FIRST GRADE

The Imperial Hotel First Grade competition saw a traditional grudge match between PCH and Creeks play out at Cook 4.

PCH won the toss and elected to bat, but were soon in a spot of bother at 3/17. I Corkin got a reasonable start only to be dismissed on 21 and top score, with Hamid Arain (4/28) and Warren Gillespie (3/11) making short work of the Heights order.

PCH were soon bowled out for 95, leaving Creeks a modest target for victory.

Creeks were always in control of the match, and despite losing two early wickets, Graham Unicomb (30 not out) and Gavin Wake (52 not out) allowed Creeks to stroll past the target in the 24th over, finishing at 2/97.

At Howe Park, picturesque conditions couldn’t halt the dreary affair played out on-field, with Glendon suffering an embarrassing defeat at the hands of JPC.

Jake Daniels was the only batsman to make a start, topping with 17, with Glendon bowled out for 72.

Josh Rinkin (4/28) and Ian Hipwell (4/42) were the main wicket takers. For JPC, an in-form Rodney Luxford blasted 52 with Dean Russell supporting on 19 not out to see JPC record the victory at 1/78.

With two-day cricket fast approaching, some passers-by were quoted as saying “Glendon may need three bats just to avoid the follow on”.

SECOND GRADE

IN the Ray White 2nd Grade competition Valley Gold took on a struggling JPC outfit, and coasted along to make 185.

Nathan Bagnall top scored on 63, with John Shaw making 54 not out.

In reply S Dunstan topped with 23, but with Martin Goadsby taking 3/13 and John Shaw (3/7), JPC were always going to find 185 a tough target to reach. They were eventually bowled out for only 68.

AT Cook 4, Glendon took on the Valley Brown powerhouse and found it hard to restrict the Brown batsmen. Valley Brown made a massive 9/203, with Liam Storey (43), Troy Barnett (34) and Glen Russell (32 not out) the main batsmen. One glimmer of hope for the Glendon was former first-grade regular Greg Thrift taking 5/30 late in the innings.

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