Sitting on top of the ladder after a flawless start to the year, the 1s aim to improve their record to 3-0 as they come up against the exotic felines from Eildon Park at home. A bowling display for the ages which reduced Ferntree Gully to a mere 73 will have this impressive unit full of confidence, led by long-levered recruit Todd Burley who claimed a devastating 4/11 and was well supported by the evergreen Adam Wild with 2/13 from his allocated overs. Both batsmen and bowlers will need to be at their respective bests to get the chocolates against the Wildcats, with skipper Pete Dunlop looking to lead from the front tactically and with willow in hand, his eloquent use of language guaranteed to be a feature of the match. Hopefully these falcons can maintain their strong momentum and hang onto top spot.

The 2^nd XI opened their account for the season in unique circumstances against Mountain Gate last weekend, with the association ruling in favour of the home team following several days of detailed analysis of the books which bore a striking resemblance to a dog’s breakfast. A questionable public vote of confidence from a certain Mountain Gate supporter proved to be hoodoo for our scaly opponents, as the cheque of victory was rejected by a teller at an unnamed banking branch in the Mountain Gate shopping complex. Turning our attention to Saturday afternoon, Google Maps will be under a great deal of pressure as the boys attempt to navigate their way to Olinda Reserve to take on the Swans with the red ball. Vests will be compulsory as wintery conditions are expected, while rags will be a necessity for the long list of tweakers as precipitation is sure to be prevalent being so far up the mountain. ‘Fit’ Withers will be searching for his first wicket after a lean start to the season, while Lachie Stuckey will be hoping to blast his way back into form as he returns to the top of the order. Hopefully the 2s can take home the points in more convincing fashion than last week.

The 3^rd XI powerhouse will be keen to extend their winning streak to 3 this round as they take on Olinda on the superb surface of the bottom oval after dominating the first 2 games of the season. Skipper Andrew Potts returns from the land of the long white cloud on a high after a colossal session in the airport lounge and will open with Rhys Marget, who was spotted at Albert Park Lake during the week attempting to take a selfie with a sizeable swan following an illustrious knock of 106 against Mountain Gate. Dylan Wylde will be intent on launching some bombs into orbit to propel himself back into the 2s and more importantly into the lead of the sixes comp. Josh Curnow was beaming ear to ear after claiming an impressive 3/24 against the Gators, while speed demon Anthony ‘Nibwich’ Jongen returned 3/22 for hitting the H.V. Jones synthetic hard for 8 overs. A win here sees the lads sitting comfortably in first.

Following an inspirational comeback victory against Monbulk last Saturday, the Crookie monster’s men lead the Division 6 pack heading into round 3 against the Sharks at Fairpark Reserve. Scott Christiansen and Ashley Thompson were amongst the runs and red ink in their comeback games, notching 64* and 36* apiece. Homeowners around the Fairpark area have already begun evacuating their homes after news has filtered through that the big South African will be taking guard on the miniscule back oval and will no doubt be looking to improve upon his tally of just one maximum last week. The familiar face of 4^th XI incumbent Deepak Puri will also be looking to punish the leather to all parts after missing out in the first two games. Let’s hope this experienced side can extend the gap between themselves and second. 

Gez