Paynesville has had a fairytale start to its latest Bairnsdale Cricket Association (BCA) “A” competition sojourn, scoring a dramatic one-wicket victory over Orbost in round two action last Saturday at the Orbost Recreation Reserve.
The Gulls became part of the competition midway through last week, ironically after Orbost withdrew its “A” reserve team, which caused a dramatic domino effect, which sees the BCA competition become just three grades with two extra teams in the “A” grade division.
Both Metung Swan Reach and Paynesville are delighted to be elevated and for the Gulls it didn’t take them long to get on the board in a high-scoring match, played on a good wicket with a magnificent outfield, both a credit to the curators.
Paynesville won the toss and sent the Blues in and despite being bowled out in the 43rd over, they had amassed an impressive total of 170, which most people would have suspected would have been enough to beat the
Gulls, but no one told them that.
The Blues got solid contributions with the bat from Jayden Price (31) and Luke Endley (62), while Alex Hulme (18) and skipper Curtley Farley (16) both got out when looking like they were set.
Price was dynamic at the top of the order, his runs coming from just 28 balls, including five boundaries and a six, dismissed when he looked set to go big.
Endley again impressed in the middle order as he did on a number of occasions last season, working hard and turning over the strike, striking eight boundaries and a major in his 72-ball stay at the crease.
He batted particularly well with the tail, one of the reasons the Blues were able to reach 170.
The major wicket takers for Paynesville were veteran Jake Keown (3/39), Mitchell Wilmott (2/23) and import Luke Bond (2/30).
Another import Nathan Schoultz was sensational behind the stumps, finishing with two catches and as many stumpings.
The Gulls were in trouble early in the run chance at 3/47, despite scoring at a more than respectable run rate.
Schoultz (72) and Bond (22) combined for a vital partnership when a collapse looked
likely, taking the score to 86 before Bond departed off the bowling of Mikael Hulme (2/25).
The game looked set for an early finish at 6-110, but Schoultz and the Paynesville tail dug deep, hoping to cap off a big week for the club with an unlikely victory.
Mitchell Wilmott (15) and Schoultz took the score to 148 before the latter was bowled by Nicholas Hulme (2/34) and shortly after when Keown was fired out leg before wicket, off the bowling of Nick Davis (2/35) the Gulls were 8/157 with plenty of work still to be done.
Schoultz continued to prosper. Facing 72 balls he hit five boundaries and a major in a match-winning innings and just as he looked to be guiding his side to victory, the unthinkable happened, he holed out to mid on with the scores all tied up.
Skipper Campbell Holland came to the crease and survived a confident leg before wicket appeal, with tension at the ground high.
But in the next over, Rhy McNaughton beat extra cover and the batsmen scampered through for the most important run of the day, much to the excitement of the Paynesville players.
Holland was delighted with the win, labelling it a great result for a lot people who have worked hard at the club.
“It’s a great win by us, they had eight premiership players out there, it was a long off season but I think that has vindicated our decision to push for “A” grade,” Holland said.
Holland thinks his team has plenty of scope for improvement.
“I think it may take a while for all our players to adapt to the higher standard, you can get into some bad habits in the lower grades, but we showed today that we can be more than competitive,” Holland said.
