A brilliant run chase has breathed new life into Ocean Grove’s BPCA A1 Grade season.
Needing a hefty 232 against Barrabool to win its second game of the season, Ocean Grove paced its chase to perfection after openers Shaun Fankhauser and Fletcher Long set the platform.
The pair shared a 119-run stand before Long was run out for 48 from 137 deliveries and Fankhauser departed not long after for 72 off 140.
Top-order run outs, however, continue to plague the Grubbers. Paul Jubber was run out for two.
“It’s starting to become a bit of a habit for us at the moment,” captain Dan Roddis said.
“They (Barrabool) rattled through their overs so fast. That was the only real concern in my mind that we were going to run out of time. It was a good partnership and got us off to a great start.”
Suman Shrestha made 24 from 59 and Nathan Taylor 33 from 51 and at 5/196, victory was within sight.
Roddis joined Mick Thornton at the crease.
“Me and Mick have batted together in that exact situation multiple times,” Roddis said.
“We both know what we both can do. I just said to him ‘I want to finish this well before the 75th (over), we don’t want to be chasing any score off the last over if we can’.”
Roddis (30 not out off 17 balls) and Thornton (15 not out off 26) then guided the Grubbers home with 15 deliveries remaining.
On day one, leg-spinner Alex Mann took 2/27 from 15 overs and Bailey Le Maistre snared 2/57 from 24 to prevent a massive score.
“I know they made 231, but when they were none for 70 or so off 20 overs, I was thinking ‘oh, we might be chasing 290’,” Roddis said.
“But we tied them right back. So that in the bowling aspect was the biggest thing that made me happy. And then batting, our partnerships were massive.
“It was good to see us put together a good game. The last time we did that was against Queenscliff and we won.”
BARRABOOL turned the tables in B1 Grade in a high-scoring affair.
Jackson Kent made 80 of the Grubbers’ 7/249, but the Bulls chased down the total with two wickets and more than five overs to spare despite spinner Tom Kent grabbing 4/58 from 27 overs.
OCEAN GROVE tried for an outright win against St Leonards, but fell just short.
Greg Scarpa was the star with 103 as Ocean Grove declared at 8/230 from 42 overs.
St Leonards was 8/13 at stumps and then all out for 34 with maximum points appearing a formality thanks to a starring performance from William Finn, who took 7/10.
The Saints fared much better in the second dig, making it to 9/177 and just avoided outright defeat.
YOUNG gun Noah Brooks made a superb 113 in Ocean Grove’s D Grade score of 183 against Anglesea. Anglesea made 7/265 batting first.
