Author: Brodie Cowburn

CRICKET PROVINCIAL BADEN Powell have locked in a Grand Final spot with an upset win over Old Peninsula. The Old Peninsula Pirates were the team to beat all season, finishing with just one loss on their record after 14 games. Baden Powell secured their finals spot with a fourth place finish. They would have to be at their best to move on to the season decider. Baden Powell chose to bat first. A patient partnership between Craig Entwhistle and Rhys Elmi proved crucial for the batting side. The duo combined for 102 runs. Baden Powell’s middle order wasn’t able to…

CRICKET PENINSULA PINES have closed out an undefeated season with a win over Heatherhill. After being sent in to bat first, Pines put 168 runs on the scoreboard. Pines had multiple players make good starts, but none of them could go on to make big scores. Jack Peace-Stirling top scored with 38. Heatherhill’s run chase got off to a shaky start. The top order fell without making an impact, and at 4/43 the side was in big trouble. Middle order batsmen Brett Maxwell and Jake Theobald got things back on track, both recording scores in the forties. The game went…

CRICKET PENINSULA PINES have thumped Somerville to take home the Peninsula Jack Peacock Cup. Somerville were sent in to bat first in the twenty over competition decider. They only scored 83 runs, leaving the door wide open for Pines to grab the win. Harley Parker was Pines’ best bowler, taking 4/16 off his four overs. Pines made quick work of their run chase. Openers Damien Lawrence and Ricky Ramsdale combined for 48 runs to put victory within reach. Pines eventually hit the winning runs and claimed the trophy with seven overs to spare. DISTRICT A SUPER over decided the winner…

CRICKET PENINSULA SOMERVILLE and Pines finished all square after an epic encounter on Saturday. After losing the toss, Somerville were sent in to bat first. Good knocks from opener Craig Black and number four Bradley McDonald helped guide the side to a final total of 143. Pines’ run chase started poorly, with usually reliable openers Damien Lawrence and Ricky Ramsdale dismissed for scores of 11 and zero respectively. Harley Peace-Stirling came in after the openers and got things back on track. After a duck in his innings last week against Flinders, Peace-Stirling was out to make amends. The first drop…

CRICKET PENINSULA A TAIL order collapse cost Moorooduc a chance at victory on Saturday. Moorooduc played host to Long Island. The visitors were sent in to bat first and put a good total on the scoreboard. Brad Bailey was Long Island’s best with the bat with a well-earned half century. His side finished their innings at 6/198. Moorooduc’s run chase didn’t start as planned. Three of their top order batsmen were dismissed early to leave them struggling at 3/23. A brave middle order showing from Pathum De Mel, including four sixes, put Moorooduc back in the hunt. They recovered to…

CRICKET PENINSULA A GREAT performance by Somerville’s batsmen got them a win over Flinders on Saturday. Somerville looked comfortable out in the middle, and set a huge total. Opener Brenton Alp and number four Bradley McDonald top scored with scores of 83 and 85 not out respectively. Flinders worked hard to get within reach of a target of 282, but fell short. A middle order collapse proved costly, and they ended up all out for 229. Flinders opener Kane Hawkins can hold his head high after scoring a half century. Long Island’s bowlers were in fine form on Saturday, helping…

CRICKET PENINSULA SEAFORD Tigers have fallen agonisingly short of victory against Pines. Damien Lawrence was brilliant for Pines. He scored 99 not out as an opening batsman, bringing his team to a total of 4/178. The knock was his best of the season. Seaford Tigers’ run chase got off to a good start, with Brayden Roscoe and Tim Hayes combining for a 75 run opening stand. From there the side fell to 4/88, putting the result in doubt. The Tigers middle order wasn’t able to capitalise on a strong start. They brought the game down to the final over, but…

FRANKSTON Council overcharged all properties while collecting rates this year. Council estimates that each property was overcharged by an average of 53 cents. Around $30,000 worth of overcharged rates will be refunded to Frankston residents. A statement on council’s website read that “there was a minor calculation error in the number of properties assessed. Council officers discovered the error while preparing annual compliance documents for the Essential Services Commission – which administers the rate-capping system for local government. The compliance documents are a requirement for all Victorian local government areas.” “As a ratepayer, you don’t need to do anything. The…

CRICKET PENINSULA MOOROODUC have started the year on the right foot with a hard-fought win over Somerville. Choosing to bat first, Moorooduc set their opponents a difficult target of 222 to chase down. Opener Brenton Alp got the run chase off to a good start, scoring 60 runs. Number four batsman Bradley McDonald also contributed some runs to the scoreboard with a knock of 42. Somerville took the game right down to the wire, but couldn’t get over the line. At the end of their forty overs they were at 9/215, seven runs short of a result and one wicket…

PENINSULA TWO centuries were scored on an entertaining afternoon of cricket at BA Cairns Reserve on Saturday. Flinders hosted Heatherhill and chose to bat first. Opener Kane Hawkins put on an unbelievable performance, smashing 17 boundaries on his way to a mammoth score of 120 off 83 balls. Number four batsman Matthew Gale also joined in on the party, scoring 98 runs before being unfortunately dismissed just short of his century. Flinders’ innings expired with the side at 5/288. Heatherhill would have to climb a huge mountain to get a result. Heatherhill’s run chase got off to a dream start,…

CRICKET PENINSULA A BIG score from Damien Lawrence got Pines over the line in their clash against Long Island. Long Island chose to bat first and got off to a horror start, losing both openers for a combined total of just one run. Losing star batsman Nick Jewell for one proved a huge blow. Jewell’s output this season has been down compared to his usual lofty standards. Long Island ended up all out for 144. Pines’ run chase was a little shaky to start off with, as they fell to 2/11. Opener Damien Lawrence held his ground though, and ended…

THE state government is still not onboard the Frankston rail extension project. There was no funding for the proposed project in the state budget handed down last week. The business case assessing the cost of the extension was finally released last month. The cost given for duplicating and electrifying the Frankston line to Baxter was quoted at an eye-watering $1.3 – $1.5 billion. The federal government has committed $225 million to the extension. CEO of advocacy group Committee For Greater Frankston Ginevra Hosking said “the extension is vitally important so Frankston and Mornington Peninsula residents can board trains at stations…

PENINSULA A TOP order collapse saw Somerville fall short of victory in their clash against Heatherhill on Saturday. Heatherhill chose to bat first, and opener Don Pulukkuttiarachchi was in impressive form. He scored a half century, with his side making 185 before their innings came to a close. Somerville struggled, with five of their top six batsmen dismissed for scores of less than ten. Three of those batsmen went out for just one run. Number four batsman Bradley McDonald tried his best to drag his side over the line, but his knock of 57 wasn’t enough. Somerville ended up losing…

MONEY to start the $562 million Frankston Hospital redevelopment has been made available in the state budget. The budget was handed down by the state government last week. A total of $16.2 million in taxpayer funding was allocated in the 2020/2021 financial year for the hospital expansion. The budget papers showed that $27.2 million will become available for the project in 2021/2022, $124.6 million in 2022/2023, and $191.1 million in 2023/2024. The budget read that the total estimated investment of $562 million “includes funding beyond 2023-24”. The money is welcome news for supporters of the project. Just $6 million was…

CRICKET PENINSULA LONG Island got the better of Seaford Tigers in a competitive clash at Belvedere Reserve on Sunday. Choosing to bat first, Long Island got off to a good start. Despite star batsman Nick Jewell being dismissed for a relatively low score, they managed to put 179 runs on the board. Zachery Wilson top scored with 42. The Tigers showed plenty of fight at the crease, and at 2/91 were in a good position to go on to get the win. Their first drop batsman Ashley Mills hit eight boundaries on his way to a big score of 69.…

PENINSULA AFTER a long off-season of uncertainty, MPCA cricket finally got underway last weekend. The season will look different, consisting entirely of one-day games, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of local cricketers who returned to the pitch on Saturday. In the first week of Peninsula cricket’s return, Long Island took on Heatherhill. Heatherhill chose to bat first and put 132 runs on the board, giving Long Island an attainable target to chase down. Long Island had little trouble reaching the target and claiming the win. Nick Jewell top scored for the side, scoring 45 runs. Long Island ended up…

A BUSINESS case assessing the proposed electrification of the Frankston line to Baxter has suggested that a different option be taken instead. The business case was publicly released last week, more than one year after it was handed to the federal government. One of five options assessed in the study only provides improvements to bus services. Two options see no electrification of the railway and add passing loops to the Stony Point line, while the other two see the track duplicated and electrified to Langwarrin and Baxter. The study identifies the “Stony Point Uplift” as the “indicative preferred option”, rather…

FORMER Governor-General  Sir Peter Cosgrove has urged holidaymakers to visit the Mornington Peninsula to help restart the regional tourism industry. Sir Peter estimates that he attended more than 4000 events during his five years in the job. His life’s work took him all across the globe, but this year the overseas flights have come to a sudden stop. Sir Peter says Australians should take this as a chance to explore some of the best locations the country has to offer, once it is safe to do so. “For beautiful places like the Mornington Peninsula, this year has been a great…

ELLIE Cole was just 16 years old when she waved goodbye to her Frankston High School classmates and jetted off for the Beijing Paralympics. By the time she returned her whole life had changed, and she was a three-time Paralympic medal winner. Cole was treated like a star by her classmates, a time she recalls with both fondness and a hint of embarrassment. “I still remember the pride the school had,” the star swimmer told The Times. “There were posters all over the place, and I’m a bit modest so I didn’t handle the attention that well. I asked them…

AFL SYDNEY Swans captain Luke Parker played his 200th AFL game this season. He has won a premiership, made the All Australian team, finished second in the Brownlow voting, and won two best and fairest medals. Despite his many achievements in the AFL, a lone senior outing for the Langwarrin Football Club still ranks high on the list of Parker’s best memories. Before making the move to New South Wales to start his AFL career in 2011, Parker pulled on the blue and white guernsey he had grown up wearing for a solitary senior game. “It was an incredible memory,”…

POSITIVE COVID-19 tests for 51 staff at Frankston Hospital has led to another 446 staff being forced to self-isolate at home. Early last week, Peninsula Health CEO Felicity Topp confirmed that 51 staff members had tested positive to COVID-19. Peninsula Health, which runs Frankston and Rosebud hospitals said investigations were underway into the source of the cases. No cases have been detected among staff at Peninsula Health’s rehabilitation centre and a palliative care unit in Golf Links Road, Frankston “Of the 51 staff cases, 40 are nursing staff, with four doctors having tested positive at this point, along with five…

THE 2020 MPNFL season has been cancelled. AFL South East announced the decision to call off their competitions on 27 June. All senior football and netball divisions will not go ahead this year. There were hopes that the league would be able to get up and running next month, with a plan to return already outlined. AFL South East had announced that they planned for the season to get underway by 25 July, with a shortened fixture and a zero salary cap. After a further meeting between AFL South East officials and MPNFL club representatives last weekend, plans to start…

THE 2020 MPNFL season hangs in the balance, with its future set to be evaluated later this month. AFL South East head Richard Black, AFL South East CEO Shaun Connell, and officials from each of the 22 MPNFL clubs all met on 3 June to discuss the 2020 season. It was decided that a further evaluation would be held after an update from Premier Daniel Andrews, expected on 21 June. Senior leagues across Victoria have begun cancelling their seasons in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The Northern Football Netball League and Southern Football Netball League will both not proceed…

THE I-MED radiology clinic in Frankston has closed after staff members tested positive to COVID-19. A joint statement issued last week by I-MED Radiology CEO Dr Shrey Viranna and Chief Medical Officer Dr Ron Shnier read that “a number of our employees at Frankston Radiology have tested positive for COVID-19.” “We have worked with the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure any patients who had experienced close contact with the employees were notified. In addition all employees who had experienced close contact have self isolated for 14 days and have been tested before recommencing work,” the statement read.…

SCHOOL is out early and many businesses will be forced to shut their doors as part of the latest COVID-19 precautions implemented across Victoria. Premier Daniel Andrews announced late last week that school holidays would begin from Tuesday 24 March in an effort to “combat the spread of coronavirus”. “This is not something that we do lightly, but it’s clear that if we don’t take this step, more Victorians will contract coronavirus, our hospitals will be overwhelmed and more Victorians will die,” Mr Andrews said. “Victorians will still be able to go to the supermarket, the bank, the pharmacy and…

TOURS through Frankston will proceed as part of the Big Picture Fest this weekend. The Block Party event to kick off the festival was cancelled last week in response to COVID-19 concerns. Council confirmed this week that the street tours would still go ahead, but urged the need for “social distancing”. Nine new murals have been completed across Frankston’s city centre. Artist Mark Taylor said “this is the best festival in the world. In the first year, it just blew me away.” “I have this thing with water at the moment and I think it is because of the place…

AUSTRALIA’S consumer watchdog has warned people to be aware of scammers using the COVID-19 crisis to sell fake cures and products. The ACCC put out a statement today (20 March) confirming that they have received 94 scam reports relating to coronavirus this year. They said that that figure is rising. ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard said “unfortunately, scammers are using the uncertainty around COVID-19, or coronavirus, to take advantage of people”. “We’ve had a wide variety of scams reported to us, including fake online stores selling products claiming to be a vaccine or cure for coronavirus, and stores selling products…

AFL South East has made the call to postpone the start of the season for local football leagues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mornington Peninsula Nepean and South East Women’s leagues have been postponed until 1 June. For junior players the Frankston and Districts, South East, and Mornington Peninsula leagues have also been delayed until 1 June. The postponement also applies to the Auskick and umpiring programs. In addition to the cancellation of games, AFL South East has also put a ban on training and practice matches with immediate effect. An AFL South East statement read that “due to…

THE Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association board has voted to cancel local cricket competitions in response to the coronavirus crisis. Grand Finals in senior MPCA competitions were set to take place next weekend, but will not go ahead. The association has not yet decided whether premierships will be awarded for the 2019/2020 season. MPCA president Steven Morone said “we understand this is extremely disappointing for all clubs that have made it into the finals after a long season.” “The decision has not been taken lightly and has been one of considerable discussion and angst for the board,” he said. “This decision…

THE show will not go on at the Frankston Arts Centre. The centre will close for nearly a month, from 16 March to 13 April, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. A statement put out by the Frankston Arts Centre on 16 March read that “in line with the latest advice from the Australian federal and Victorian governments on the prevention of the spread of COVID-19, Frankston Arts Centre will be temporarily closed from Monday 16 March through until Monday 13 April.” “The venue closure means that all scheduled performances and events from Monday 16 March to Monday 13…