Noble pair wipes wickets

SIX and four-wicket hauls by Noble Park first XI’s Kynan Ford and Steve Croft, helped their side dismiss Balwyn for 159 on Saturday in their Victorian Sub District Cricket Association match.
However it wasted a great opportunity to seal the game, slumping to 6/74 at stumps.
Winning the toss and sending Balwyn into bat, Noble Park’s opening attack of Steve Croft and Ford made immediate inroads with the latter snaring the first two wickets with only 16 on the board.
It was 5/47 after 17 overs with Ford picking up another and Croft two.
Then it was 6/55 when Croft snared his third wicket in the 19th over and 7/73 when he got his fourth.
The last three Balwyn wickets put a lot of resistance adding a further 86 runs with Ford getting the wickets at 112, 144 and 159.
Ford finished with 6/60 off 17.4 overs with Croft taking 4/59 off 19.
Noble got off to a solid start with openers Andrew Brown and Darren Seccull seeing the total to 41 when Seccull was out for 15.
Steve Croft was out the next ball to send a shiver down the Noble order.
When Brown was caught for 20 the score was 3/53.
Rod Douthie went next with the score a sorry 4/56 and when Gavin Hurley was caught short of his ground it was an even worse 5/60.
Jon Stones and Paul Hill then set about surviving to stumps, but it was only Hill who succeeded with Stones bowled with the total on 70.
Kynan Ford and Hill will resume this week.
Noble Park’s second XI had a day in the field with Balwyn reaching 8/273 at stumps.
Andrew Borovac was the best of the bowlers finishing with 3/54 with Dave Parker taking 2/46.
The third XI dismissed Elsternwick for 150 with Asha Ganser taking 5/17 off 13.4 overs and Danny Ekanayake 3/43.
At stumps the side is 3/51.
Noble Park’s fourth XI declared its innings at 9/251.
Michael Martindale again got amongst the runs, making 77 with Stuart Patterson, who played in the RM Hatch team, making 50 on his senior debut with the club.
Father and son Michael and Jamie Fox also got among the runs with Michael making 33 and Jamie 31.
In seven overs Elsternwick reached 23 without loss.