Jordy Graham stepped up when Jan Juc needed him most to deliver a knockout marathon bowling performance against Drysdale.
The naggingly accurate left-arm seamer took 7/47 from 27.4 overs against Drysdale to lead the Sharks to their third Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association A1 Grade win.
Defending its day one total of 159 all out, Jan Juc bowled Drysdale out for 111.
“Once I stop, I’m probably not starting again,” Graham said of his marathon bowling effort.
“It got to a point where I had a little bit of a rhythm up and me, Turtle (Nick Hyden) and Buzz (Peter Buszard) spoke about it and (they) just said, ‘look, you just keep going from this end and we’ll rotate it from the other end’.”
At 32, Graham is far from a veteran, but Jan Juc’s attack is young and he found willing support from Oscar Crocker, Joel Powers and Elijah Falconer.
“He’s (Crocker) been massive for us,” Graham said.
“He’s only 21-years-old and when he gets into a rhythm, he sends him down with a pretty good clip. His opening spell yesterday probably allowed me to get into a groove.
“Joel is another medium pacer, just turned 18. He’s another kid that’s got a pretty good future.
“Elijah’s only 16 maybe. We’ve got a pretty young group really.”
Ben Spencer gave Jan Juc a late scare with 49 not out from 53 balls, but he ran out of partners after coming in at No 9.
“He did it to us last year,” Graham said.
“Coming in at number eight or nine, he might have got 60-odd last year doing the exact same thing. He hits a pretty long ball.
“There was certainly a point there where he played it pretty well, milking the strike and targeting that short boundary at Jan Juc.
“They had about 50 runs (to make) and I said to Buzz, ‘mate, one or two more big overs from him and that’s game on here’.”
The win moved the Sharks into fourth spot on the ladder and they face Inverleigh before the mid-season break.
“They’re a pretty solid side – pretty dangerous on their home deck,” Graham said.
“We obviously want to win that and set ourselves up at Christmas. They’ve got some pretty dangerous players and they’re a pretty well-rounded unit.
“Platty (Lachlan Platt), the Collins boys (Will and Henry) and Danny Midolo – we always seem to have a good game against them.”
INVERLEIGH is off the mark with a much-needed win against Anglesea.
Resuming at a comfortable 0/29, Anglesea was 1/61 in pursuit of 166 for victory, but lost 9/46.
Austin Haygarth (3/21), Hamish Flett (2/20), Murphy Walker (2/21) and Daniel Midolo (2/31) bowled superbly and got Inverleigh its first win for the season.
BARWON Heads easily accounted for Armstrong Creek, losing just two wickets chasing 190 for victory.
Max Melzer was unbeaten on 74 while Matthew Bode (34) and Daniel Donaldson (29 not out) helped the Seagulls stay unbeaten.
PLAY between Queenscliff and Barrabool began late and meandered through to a tame draw with the Bulls 3/67 in reply to Queenscliff’s 177. Tom Kidd sent down 22 overs for the impressive figures of 2/23.
