YARRAVILLE Club is into yet another Victorian Turf Cricket Association Senior Division grand final after stunning competition frontrunner Greenvale on semi-final weekend. The Clubbers will face South Caulfield – who got past Airport West St Christopher’ – in the decider due to commence this weekend. Yarraville Club barely scraped into the final four and went into the semi-final as a somewhat heavy underdog. However, the Clubbers’ bowling attack took advantage of the soft wicket at Greenvale’s Section Road on Saturday to dismiss the host for 139 in less than 70 overs. Two late Yarraville Club wickets fell late on Saturday but when play resumed on Sunday, the Clubbers again showed Greenvale – its semi-final nemesis of 12 months ago – just how it’s done. With in-form opener Justin Baker leading from the front with an unbeaten 68 and Michael O’Keefe chipping in with 38 of his own, Yarraville Club surged home to reach its target of 140 in 53 and a half overs with four wickets still in hand. The final partnership between Baker and O’Keefe tacked on the last 65 runs of the day, while on Saturday Emmett Bronca was the star with the ball, claiming five wickets and 10 maidens from his 24 overs.
FOR the last time this season, riders came to Hoppers Crossing to contest the Footscray Cycling Club’s criteriums held at the VU Sport/FCC Criterium Track – with one more round to be held next Sunday at Drake Boulevard in Altona to mark the end of a great summer of crit racing. The A Grade race was dominated by a two-man breakaway from the middle of the race, with 42-year-old Ascot Vale resident Miles DaCosta taking a strong win in what has been a stellar season for the A Grade breakaway specialist. DaCosta knew he was going to try for the break, but the trick was who to take up the road. “It started off a little reserved, with people shutting down every break,” he said. “When the bunch brought back Trevor Hutchings’ break, I attacked on the hill and put it into the gutter. I saw Ben O’Leary coming so I waited until he got to me and then we just pulled turns all the way till the end. Every time the bunch surged, we put in a couple of hard turns to answer theirs. You cannot ask for a better guy to be in a break with. Ben just worked hard and at the end we had an unspoken gentlemen’s agreement.” DaCosta took the win from O’Leary, with Travis Small holding off the bunch after attacking with three to go to stay clear for third place.
THE B Grade race was an evenly matched affair, with riders throwing in a multitude of attacks, but each and every attack was shut down almost before they could form by the hard-chasing bunch. But a lack of motivation and foxing saw 41-year-old Newport resident Antonio Marino escape the bunch and take the win, at one time having a lead of three-quarters of a lap. “My legs were feeling a bit sore this week, I didn’t think I would go too well today,” he said. “But, I fired up. When I went I didn’t think I would be allowed to stay away, so I was a little surprised to see my lead. Then I just got into my rhythm and just kept moving along and keeping an eye on the gap and once it started to get to three quarters of a lap I was confident I could keep it going till the end.” Marino finished well clear of the bunch, which pretty much gave up and just jockeyed for the sprint for the last 15 minutes. Brunswick CC’s Tim Feltham took out the bunch sprint and second, closely followed by Arron Liley.
