WENDOUREE'S Cole Roscholler has started where he finished season 2020-21 with an opening round century in a shortened opening round fixture against Golden Point.
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Roscholler's 113 off 112 balls and Cleary Medal winner Sam Miller (72 off 70) were the lynch pins of the Wendouree innings which saw their team amass 3-254 from 44 overs when rain brought an end to the innings.
It took until the seventh bowler used by Golden Point, Josh Pegg, to finally unlock the opening partnership when Miller departed with the score on 151, but Roscholler continued on, opening the season in fine style before Pegg got him hitting out late.
In reply, Golden Point never really got into its stride with Wendouree opening bowler Tom Batters on debut and opening partner Jackson Sleep ripping the heart out of the batting line-up. From 1-21, Point lost 5-1 in a stunning spell, eventually falling to 9-138 after 36 overs when the Duckworth-Lewis system kicked into play.
Speaking of Duckworth-Lewis, it had a big effect on the game played between Ballarat-Redan and Naploeons-Sebastopol, with Naps-Sebas being forced to chase 40 more runs that the opposition scored.
Bowling first, Naps-Sebas managed to hold the hosts to 4-146 from 41.3 overs when the innings had to be halted for rain. Opener Zac Jenkins held the innings together with 65.
In reply, Naps-Sebas lost three early wickets before Sajith Dissanayaka (57) and Viraj Pushpakumara (74no) brought the visitors back into the contest. Naps-Sebas eventually reached 5-186 from its 41 overs, enough for the points.
The return of Nathan Yates to first grade wasn't enough to get Mount Clear across the line against North Ballarat.
Leigh Lorenzen's 89 propelled North to 6-238 after 46 overs. In response, Mount Clear looked to be some sort of chance when Matt Goonan and Tom Le Lievre took the score to 1-92, but a calamitous run out of Goonan for 50 was the start of the end. Yates made 18 on his return, but Mount Clear were all out for 200.
Buninyong and East Ballarat played a low scoring match with Buninyong all out for 149, but East were no match, all out for 71.
Buninyong opening bowlers Geordie McLeod picked up 4-25 off 10 overs, but it was left-arm off-spinner Kendrick Hatton who proved the difference with 4-17 on debut.
Buninyong skipper David Ellis said the win was a confidence booster for his team.
"We didn't think we'd have a spinner, so to get Kenrick Hatton into the team made a huge difference," he said.
"On paper I would have thought we would have done well to be in the fight today, so to get the win is a massive start for us."
THE TOP FIVE
BATTING - C Rohscoller (Wendouree) 113, L Lorenzen (North Ballarat) 89, V Pushpakumara (Naps-Sebas) 74no, S Miller (Wendouree) 72, Z Jenkins (Ballarat-Redan 65
BOWLING - Madushanka Ekanayaka (Darley) 9-15, T Batters (Wendouree) 4-16, K Hatten (Buninyong) 4-17, G McLeod (Buninyong) 4-25, J Sleep (Wendouree) 3-36
