JASON Greer is 47 and still leaving opposition batsmen stumped.
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The Brierly-Christ Church veteran has picked up where he left off in his return to Warrnambool and District Cricket Association division one ranks in 2018-19.
The wily off-spinner claimed 5-16 in the Bulls’ twenty20 grand final win over Woodford on Sunday to take his season tally to 17 wickets.
“It’s been a bit of a surprise, at the start of the season I wasn’t expected to play division one,” he said.
“I played division two the past two years and let the younger kids have a go.
“We had a few (players) away early in the season so I had a chance again and really started to enjoy division one again.”
Greer, who won the association’s division two bowling aggregate award last season, said he wanted to remain in the top side as the Bulls vie for a two-day premiership.
“At this stage the body feels good and it helps you can field 12 players – if you’re tired you can run off after a bowl,” he said.
“All the enthusiasm of the young kids rubs off on the old blokes like me, Anthony Love and Jason Mungean, it makes me feel young.”
Greer said the Bulls’ short-form flag was reward for “seven twenty20 games where we went undefeated”.
“We’re in a good spot coming back into the two-day games,” he said.
“We’ve put ourselves in a good spot to win early games so we’re not chasing our tails.
“It’s a really balanced team and the two-day format suits us really well.”
Bowling blitz
Taylah Casson, one of three Mortlake-based cricketers in Western Waves’ under 17 female team, is making her mark at the Youth Premier League titles.
The vice captain has taken nine wickets across the Waves’ four twenty20 games in Melbourne this week.
Casson said she was happy with her start following a 0-19 spell in the Waves’ first game in Horsham in December.
“Hopefully I will take a few more wickets and maybe get a bat and make some runs as well,” she said of her hopes for the rest of the state championships.
“I haven’t been needed yet.”
The Waves have won four of their first five games, including three of four in Melbourne.
Casson said the highlight was routing North West Wizards on Tuesday.
“We bowled them out for 35 and let some people who haven’t gotten a bat have a go and they got the winning runs which was good,” she said of the nine-wicket win.
“We are a pretty good group and are fielding well. We’ve had a few run outs which have been helpful and a few batting partnerships.”
Handy asset
KILLARNEY captain Brayden Buchanan says all-rounder Daniel Jones will play a major role in the Crabs’ two-day final aspirations.
Jones has taken 15 wickets and made 338 runs for the Grassmere Cricket Association power thus far in 2018-19.
Buchanan, who led the Crabs to the twenty20 grand final against Panmure on Sunday, said Jones set the tone. “It’s good to have Daniel back for a full season rather than a game here and there,” he said.
“I’d call him the best all-round cricketer in the league. He’s huge for us and everyone else (with the ball) is contributing nicely – myself, Oscar Sanderson and Stuart Hill.”
Buchanan, who said he was “really proud of the fellas’ efforts” in their seven-wicket twenty20 grand final defeat to Panmure, said the Crabs would be challenged in the two-dayers on the run home.
“We’re back to real cricket, the two-day stuff, and it’s what we strive to win,” he said.
“We’re still improving and we’ve got Yambuk and Hawkesdale to play still and they’re two of the better sides.
“We’re not quite up to Hawkesdale’s standard yet. They always seem to make runs against us.”
Kids’ choice
GRASSMERE Cricket Association’s Glenn Mansbridge believes it’s onto a winner with its John ‘Jakes’ McDonald children’s clinic.
The event, held in conjunction with the association’s A grade twenty20 finals and now in its second year, attracted 80 kids at Killarney on Sunday.
They received handy tips from some of the region’s top cricketers and a showbag as a bonus.
WDCA team of the week
Mark Murphy (Brierly-Christ Church) 101 & 93*; Jack Rhodes (Russells Creek) 50; Weranga Bulathwala (East Warrnambool) 69; Jack Sunderland (West Warrrnambool) 50; Pubudu Fernando (East Warrnambool) 58*, 54* & 3-19; Jason Greer (Brierly-Christ Church) four games, 15 overs & 10-57; Sean Fary (Merrivale) 4-22 & 3-16; Rhys Davies (West Warrnambool) 4-17; Matt Wines (Woodford) 3-8; Josh Stapleton (Merrivale) 3-19 & 2-18; Nathan Murphy (Brierly-Christ Church) 3-15.
GCA team of the week
Braden Hotker (Grassmere) 121, 58 & 4-17; Shanaka Perumpuli (Mailors Flat) 111*; Brendan Chatfield (Killarney) 93*; Phillip Edwards (Mailors Flat) 80*; Daniel Meade (Panmure) 77; Tim Bryce (Panmure) 3-11, 55 & 38; Nathan Shand (Panmure) 5-35; Maykan Scharma (Purnim) 4-9; Jackson Hansford (Woolsthorpe) 3-12; Heaton Jarrad (Killarney) 3-20, 2-17 & 3-22; Tom Mahony (Panmure) 3-21.
SWC team of the week
Eddie Lucas (Bookaar) 89*, 33 & 2-22; Hamish Huffadine (Heytesbury) 70; Tyler Schafer (Mortlake) 41* & 1-8; Lahiru Fernando (Pomborneit) 54 & 3-5; Tharaka Sendanayake (Pomborneit) 58; Clinton Place (Pomborneit) 4-15, 2-26 & 3-31; Sam Munro (Terang) 3-17; Fraser Lucas (Bookaar) 34, 2-32 & 3-27; Shaun Moloney (Bookaar) 2-32, 2-4 & 2-19; Steven O’Neill (Pomborneit) 3-25; Noah Ackerley (Heytesbury) 2-4.
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