Mixed results for Lions

THE Noorat Terang Lions have started 2026 with one win and one loss in the Warrnambool Moyne District Cricket Association premier division.

The Lions’ first game was the round nine match at Terang against Merrivale, who they sent in and dismissed them with the last ball of the innings for 138.

All bowlers contributed with wickets to Gus Bourke, Tyson Hay and Ryan Mottram, with Liam Geary taking 2 wickets.

The Lions’ run chase saw early wickets to be 3/40, but it was Tyson Hay’s innings that stood out with 55 off 63 balls with five fours and a six.

Unfortunately, he picked out the tallest player in the opposition on the boundary.

An unbeaten eighth wicket partnership between Bourke (25 not out) and Stephen O’Connor (8 not out) saw the team home with five overs to spare.

Ben Woodward contributed 20 off 24 balls with four boundaries.

Last Saturday’s round 10 game saw the Lions play Nestles at the Reid Oval in a day/night game.

Nestles elected to bat in the daylight and their top three batsmen dominated with the bat with two of them making half centuries.

At one stage it looked like a big score was on the cards until Gus Bourke and Liam Geary struck back late in the innings to keep Nestles to 7/200 off 45 overs.

Bourke bowled a number of good yorkers to bowl his three victims in his second spell to finish with 3/27. Geary ended up with 2/46.

In the run chase at 2/81 the Lions were on track, but the twilight period of the lights saw wickets fall with consecutive wickets falling twice without scoring and a three wicket collapse for no runs.

Young Ryan Mottram was impressive with 41 off 62 balls with five fours, his best score since joining the club.

Stephen O’Connor made 22, Geary 18 and Ben Woodward 19, with all being bowled.

Tim Keane on 10 not out ran out of partners with the side being bowled out for 143 in the 38th over.

This weekend sees the recommencement of two day games with the Lions travelling to Port Fairy.

The Lions division two and division four teams resumed last weekend.

The division two fixture was played as the curtain raiser to the day/night premier game, also playing Nestles at the Reid Oval but on a different wicket.

The Lions were strengthened by the return of co-captains Liam Venn and Martin Wynd, as well as Sam Munro and Hugh Giblin both playing their first game in this side for the season.

The team was missing openers Dave Conheady and Dom Moloney, but it looked the strongest team fielded for the season.

Batting first the Lions made 8/162 on the back of a 66 run second wicket partnership between Venn (35 from 66 balls with five fours) and Munro (30 from 57 with three fours).

The innings was bookended with an unbeaten 34 run partnership between Brett Hunger (28 not out off 35 balls with four fours) and Darcy Abbott (9 not out).

Giblin looked good in his first hit for the season with 18 and Lachlan Primmer showed signs of his promise with 13.

In reply Nestles were dismissed for 122 in the 44th over.

Wynd’s slow bowling contributed 4/23 with Giblin’s pace too much for the lower order, taking 2/8.

This Saturday the division two Lions return to Warrnambool to play Warrnambool at the Walter Oval.

In division four, Noorat Terang played a young and energetic Koroit at Noorat.

Batting first, the Lions never recovered from 4/18, and were bowled out for 101 in the 32nd over.

The highlight of the innings was the 38 run sixth wicket partnership between Tom Conheady who made 31 and John Clarke who made 25.

Imran Javed was the only other batsman to reach double figures with 11.

Koroit achieved the total in the 31st over five wickets down.

Conheady took 2/26 off his eight overs and Leigh McIntosh 2/8.

The division four Lions have the bye this weekend.

The under 17 Lions started back on Tuesday evening against second placed North Warrnambool at Noorat.

The visitors batted first and made 6/248 off their 45 overs.

Charlie Roberts was the only multiple wicket taker with 2/32, while Lachlan Primmer and Lucia Clarke both bowled economical spells, going at less than 3 runs an over.

The Lions will attempt to chase down the total when it’s their turn to bat this Tuesday.