Sport

Maffra Cricket Club's Brett Lanigan played his 250th A Grade match on Saturday.

As predicted in Friday's Gippsland Times, the Sale-Maffra Cricket Association first grade match between Maffra and Stratford delivered an incredibly close finish with the Redbacks getting over the line by one wicket.

After wet weather and COVID attempted to cancel Round 2 of the Sale-Maffra Cricket Association season, it was finally played out on the weekend.

The first round back after the Christmas break for the Sale-Maffra Cricket Association found itself ravaged by positive COVID cases.

Sale's soccer addicts finally got their fix with the recommencement of the Go 7s summer soccer competition despite the blistering wind and drenching rain last week.

Similar to most sports, the CBL was affected by positive COVID cases over the weekend which saw Maffra's match with Warragul postponed to January 15.

The Country Basketball League will get back underway this weekend with Maffra's men's team featuring in a double-header.

Josh Farrell EACH week the Gippsland Times covers the Sale-Maffra Cricket Association A Grade competition, ensuring all of the top performances are celebrated for fans to see.With the Christmas break underway, now is an opportunity to celebrate some of the impressive performances in the seconds and hard wicket competitions so far this season.In the seconds, Heyfield remains unbeaten with five wins from as many games, closely followed by Bundalaguah and Stratford who have each only dropped the one match. Somewhat surprisingly, there is yet to be a centurion in the second grade competition, with Heyfield's Kayne Amiet the closest with a knock of 97 against Sale. Only one player has taken a five wicket haul - Bundalaguah's Kanishka Bannak Ralalage - who took 5-24 against Longford. The ladder for third grade sees Stratford leading on 30 points, followed by Bundalaguah (24 points), Wurruk (18), Sale (12), Maffra (12), Rosedale-Kilmany (12) and Collegians (12).When looking at the most impressive scores for third grade so far, it is impossible to go past Nicholas Anderson's 165 in round four against Wurruk.The College opener punished the Toads bowling attack, whacking 15 sixes and eight fours in his astonishing innings to see College to a huge total of 333 from 40 overs.This game saw some other terrific batting performances on both sides overshadowed by Anderson.Anderson's teammate Sam Morelli made 78 while Wurruk's Angus Tilley scored 61 and Lenny Van der Velden hit 57.Nathan Thomas has been a consistent performer for Stratford in third grade this season, skippering the side to the top of the ladder.Thomas started the season strongly, scoring 73 against Collegians in the first round, hitting eight fours and one six.His strongest performance however came in round seven with both bat and ball against Maffra.The captain took the ball for the middle overs and proved a challenge to get away for the Eagles' batters.Thomas took 6-22 from his eight overs in an impressive display that helped his team bowl out Maffra for 120.Thomas took the scalps of batters three through six ensuring the Eagles' players could not come back into the match.After his dominant display with the ball Thomas then delivered at the top of the order to ensure victory for his team.Chasing a low score of 120, Maffra was looking for quick wickets, but Thomas had other ideas.Thomas took the match away from the Eagles, making 72 from 78 deliveries which included nine fours, the next highest score was 27 from Tom Boyd who supported his skipper well.Impressive team bowling performances came from both Rosedale-Kilmany and Stratford in their round five matchup.The Redbacks were bowled out for 97 after they were put in to bat by the Warriors.The wickets were spread between the Rosedale-Kilmany bowlers. Harry McCann took three wickets and Brandan Hill, Mick Edgar and Jye Goodwin took two each.The Stratford bowlers were in need of quick wickets and their bowlers delivered.Jonathan Boyd and Thomas took four wickets each to instantly put the Warriors on the back foot and saw them eventually bowled out for 55. Other impressive performances this season came from the round five clash between Sale and Maffra.The Swans batted first and struggled to get going, but the highlight of the innings was Kevin Arbuthnot who made 68 at the top of the order hitting nine fours in his innings to help his team to 122 from their 40 overs.The Eagles chased down the Swans score in 29 overs thanks to Ben Lanigan who made 66 hitting five fours and one six in his innings.Fourth grade cricket sees the ladder at the Christmas break showing Bundalaguah Yaks on top with 30 points. Maffra is equal second on 30, and then Nambrok (24), Stratford (18), Rosedale-Kilmany (18), Bundalaguah Bulls (18), Heyfield (18), Longford (12), Sale (6), Collegians (0), Boisdale-Briagolong (0) and Wurruk (0) follow.In the fourth grade competition players must retire at 50. Readers may recognise one name on the list of players to m

IN an impressive coup for the region, Maffra Golf Club will host its first ever Pro-Am on Tuesday, January 25. 

As the first part of the Sale-Maffra Cricket Association season, comes to an end, it is an opportunity to take stock of the season.

THE final round of the 2021 part of the Sale-Maffra Cricket Association was played on Saturday.

Greyhound Racing Victoria has launched its fifth SEN Track Gippsland Festival of Racing at Sale Greyhound Racing Club.