The Lakers had four debutants Matt De Roos, Taj Parker, Russell Fulton & Bailey Frauenfelder take the field in A Grade.
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An all-round display on A Grade debut from Bailey Frauenfelder propelled Yarrawonga Mulwala Lakers A Grade to a handy 50-run win over Wangaratta Magpies.
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Fresh off winning the Wangaratta and District Cricket Association A Grade premiership, the Lakers were greeted by ideal sunny conditions and were eager to make the most of them, banking an early win to get their season off to a flyer.
Captain Reid Clarke was the first to go nicking off to slips to give the visitors a dream start.
Last year’s star recruit Devlin Webb joined his coach in Kyle Archibald and the two straightened things up slightly before Webb was dismissed for 14.
This brought new recruit and debutant Russell Fulton into the fold as he displayed a beautiful batting technique early before halting to a lower leg injury. The ever-promising youngster Devlin Webb took the attack to the Pies’ pace bowlers, striking a quick-fire 14, including a boundary, before falling to Jarryd Wallace.
With the scoreboard steadily rising, a lapse in concentration saw Archibald trapped in front for a well-compiled 37.
While the Lakers continued to build their total, the constant threat of Brandon Fitzpatrick proved decisive as he ripped through the batting order, putting the home side under pressure and making it difficult to lift the scoring rate.
Fitzpatrick finished with impressive figures of 4/30 from six overs.
Zac Fraser and Fraser Smart kept the scores ticking over through the middle stages before both were dismissed for 20 and 11 respectively.
Matt McCabe played an important role in getting Lakers to 189.
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This would be where the hosts began to flex their muscles with Matches McCabe and yet another debutant in the always popular Basil Frauenfelder.
The duo did their best to outdo one another, blasting boundaries to all parts of the ground including a big six each with Basil’s appearing to sail further over the white pickets of Stan Hargreaves oval.
The pair blazed away and set the Lakers up for success blasting 38 apiece and setting the Magpies a tough total of 190 to chase.
The late-innings surge gave the Lakers a competitive total to defend, with Frauenfelder’s all-round batting performance set the tone for a memorable debut.
The Lakers took to the field with a spring in their step, confident their total of 189 would give them a strong chance of taking it to the Pies.
However, the visitors had other ideas, with Wangaratta opening batsmen Cooper Matheson and James Thewlis putting on a powerful display at the top of the order.
Opening bowler Angus Heslin was taken to task early, with Pies skipper Matheson making an immediate impact by plundering 10 runs from the opening over.
The pair combined for an impressive 67-run opening partnership, putting the Magpies in a strong position through the first 15 overs before Zac Fraser made the breakthrough, with Fraser Smart taking the catch.
With the Pies still firmly in the contest, number three Jack Davies dug in at the crease, looking to grind down the Lakers’ bowling attack and keep the visitors on track.
Enter young cricket gun and former Australian Under-16 representative Devlin Webb, who removed the dangerous Matheson to give the Lakers a much-needed breakthrough.
Webb continued to apply pressure, running through the Magpies’ middle order and shifting the momentum back towards the home side.
The Lakers had two sub fielders who just happen to be Father and Son Benji & Matt Wollington.
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The ball was then handed to A Grade debutant Bailey Frauenfelder, and the change proved to be a turning point in the contest.
With the Magpies threatening to chase down the Lakers’ total, Frauenfelder rose to the occasion, delivering a composed and disciplined spell that put the brakes on the visitors’ momentum.
His ability to build pressure, hit his areas and force the Magpies into difficult decisions proved crucial, as the debutant helped break the backbone of the visitors’ batting order.
What had been shaping as a challenging run chase quickly turned in the Lakers’ favour, with Frauenfelder’s impact with the ball complementing his earlier contribution of 38 runs with the bat.
It was an outstanding all-round performance from the emerging talent, whose composure under pressure played a major role in guiding the Lakers to a valuable 50-run victory.
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