READ MORE - Last weekend's ULCA grand final wrap
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ARNOLD wicket-keeper Phil Scholes says the credit for his superb day behind the stumps on last weekend's opening day of the Upper Loddon Cricket Association grand final deserves to go to his team-mates with the ball.
Scholes produced a headline-grabbing nine catches in Kingower's first innings last Saturday.
"It wasn't anything to do with me… the ball kept getting nicked through and I just took it," the modest Scholes said this week.
"The bowlers kept putting the ball on a good line and length and got the nicks and, hopefully, it happens again this week.
"It didn't really dawn on me until the end of the day how many catches there were."
In an innings where Kingower was bowled out for just 57, Scholes took four catches off the bowling of Cameron Dale (5-17), four off Ryan Metelmann (4-15) and one off Daniel Mason (1-16).
The only Kingower batsman not caught by Scholes was Jayden Leach (8).
Scholes' nine catches came after he spilt an early chance down leg side.
"It was all smooth sailing bar that one," Scholes said.
The opening two days of the grand final - which concludes on Saturday at Inglewood - were dominated by the bowlers.
So far 31 wickets have fallen for 392 runs from 202 overs.
The only player to have made more than 30 has been Arnold's Matt Giri - 40 in the Redbacks' first innings and 45 in the second.
With the ball, Kingower's Jayden Leach has taken a match-haul of 9-67 - 5-26 in the first innings followed by 4-41 in the second.
Kingower - playing in its 10th grand final in the past 17 years - will resume at 1-45 in its second innings on Saturday, needing another 189 runs to win back-to-back premierships for the first time.
Arnold is striving to win its first premiership since 1999.
Play on the final day gets under way at 10.30am Saturday.
David Rose (20 n.o.) and Ben Rose (19 n.o.) are the not out batsmen for Kingower.
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• Upper Loddon grand final state of play:
Arnold 1st innings - 123
Kingower 1st innings - 57
Arnold 2nd innings - 167
Kingower 2nd innings - 1-45
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