Saturday Sundries | Drink in the lower grade alphabet soup from unbeaten tons to eight for nones

In this special alphabet-themed edition, we covered some powerful pinch-hitting alongside one of the more remarkable individual bowling displays of the decade.

News photographer Rechelle Zammit was behind the lens as Shepparton Youth Club United met Numurkah in the SJ Perry Shield.

A for Absurd

Even the finest playwright would’ve had to be in fine form to bash out the script for Katandra’s win over Northerners.

It had everything: two centuries, a family bowling masterclass — you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a tooth-and-nail fought A-grade duel.

But you’d also be wrong — this was an E-grade slog fest.

Batting first, Katandra opener Harpreet Singh Gill quarterbacked the scoring responsibilities as he peeled off 117 runs (16 fours, one six) off 90 balls as the Eagles totalled 6-244.

The Jets limped along early in the chase until Scott Thorn and Mitch Willcox reached the middle, the latter blasting a clean 100 (14 fours, three sixes) to give Northerners a shout.

However, nine wickets from two Katandra families — the Shelleys and Howells — shot down the Jets 22 runs shy of a famous victory.

B for Brett

Much has been made of Tim Brett’s 8-0 against Murchison.

Sure, he is a former A-grade player who has notched nearly 300 games for Northerners throughout his career, and the Hoppers are a fairly green side.

But he also took eight wickets and conceded zero runs — that’s unheard of.

Praise has to be given to Murchison despite the rough nature of defeat, with the side elevated up a division after starting the season in E-grade.

However, the Hoppers were no match for Brett — and they’re not the only opposition the gun Northerner has put a hex on in recent years, either.

Brett’s previous best figures came during a B-grade match against Waaia in the 2019-20 season.

He finished with 7-26 that day and, while a seven-wicket haul would usually take the cake when it comes to career bests, Brett’s spellbinding display at the weekend will not be forgotten among local cricketing circles for some time.

C for Crouch

They say form is temporary, class is permanent.

Lucky for Chris Crouch he has both in spades at the moment.

The B-grade batter bashed a stunning 150 not out for Karramomus on day one of its red ball clash against Kyabram at the weekend, taking his season tally to 278 runs from five games.

He wasn’t slow about it, either.

Crouch’s triple bat raise came in just 176 balls, with 21 fours dotted among his massive stand at the crease as the Bloods put up 7-320 for Kyabram to chase.

What’s more, it nearly doubles Crouch’s previous high score with the veteran blade never making a century in 15 seasons before Saturday.

The donut cake he received at training — in the shape of 150 — was the icing on the ... you get the gist.

D for Derby Day

On November 2, Cricket Shepparton scheduled a league-wide bye for its lower divisions from grades C through E.

And while many enjoyed the afternoon off to do the lawns, hit the pub or lay a few bets on Derby Day, one game went ahead — and thank the cricketing gods it did.

Karramomus hosted Murchison on a D-grade track that must’ve resembled a highway more than a road, with 518 runs made across 80 overs of blitzkreig batting.

Jagjit Bawa’s 110 off 101 balls stood out as the Bloods posted 5-308 before the Hoppers set about scaling the mountain of runs looming in front of them.

Though they’d ultimately be frozen out at 6-210, Nick McKay’s knock of 85 and Shannon Broadbent’s 60 not out kept the fires burning in the Murchison dug out.

E for electric

They say catches win matches.

That’s probably what Kyabram’s E-grader Troy Thompson thought when he held on to a misplaced Carl Norton stroke, stopping the Euroa batter short on the cursed 99.

But in that instance, it wasn’t his catch that won the match.

Two of his teammates did instead.

Redbacks openers Marc Coates and Andrew Porch had no intention of sticking around, going the Glenn Maxwell route rather than the Damien Martyn approach.

Coates struck a 54-ball century before holing out, while Porch retired not out on 65 (off 49 balls), forging a 187-run partnership for the first wicket and helping Kyabram win the game in the 22nd over.