MARONG cemented its place in the Emu Valley Cricket Association top-four on Saturday with a comprehensive 151-run win over Axe Creek at Malone Park.
In a game that was reduced to a one-day match after no play was possible the previous week because of a wet outfield, the Panthers answered Axe Creek’s 9-129 with a massive 6-280 off their 40 overs.
The stars with the bat for Marong were Richard Murphy and opener Scott Ross.
Murphy top-scored with 101, while Ross scored 84.
It was Ross’ third score of 80 or more in his past six innings and he now has 433 runs for the season.
The pair shared in a 86-run partnership for the third wicket as Marong won its fifth game of the season.
Captain Travis Nolan toiled hard for Axe Creek, taking 4-56 off eight overs.
Earlier after winning the toss and batting, Jason Carbone was the best of the batsmen for Axe Creek with 31 in the Tigers’ 129.
Dean Cosgriff (3-42) was Marong’s leading wicket-taker and now has 22 for the season, but Jeremy Ross returned the most economical figures of 2-14 off eight overs.
● United secured outright points before tea against Sedgwick at Catholic College.
The Tigers declared at the start of play at 2-151 in reply to Sedgwick’s meagre 68.
And the Rams didn’t fare much better in their second innings when they were bowled out for 89 in 32.2 overs, although, they did bat two players short.
Sedgwick had been 2-67, before losing its last six wickets for 22 runs, with the evergreen Scott McKenzie (27) and Andrew Sharpe (24) the only players to make more than 20 in a disappointing day.
No United bowling details were supplied.
The Tigers then took 1.2 overs to score the seven runs they needed for maximum points as they ended their two-game losing streak in style.
● Golden Gully fell seven runs short against Maiden Gully.
Resuming at 5-72 in reply to Maiden Gully’s 125, Golden Gully was bowled out for 118 as Mark Roberts (4-30) and David Becker (4-57) took four wickets each for Maiden Gully.
Shaun Burchell did his best to get Golden Gully over the line, finishing unbeaten on 33 at No.7.
Both sides had second innings.
Maiden Gully made 102 off 42.3 overs in its second dig, with the side at one stage crashing to 6-45.
In-form Golden Gully bowler Shaun O’Shea claimed 4-47 to finish with match figures of 11-103.
Golden Gully was 3-57 off seven overs at stumps.
● Mandurang’s score of 395 proved far too many for Emu Creek, which was bowled out in reply for 222 at Tannery Lane.
Emu Creek captain Simon Marwood led from the front, scoring 94 after starting his innings with his side 4-56.
Chasing such a mammoth total, Emu Creek was always going to need contributions all the way down the order.
But it didn’t happen as only Marwood and Rod McArthur (39) made more than 30.
The loss was Emu Creek’s fourth in a row.
Michael Healy (3-37) and opener Kris Raukola (3-73) took three wickets each for Mandurang.
● Reigning premier Spring Gully kept its finals hopes alive with a win over West Bendigo at home.
The Redbacks resumed at 1-15 in reply to the Crows’ 284, but fell 64 runs short as they were bowled out for 220.
Ken Bell (41), Dion Prange (40) and Joel Purdy (32) all got starts for West Bendigo, which at one stage in its innings fell from 4-149 to 9-182.
Geoff West (4-44) and Peter Stepien (3-78) bowled well for Spring Gully, which has now won two of its past three games after going winless for the first six rounds.
The Crows batted for 16 overs in their second innings, making a quickfire 5-92, led by 39 not out from Ricky Mannix.
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