Saturday Sundries | Crazy games and even crazier cameos from Cricket Shepparton’s lower tiers

This week, we pulled apart the lower grade layers to feature absurd bowling spells, crazy batting cameos and a bit of old-fashioned teamwork from Saturday’s action.

News photographer Rechelle Zammit was behind the lens for the D-grade contest between Karramomus and Euroa.

Coates Talent League

If any of Cricket Shepparton’s tiers should be put on a pedestal for pure entertainment purposes, it should be E-grade.

Kyabram’s four-wicket result over Waaia on Saturday showed exactly why the Whitelock Shield is Goulburn Valley’s answer to the European Cricket League for a swag of reasons.

First up, the Daniels.

In what we can only assume is a family full of talent, Logan, Tom, Dave and Ben Daniel combined for 140 of the Bombers’ total 185 runs, with the latter two smacking half-centuries.

Ben and Dave then showed why they’re the premier Daniels when it comes to cricket.

Both bowled brilliantly to land themselves on a hat-trick each in the second innings, but couldn’t find the elusive third ― or dismiss the man who eventually stole the show.

Kyabram’s Marc Coates won the game off his own bat, caning the ball left and right to say goodnight to Waaia, finishing on 132 not out with nine boundaries and a jaw-dropping 13 maximums.

If he didn’t give it the ‘‘are you not entertained’’ celebration after smashing a six to win the game, he sure should have.

Collett how you see it

Tatura somehow managed to defend 115 runs in the two-day format on Saturday.

Perhaps, ‘‘somehow’’ isn’t the proper phrasing ― James Collett is how.

After the Bulldogs stumped up a miserly total on day one against Numurkah it was up to their bowling brigade to put the squeeze on.

Collett was menacing with the new ball as he took the first four wickets before combining with Glenn Walker for a run-out.

Walker, a club legend, then took the reins as he removed the following pair of Blues batters to leave Numurkah stranded at 7-60, and in the blink of an eye, the score read 9-61.

The game wasn’t done yet, though.

Numurkah’s number nine, Myles Martin, refused to budge until the bitter end, Collett claiming his wicket with only 14 runs left to defend to round out the day on 6-32.

Cann Kearney do it?

As if Pine Lodge’s B-grade game versus Shepparton United wasn’t insane enough on day one (see, a seven-for and two hat-tricks), the Lodgers kept their winning streak alive through the industry of a hard-hitting opener and a dazzling bowler on Saturday.

Hayden Cann carried his bat for an even 100 not out off 87 balls, aiding Pine Lodge to 3-146 before declaring.

Needing 202 runs to win, United made good headway towards chasing down the total until Lodgers bowler Ryan Kearney got into his groove.

Kearney razed the host’s order with a searing 6-41 spell which stopped United 62 runs short of the total, putting an end to the craziest game of local cricket this season.

No ‘I’ in team

On Saturday, Northerners’ C-grade exemplified the notion that ‘‘teamwork makes the dream work’’.

The Jets worked in tandem to claim a team hat-trick in the first innings against Invergordon, rupturing any momentum the Eagles had at the back end.

Leigh Miles clean bowled Edward Kelly and Daniel Bagley in two balls before Casey Brown walked in the next over for a diamond duck ― run out without facing a ball.

Four deliveries later, Jesse Caldera became the fifth scoreless victim to have Invergordon all out for 108, slumped in a heap after losing an astonishing 6-2.

That’s what you call turning the tide.

Tons of runs

What’s the best way to demoralise the opposition?

Old Students’ D-grade side had a pretty good go at it against Northerners by plastering close to 300 runs for the Jets to chase down in 40 overs.

Ryan Boswell (106) and Jason Wild (101 not out) were the instigators, blasting brave tons, while Spencer Dickins (47) was no slouch by any means.

Students rounded out on 5-298, with the trio whacking 24 fours and 14 sixes between it.

Northerners gave it the old college try on the chase, but couldn’t tick along at the required run rate of 7.5 an over, falling 98 runs short of the target.