Some days in cricket, you just have to doff your cap to an opposition player.
Hoppers Crossing captain-coach Greg Kennedy saluted his Melton opponent Anthony Gale on Saturday at Hogans Road Reserve.
Gale, a visiting player, received a guard of honour before he even took centre as he donned the whites for his 400th sub-district first XI match, while the natives hosted a Pink Stumps charity day for cancer.
Gale has clearly not lost any of his hunger, making 98 not out to be the only rearguard to the Cats’ talented bowling attack.
With Melton posting 8-194, at least Gale had made a game of it; otherwise it could have been a one-sided match. Instead, the Cats’ batsmen have something to think about this Saturday and will need to work hard for the six points to confirm their passage to the finals.
“It would’ve been nice to have been able to bowl them out and get off the field a bit earlier, but Gale’s innings was just fantastic,” Kennedy told Star Weekly.
“To bat like he did against a four-man pace attack who were pretty keen not to let him do what he did, was a super innings.”
Sub-district president Jack Sheehan made an official presentation during the tea break, lauding Gale’s adherence to the spirit of cricket and his team-first approach, which was obvious in the final over when Gale had the chance to cap his innings with a ton but, as a non-striker on the penultimate ball, called his partner through for a two, keeping him in place for the last delivery.
Kennedy praised his bowlers for their disciplined efforts. While he was the leading wicket-taker, with 3-33 off 17 overs, this was a team bowling effort. Alex Wyatt was tight with 2-15 off 15 overs, including 10 maidens, while Brett Smith, Hendro Dias and Trent Said took a wicket apiece. “The fact we kept them to 194, even though they were out there all day, shows we put the ball in the right areas on a flat track.”
