’ 200th game.
The seconds enjoyed their second game on the Terang Turf against North Warrnambool.
The visitors elected to bat first.
Young opener Darcy Abbott got the first two wickets with the experienced Tim Delaney bowling his left arm spin taking 4-21 from nine.
Jonathon McConnell chipped in with 2-23 and Hugh Giblin 1-23.
The Lions were set 137 and Bernie Harris and Dave Conheady 38 off 67 balls with five fours batted the visitors out of the match with a best ever opening partnership against North Warrnambool of 103.
Bernie went on to make 73no off 85 balls with 10 fours.
Max Heffernan, 20no from 16 balls, brought up victory with 17 overs to spare and nine wickets in hand.
Currently sitting in 7th spot with one round to play, a victory against Port Fairy at Noorat should get them into the final six as the current fifth and sixth sides will play each other.
The thirds had a convincing win against North Warrnambool on their home deck.
The Lions bowlers routed the Eels for just 31, with Jesse Unthank 4-13 and Sam Lillico 4-14 the chief destroyers from their eight overs.
Both Flynn Gleeson and Riley Hutchins both bowled just the one over each and in the process took a wicket.
Victory was achieved in 6.3 overs for the loss of two wickets, with Gleeson 19no off 19 balls.
Dean Abbott’s 10 runs saw him bring up his 3500th career run.
Their final game will be against fourth placed Hawkesdale away.
A victory will see the two sides face each other next weekend in the semi-finals.
A loss could see them drop to second.
The under 13s finished their season with a two run loss to Spring Creek. Cricket was the winner in this game as the players had a great time, with everyone batting and bowling.
Olie Clarke and Liam Kenna both retired on 20, Noah Conheady 11ret and Braxton Sachs 14ret were those to reach double figures.
With the ball, Sonny Davis had the best figures with 2-8 with Jackson Irving and Riley Dumesny taking a wicket.