Sport
21 November, 2024
Milestones for Lions
DESPITE player resources being stretched, the Noorat Terang Cricket Club Lions celebrated victories in the firsts and thirds last weekend.
This weekend the Lions will celebrate even more milestones, with Dave Conheady playing his 250th (if anyone has any Noorat scorebooks from the 1990s the club would welcome access to them), Dean Abbott his 150th and Bailey Kavenagh his 100th.
The firsts continued their two-day game against Warrnambool at Walter Oval.
Defending a total of 248 the Lions’ opening bowlers had the home side in early trouble at 2-4.
Tyson Hay’s excellent bowling captured three of the first four wickets to finish with the best figures of 3-17 from seven overs.
Second change bowlers Isaac Kenna 2-3 from six and Gus Bourke 1-5 from six maintained the pressure as Warrnambool struggled to make runs.
Tim Keane’s spin took 1-9 from five overs with his wicket reducing Warrnambool to 9-33.
The final wicket proved tough to come by and it wasn’t until Gus Bourke’s side-on throw at the stumps ended the innings at 63.
Sam Munro’s 4.5 overs yielded 1-11.
Keeper Luke Kenna did a great job behind the stumps taking three catches and a run out on a wicket that provided variable bounce.
The Lions elected to put Warrnambool back in and try for an outright win.
When an early end for stumps was called Warrnambool was 4-64.
Tyson Hay 1-8, Isaac Toombs 2-16 and Tim Keane’s 1-1 saw him achieve his 750th wicket in his 400th game.
This weekend the Lions will see a battle between the top two sides at the Terang Turf when Merrivale visit for a two-day game.
Player numbers were tight last weekend and a number of players filled in for the seconds and thirds.
The seconds played their first game on the Terang Turf hosting Port Fairy.
The Lions elected to bat first and posted a reasonable total of 7-159.
Young Max Heffernan opened the batting and top scored with 43 and he and Harry Schrama 26 had a 53 run second wicket partnership.
Ben Kenna in his first game of the season was impressive with 35 and Jack McConnell’s 25 from 21 balls was only ended by a spec catch by the bowler.
The bowling attack lacked penetration, with Martin Wynd taking 2-21 from his nine overs proving to be difficult to get away.
Dom Kenna 1-17 and Max Heffernan 1-0 were the wicket takers, with Port Fairy passing the total four wickets down for 160 in the 39th over.
Nick Kenna took a blinder of a catch at square leg and Hugh Kenna was energetic in the field.
This Saturday they travel to Purnim to play the Northern Raiders.
The thirds travelled to Port Fairy with a cobbled together side and bowled first.
Normally Ned Roberts is the keeper for the firsts, but a wrist injury saw him helping out and opening the bowling.
While wicketless he was economical with 16 coming from his eight overs.
It was the slower bowlers taking the wickets, with Eamonn O’Connor 4-15 and Dean Abbott 4-24 who starred with the ball.
Jack Kenna 1-30 and Toby Roberts 1-34 contributed to Port Fairy being dismissed in the 34th over.
Nick Roberts, also filling in, took three catches in the slips.
In reply the Lions were in huge trouble at 8-52 with Toby Roberts 12 and Pieter van Heerden the only ones to reach double figures.
Declan O’Connor came to the rescue scoring his highest ever score of 35 not out from 70 balls.
He combined with William “Punk” Bourke 19 for a record ninth wicket partnership of 38.
Ned Roberts joined Declan and the pair also added a club record for the last wicket of 53 not out to bring the Lions home and maintain their unbeaten status.
Ned scored an unbeaten 33 off 23 balls.
This weekend they return to the Noorat ground to play the North Warrnambool Eels.
This weekend also sees stalwart Dave “Dead Bat” Conheady bring up his 250th game (that the club is aware of as some on the Noorat scorebooks are missing in action).
Dave was captain of the Terang under 16 side when he started his senior cricket career with Noorat.
He has played 232 games with Noorat and 17 with the Lions, making 5380 runs at an average of 21.7 with 118 his highest score.
Dave has two centuries and 24 fifties.
Playing generally as a wicketkeeper he has taken 122 catches and four stumpings, but did have the occasional trundle and captured 13 wickets with 4-18 his best.
Dave has been heavily involved behind the scenes at both clubs and currently is one of the Woolworth’s Blasts coaches.
Dean Abbott started his career in 1989/90 at Terang before moving out to Noorat.
His career includes 29 games at Terang, 111 with Noorat and nine with the Lions.
He has scored 2789 runs at 18.3 with 132 his highest (with two centuries and 11 fifties), has taken 78 wickets at 15.3 with the best figures of 5-24, 20 catches, one stumping and three run outs round out his fielding.
Bailey Kavenagh, in his 100 games, has fulfilled many roles batting anywhere in the order, wicket keeping, bowling and being an outstanding fielder.
Bailey is currently co-coaching the under 17s.
He started his senior career in 2015/16 at Terang and played 80 games, with 19 at the Lions.
Bailey has 1160 runs averaging 14.1 with 51 his best.
His bowling is more renowned as being economical than wicket taking with 26 wickets at 24.7 with 3-13 his best.
Bailey has taken 44 catches and three run outs.
On the junior front, the under 13s two-day game against Warrnambool has been reduced to a one day game due to unavailability of players (basketball).
This game will be played at the Terang hard wicket ground on Saturday morning.
The under 15s, batting first against Warrnambool, were dismissed for 86 in the 32nd over with Flynn Gleeson making his highest score of 34no off 70 balls.
His new bat has proved effective in his recent games at this level and with the under 17s.
Hugh Kenna 17 off 35 balls was the other main contributor. Warrnambool were 0-31 at stumps.
The under 17s started a new two-day game against Port Fairy at Port Fairy on Tuesday.
The Lions batted first and ran out of batters when the eighth wicket fell at 91 off 37 overs.
Sam Lillico top scored with 31 from 74 balls and Max Heffernan contributed 16 off 27 balls.
Charlie Roberts made an early break through with Port Fairy 1-19 at stumps. This game continues next Tuesday.