This week’s focus years are 1988, 1992 and 1974.
Andy Smith scored an unbeaten century and took four wickets on the final day of Kyabram Disrict Cricket Association’s Bendigo Country Week carnival.
Kyabram opened the tournament with a win against Warracknabeal when Phil Britten took six wickets and Mick Auld three to bundle the opposition out for 95. Gavin Napier scored 47 and Rod Kilmartin 24 as Kyabram scored 9-183.
On Tuesday Kyabram was all out for 89 against Echuca, which then scored 9-174 despite Britten taking another three wickets. On the final day Smith dominated the match as Kyabram scored 4-237.
Jeff Turpin was 24 not out at the end of the innings, then Smith (4-37) and Auld (3-71) were the pick of the bowlers.
— Merrigum opener Benny Gugliotti scored 73 of his team’s 106-run total against Churches, with Jason Halliwell claiming three wickets as the bottom two teams did battle.
— After scoring 8-245 against Kyabram, Cooma blasted its opposition out for 109 as Russ Barrett took 7-19 from 16.2 overs.
Only Peter Raglus, with 59 from number six, put up a fight.
In a big weekend for bowlers Stanhope’s Mick Auld took 6-37 against Fire Brigade, a performance almost matched by Fire Brigade’s Len Cooper (5-36).
1992
Seventeen-year-old Ben Langley scored 124 for Fire Brigade in its showdown with Kyabram, scoring at a run a ball for his initial 100 runs.
He shared in a big partnership with Jon Varcoe (56) as the team scored 5-276.
— The fifth annual Doug Pyke Memorial cricket clash between Kyabram and Tatura brought out some stars, with Richmond football legend Dick Clay impressing behind the stumps and with the bat.
He top scored with 31, then took two catches and completed a stumping as Alan McGrath and Graham King both took two wickets. Our own Gus Underwood even chimed in with the wicket of Lackie Ranson as Kyabram took the title.
1974
Cooma trio Phillip Brown, Bill Fry and Peter Watson combined to guide their team to 6-247 against Kyabram Black.
Brown was dropped four times in his innings of 78 before eventually being caught off the bowling of Gus Underwood and Watson smashed 48 not out in half an hour at the crease.
Rushworth was bowled out for 38 by Kyabram Red, Jim McIntyre taking 5-18, Bob Ferguson 3-12 and Rob Asplin 2-7.
In the Tatura and Tongala game a brilliant spell from Maurie Varcoe was rewarded with figures of 5-15.
Ian Haw’s spell of 5-49 for Stanhope saw Lancaster all out for 131, with 51 of those runs from opener John Gosstray and 29 from Trevor Coulstock.
