Meerlieu has won its fourth successive Bairnsdale Cricket Association match of the season, but that wasn’t the story on day two, that belonged to Paynesville import Nathan Schoultz, who made an extraordinary 184 and nearly stole the match for the Gulls.
Paynesville resumed on day two at AJ Freeman Reserve at 3/122, in chase of the Tussocks 8/303 declared, with Shoultz unbeaten on 54.
The Tussocks declared early last week, hoping to set up an outright win on day two, similar to what ladder leader, Lindenow South Glenaladale achieved last round at the same venue.
But Meerlieu didn’t bargain on Schoultz playing one of the most punishing innings played in local premier cricket in recent seasons, with plenty of debate after the match, where it stood in comparison to the Tussocks Jayanga Peiris, 126 from just 77 balls in week one.
Schoultz has made an instant impression in Bairnsdale cricket, pivotal in the Gulls victory over Orbost, where he made 72, as well as being impressive with the bat and wicket keeping gloves in two Gippsland Cricket League matches.
Paynesville’s hopes looked forlorn when Zimbabwean spinner, Connor Mitchell (3/77) and promising youngster, Des Hine (2/71) tore through the middle and lower order, the Gulls on their knees at 8/180.
But a quick-fire partnership of 96 between, Schoultz and number 10, Rhy McNaughton, off which he only scored five, got the Gulls within sight of victory, at 8/276, with only 27 needed for victory.
It just wasn’t to be McNaughton’s day, caught by Rohan Giblett off Mitchell, and in the very next over, the Schoultz massacre ended, with Jack McConachy getting his man and ending with 3/20.
Schoultz faced just 155 balls, hit 14 boundaries and 11 massive sixes, his power only matched by his clever ability to keep the strike in that ninth wicket stand that nearly stole the match.
Australian Deaf wicket keeper, Justin Morgan was behind stumps for Meerlieu, in one of the best seats in the house, and in aura of what he had witnessed.
“We’ve seen two of the great local cricket innings in successive weeks, Nathan (Schoultz) just smashed us, chanceless until he got out, maybe his innings was just better than Jay’s (Peiris), but both as good as you will see in 10 years period,” Morgan said.
Meerlieu sit inside the top four comfortably in fourth position after the first five rounds of the season, whilst Paynesville sit in ninth with the just the solitary win.
