It was a beautiful clear morning last Tuesday as the Gippsland Goannas over 70 cricket team headed to Jubilee Park in Frankston for their final game of the season against the Mornington Peninsula/Canterbury Combine over 70 team.

Winning the toss the Goannas batted first with Warren Dummett and Neil Meredith opening the innings.
There was a very bright start on a fast outfield, with 11 fours and a six coming from the first 10 overs. Both openers retired after 30 balls, for 28 and 34 respectively.
Derek Morris and Ian Southall continued with some good running between the wickets, and the score was 1/85 in the 15th over when Morris was bowled for four.
Garry Rose joined Southall and they took the score to 107 when firstly Southall was run out for 30 from 28 balls, Rose was bowled for nine and Gordon Cowling was caught for a duck. It was 4/107 after 23 overs.
Rob Francis (22 from 26) Bob Duljas (18 retired), Andrew Smith (14 from 17), Phill Higgins (five retired from 14), Ron Milnes (run out for one), Barrie Nunn (six*) and Murray Moore (seven*) all helped the score to a very respectable 7/179 at the end of the 40 overs.
After a lovely lunch supplied by the MP/C players, Southall and Cowling opened the bowling, with 40 runs coming from the first 10 overs.
Francis and Meredith took over, Francis retired with a ricked back after two overs, and Nunn had Tony Stancombe well stumped by Dummett for 35 in the 17th over. The score at drinks was 2/98 as Meredith bowled Ralph Catts.
Southall and Meredith resumed the attack after drinks and helped slow the scoring rate. Meredith took a good catch off Southall's bowling and the score was 3/114 after 26 overs. Moore and Smith bowled five overs.
Dummett had another good stumping from Moore until Moore retired with a torn hammy. Morris had gone off with a torn adductor and Milnes was limping with a strained hammy.
Cowling and Nunn returned, but the score steadily mounted and MP/C were able to pass the Goannas' total in the 38th over.
Southall (1/16 from eight overs), Meredith (1/38 from eight), Nunn (1/24 from six) and Moore (1/19 from three) were the successful bowlers.
MP/C put on pizzas for an after match snack and the captains, Michael Angwin and Gordon Cowling, thanked the Frankston Cricket Club for the excellent wicket and ground, the team manager for organising lunch and pizza and Donald Cameron (torn hamstring from game three weeks ago) for umpiring all day.
Player of the match awards went to Goannas' Bob Duljas for his highest score ever, and Ian Sharp (at 82-years-old) for taking 3/19 from eight overs and making 28 retired from 19 balls. Cowling and Sharp had played at Heathmont Cricket Club in the 1960s.
Attention now turns to the annual Echuca tournament, in which the Goannas will play in division one after winning division two last year. The four games will be played over five days from Sunday March 16.