Sharks set up chase after Niven’s stunning six wickets
Round six saw Phillip Island’s A grade head away to face Inverloch in the first two-day match of the season.
The Sharks welcomed another young debutant to the side, with Harry Arceo making his A1 debut, replenishing the bowling stocks which had taken a hit with some recently graduated Sharks and Heath Womersley jetting off to Bali for schoolies.
Captain Mock won the toss and elected to bowl on a freshly prepared turf wicket, making the most of week one player George ‘Bintang’ McCausland’s skillset before he too departs for the streets of Seminyak.
George and Jobe ‘Zippy’ Williams opened the bowling and were on the money right from ball one.
Jobe struck in his first over of the game, catching Invy opener Debono for a duck.
The two Island quicks continued to bowl well, putting pressure on the Inverloch batsmen who were patiently navigating the innings.
The Sharks thought they had struck again, with Jobe nicking off Inverloch’s Abeysinghe, only to be denied by a front foot no ball.
The Sharks stuck at it though, bowling and fielding well.
A bowling change saw Tom ‘Rooster’ Niven get his ginormous hands on the Kookaburra, bowling in partnership with Island spinner Kurt Lane.
Tom struck early in his spell, dismissing Abeysinghe with ‘Rous’ Epifano swallowing the catch at first slip.
This wicket saw Rhys Newman join his dad Dave at the crease for Inverloch, with the two building a patient partnership.
The two batsmen absorbed much of the Island’s good bowling.
Arceo bowled tidily on debut, joining with Lane and Niven in keeping the scoring contained.
At lunch, Inverloch were 2/75.
Afternoon session
After a disappointing afternoon tea display from the Stingrays (consisting of six watermelons and four packets of party pies) both teams got back into their work.
The Sharks continued to bowl well, but it was Tom who eventually broke the Newman’s partnership, trapping the Inverloch captain LBW.
Jobe followed suit a few overs later, dismissing Rhys Newman in a similar fashion.
Tom took another wicket in his next over, with Kohen Beaumont absorbing a catch cooly at gully.
The momentum had now swung the Island’s way, with the score 5/128.
The Rooster was at it again a few overs later, bowling a young Stingray with a yorker for his fourth wicket.
From this point on, Tom could do no wrong.
Despite cramp taking its toll on Niven earlier in the day’s play, he battled on, bringing up his brilliant five-wicket haul as another edge fell safely into the hands of Epifano at slip, the score 7/139.
When Tom sent the stumps flying again in the same over for his sixth wicket of the day, Island openers Epifano and Max Arceo started contemplating whether they would soon be padding up (much to their displeasure).
However, the Inverloch tail was able to provide valuable late runs, progressing the score from 139 to eventually being all out in the last over of the day for 185.
The remaining wickets were taken by Lane, who managed a well taken caught and bowled, and McCausland, who was especially keen to clean up the tail and board his awaiting flight to Denpasar.
Despite the late runs, the Sharks were happy with their day's play.
Much of the credit going to Tom, who achieved his career best figures of 6/50, a fantastic display of skill and perseverance from a true Island workhorse.
The Sharks were ably supported in the field with two gamer Justin Tran saving many runs, along with skipper Daniel Mock who always sets the fielding standard.
Island keeper Brodie Johnston provided continual support from behind the stumps, despite missing two stumpings and splashing a catch.
The Sharks will return to Thompson reserve this week where they will be aiming the chase down the 186 required for victory.
