Saturday Sundries are all the extra highlights from the weekend’s lower grade cricket — from the top run-scorer to the best bowling figures and anything else of interest from across the district’s grounds.

To make sure we don’t miss any classic moments, why not message Shepparton News Sport on social media or email us at sport@sheppnews.com.au

B-grade action once again dipped its toes into the two-day realm, while we witnessed some ripping individual efforts across the grounds on a bumper weekend. Who could possibly be the weekend’s MVP?

News photographer Megan Fisher was behind the lens for day one of the Clyde Young Shield affair between Northerners and Old Students.

A bit of Dash to crash and bash

The Whitelock Shield is our first destination this week as Old Students took on Mooroopna, where the Cats ran into a buzzsaw on home soil.

Batting first in the round seven match-up, Mooroopna made a perfectly solid start with opener Michael Roach providing fireworks left and right — his 10 fours going a long way towards providing the foundation before his departure on 68.

The problem, frankly, was right in front of his eyes for most of the innings as Students bowler Debashis Dash went about claiming the headlines for himself, Roach having to watch partner after partner dissipate at his hands.

Eight mercurial overs yielded seven poles for Dash, saving the best for second last as he made Roach his sixth victim before sealing the deal moments later to hand the Students a gettable target of 148.

Only three batters were required to chase it down as Nigel Roberts’ unbeaten half-century made more than sure of it, with Dash’s antics a clear standout.

We have to go Deep-er

Up a rung we go, next landing at the SJ Perry meeting between Old Students and Shepparton Youth Club United in a more high-scoring clash.

A large part of why was the wandering willow of all-rounder Kuldeep Achint, who had himself a fair old day out for the combine.

Mashing his way to automatic runs on no fewer than 16 occasions, you could hardly blame him for racking up 78 of his 100 runs through boundaries — or anyone with the red-hot instinct to do so.

Eventually caught and bowled right on his century mark, the damage was well and truly done as Achint and his strike rate of almost 200 propelled the boys in blue to an impressive 232.

Like in E-grade, the Students had second crack with the ball and wanted to make it count despite the efforts of Achint, who restricted skipper Ryan Boswell and Keith Marr to ducks and added beautifully to his century with a pair of scalps.

The home side at Kialla Park Reserve powered on around that display, riding bat-raising knocks from Dean Johnson and Lewis Boswell to set up a genuine contest nonetheless.

The Students ultimately fell eight runs short with Achint’s scintillating all-round display a massive factor and more than deserving of three votes.

Running up that Hill

One of Numurkah’s finest may well have made a deal with God in producing this shift.

Up north at Waaia for the first half of a Clyde Young Shield two-dayer, the Blues allowed their hosts to set the tone, but it started to look like a trap before long.

The run rate may never have been truly pulsating, but the Bombers would have been moderately satisfied reaching double figures five down despite their main point of resistance in opener Isaac Chandler having already returned to the sheds.

Boy, did Liam Gledhill ever change the mood in a hurry.

The long-tenured Blue laid waste to what remained of Waaia’s offence quicker than you could have comprehended it even if you bore witness, producing a devastating hat-trick in the 49th over capped by two consecutive LBW calls — one of which trapped captain Josh O’Dwyer, no less.

He wasn’t done there, positioning himself for a potential second hat-trick with two more back-to-back dismissals in his next over for dazzling final figures of 7-14, only denied by the fact Waaia was bowled out for 112 at that moment.

This was no one-trick — perhaps seven-trick — pony, though, with Gledhill eager to set up one of the great single-day performances you’ll see anywhere this season.

Though Numurkah lost a few men along the way in what shapes as a rather routine run chase, Gledhill has anchored the innings brilliantly to this point with an unbeaten 44 featuring seven fours and a maximum.

They won’t forget this one anytime soon and he’s not even finished yet.

I can see Clurey now

Sometimes, you never know whose name you’ll see roaming the PlayHQ teamsheets across Cricket Shepparton’s clubs.

Opening the batting for Invergordon in a Jim McGregor Shield encounter with Karramomus appeared to be none other than former Port Adelaide defender and Katamatite export Tom Clurey.

Clurey, who played 124 AFL games for the Power after joining from his hometown Picola District Football League outfit, recently left the fold after not making a senior appearance this season.

Once hailed as the best defender in the league by South Australian mastheads, Clurey unfortunately couldn’t put his much-vaunted endurance to the best use with just one run to his name.

He made a winning start with the ball, however, removing the dangerous Inderbirpal Singh during his two overs; we’ll see how he’s deployed going forward, hoping simply that this wasn’t a one-off contribution.

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Friday, 8th December 2023

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