Ocean Grove has some work to do to claw itself back into finals contention after a 35-run loss to Anglesea on Saturday October 28 in Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association A1 Grade.
The Grubbers have lost their past three games after winning in round one and face another stern test against Barrabool in round five as the two-day version begins.
Anglesea won the toss and batted first making 5/202 with Brett Venables slamming 88 off 78 balls and Simon Umbers making 50 also from 78.
Michael Thornton was the best of the bowlers with 2/21 from eight tidy overs.
Run outs again proved costly for Ocean Grove when it was its turn to bat.
Shane Van Den Nouwland and Suman Shrestha were found short of their creases as the required run rate kept creeping up.
Shaun Fankhauser played well for 37 from 44 deliveries as did Paul Jubber (37 from 48), Dan Roddis (27 from 27) and Dylan Thorley (21 from 21), but it was Venables’ 1/10 from eight immaculate overs in a player of the match performance that kept the innings in check.
Ocean Grove was all out for 167 off 38 overs.
ANGLESEA also proved too good in B1 Grade.
Ash Poulton’s 76 from 102 balls gave the Seas a solid total of 4/169.
In reply, Adam Arnold (36) and skipper David Turner (37) added 48 for the first wicket while Braden Younger was unbeaten on 24 from 29 balls, but the overs ran out and Ocean Grove was left on 7/137. It was the Grubbers’ first loss for the season.
GREG Scarpa (44) and Steve Bate (34) got Ocean Grove off to a good start against Portarlington in C Grade and a final total of 7/150 was defendable.
At 4/21 in reply, it looked like the Grubbers were headed for an easy win, but veteran Chris Dunne (77 not out) and Miles Harvey (45 not out) then shared an unbroken 130-run stand to get the Demons home with four balls to spare.
Zak Poynder did the early damage, taking 3/21 from eight overs for Ocean Grove.
IN D GRADE, Ocean Grove made 7/129 against Barwon Heads.
The Heads passed the total with eight wickets and 16 overs to spare thanks to half-centuries from Duncan Buller and Michael Bell.
