Bull bowled unchanged from one end during Hawkesdale’s first innings. He finished with the figures of 6/31 off 27 overs and helped restrict the reigning premiers to 116.

A painter by trade, Bull, 36, said recovery had been a struggle.

“It has been hard work getting up and down the scaffolding this week,” he said.

“There have been times I wish I only bowled two overs, not 27, I’m a bit sore.

“It was one of those days when just when we were thinking about a change in bowling, we’d get another wicket, so it just kept rolling along.”    

A fact of cricket that would, let’s be honest, surprise no one, is that the helmet was invented 100 years AFTER the abdominal guard (box).

While helmets are not yet compulsory, it is becoming rarer to see players not wearing head protection.

That wasn’t the case in February 1986 when this photo (right) of Brierly Christ Church batsman Gary McLauchlin was taken. McLauchlin was wearing a club issue baggy cap in an A reserve game against Koroit. The Bulls won the game with McLauchlin the star, making 131 in his team’s massive total of 331.

McLauchlin was dismissed lbw, bowled Sean Cole, a man well known through not only his playing, but also his umping deeds.   

Mark Murphy (Brierly Christ Church) 84

Shashan De Silva (Russells Creek) 64

Jeremy Burgess (Merrivale) 76

Callum Humphrys (Merrivale) 69

Josh Stapleton (Merrivale) 67 & 1-18

Chris Bant (Allansford) 55

Jason Perera (Port Fairy) 45 & 3-18

Mark Jones (Merrivale) 35* & 5-18

Damon Dews (Allansford) 5-7

Niahl Dwyer (Port Fairy) 5-32 & 6*

Nathan Murphy (Brierly Christ Church) 4-37

Tom Wright (Panmure) 57*

Kyle Buchanan (Killarney) 36

Daniel Jones (Killarney) 33

Brendan Chatfield (Killarney) 28

Hamish Gleeson (Yambuk) 26

Chris Lenehan (Grassmere) 36 & 3-30

Nathan Shand (Panmure) 3-28

Tane Quarrell (Wangoom) 3-26

Sam Mahony (Panmure) 4-19

Greg Bull (Purnim) 6-31

 Adam Ryan (Grassmere) 6-9

Shane Slater (Mortlake) 112

Tharaka Sendanayake (Pomborneit) 80

Wayne Ross (Ecklin) 63*

Oliver Mahncke (Mortlake) 59

Fraser Lucas (Bookaar) 57

Kevin Wines (Ecklin) 50

Sam Whytcross (Pomborneit) 50*

Clinton Place (Pomborneit) 7-9 & 26

Nick Kenna (Noorat) 4-12 & 18

Triston Gray (Mortlake) 4-23

Jake Robbins (Princetown) 4-26

Dennington's Stuart Brown has experienced a golden start to the Warrnambool and District division one season, but it's not the one he would have had in mind.

The keeper-batsman made a golden duck in the opening round against Merrivale, which prompted teammates to have a look back through the archives.

It was then discovered that Brown has in fact started the past three seasons with a golden duck.

Not great form, but at least he is consistent.

Not many times in a completed game of cricket, with 45 overs scheduled for both sides, would you find just one player, out of 20 dismissed, making a score out of the teens. 

But that was the case in the Brierly Christ Church versus Wesley-CBC division two game on the weekend. Wesley-CBC batsman Jeremy Gillies produced a game-high 22 in his team’s total of 76 all out. 

It proved to be a winning score, with the Bulls bowled out for 28 in 12.4 overs, with six ducks included. Cameron Pyke did the damage with the ball for the Beavers, taking 6/16. 

Nirranda has made a bright start to its season in division two.

After playing division one last year, the Knights have stepped back a grade. Last Saturday, they defeated Russells Creek by seven wickets.

Captain Chris Haberfield took 3/13, Jarryd Walsh had a double of 2/16 and 37 and youngster Oliver Stansfield make an unbeaten 29.

Haberfield said the win was an ideal start to the season.  

“I was really happy with the way we bowled and then how we finished off the job with the bat,” Haberfield said.

“Oliver Stansfield batted through the innings, which is impressive from a 17-year-old. We have some really good young players at the club and our aim is to be competitive and hopefully make the finals.” 

There were plenty of questions asked of a young batsman when he arrived at Dennington training last week.

The teenager, who shall remain anonymous, pulled up at the Dennington Recreation Reserve with his bumper bar in the boot of his Holden Commodore.

After some interrogating by his teammates, it turned out that he had been involved in a minor accident on the way.

He was said to have been 'really nonchalant' about it all, I guess he thinks dad will pay for it.

Despite a number of forfeits in WDCA junior grades last weekend, league officials are confident it is only an early-season stutter.

WDCA president Gordon McLeod said only one junior team, Woodford under 15s, has pulled the pin for the season.