Sport
13 February, 2023
Bats blazing for Blue Panthers
RUP-Minyip has staged another stunning batting display to secure victory when they defeated fourth-placed rival Homers in round 13 of Horsham Cricket Association A Grade competition. With a month remaining before finals, the Blue Panthers have shot...
RUP-Minyip has staged another stunning batting display to secure victory when they defeated fourth-placed rival Homers in round 13 of Horsham Cricket Association A Grade competition.
With a month remaining before finals, the Blue Panthers have shot clear in third place and will set their sights on second-placed Bullants on day one of the penultimate round starting tomorrow.
The match highlighted round 13 which also included a strong victory to Bullants who restricted Jung Tigers to a losing total.
On the confines of Sunnyside, Rup-Minyip set out in chase of a defendable 226 set by Homers on day one and set the tone early with some handy partnerships to heap the pressure on the Homers bowling attack.
Openers Lachie Weidemann and Cameron Weston set the foundations with a 27-run opening stand before match winning second and third wicket partnerships had the batting team on the road to victory.
Weidemann made 18 and Weston, 21, as number three Jamie Byrne provided the impetus for a big run chase.
Weston and Byrne put on 45 runs for the second wicket before Byrne was joined by Daniel Schaper with the pair putting on 85 runs for the third wicket.
Both batsmen struck the ball well as Byrne put together a top score of 70 off 110 balls that included eight boundaries and a six, while Schaper was equally damaging in his innings of 46 which came off 67 balls and included four boundaries and one six.
From there, it was all about partnerships and the Blue Panthers were up for the challenge as Dylan Eats helped guide his team to victory batting at number seven.
Connor Weidemann made 17 while Damiano Boddi made 10 as Eats retired unbeaten on 41 after the winning runs were scored.
Homers toiled hard with the ball through 70.1 overs with Chaminda Gamage and Gibson Perry claiming two wickets each to finish with 2-50 and 2-42 respectively.
At the City Oval, Jung Tigers were set a mammoth task of making 362 runs for victory after Bullants set the commanding total on day one.
And things started pretty well for the Tigers who got away to a good start through openers Brenton Hallam and Connor Lawson.
The pair put on 68 runs for the first wicket with Hallam clipping 36 off 45 balls that included four boundaries and one six, while Lawson made 27 off 54 balls with three boundaries and one maximum.
However, as can happen pretty often in cricket, the pair were dismissed within the space of one run of each other, both to the bowling of Nathan Hughes.
Number three Angus Adams took up the challenge set by his opening team-mates and held the innings together as the Bullants bowling attack started to eat into the batting line-up.
Two quick wickets before a 30- run stand for the seventh wicket had the Tigers at 7-181 as Adams enjoyed some strong partnerships before skipper Matt Combe made the vital breakthrough with the wicket of Adams for 62.
His innings came at a good clip off 85 balls and included six boundaries and three sixes as the Tigers were dismissed for 191 in the 49th over.
Combe was a standout with the ball, finishing with figures of 6-55 off 13.2 overs, while Hughes maintained a tidy line through seven overs and finished with figures of 3-14.
Tomorrow’s round will see the return of ladder leader West Wimmera Warriors who will look to lock in a home final when they welcome Jung to Davis Park, while the Bullants/Rup-Minyip clash should be a beauty.
Saturday’s round of B Grade matches saw the clash between Blackheath-Dimboola and Horsham Saints abandoned, while ladder Lubeck-Murtoa won its clash against Bullants.
Set the unenviable task of scoring 288 runs for first innings points, the Bullants were routed for just 48 in its first innings before being sent in for a second dig to finish at 5-56.
The highlight of the bowling attack came from Nick Ballagh who finished with impressive figures of 6-12 off seven overs.
Deacan Campbell showed his wares with the ball in the second innings when he claimed 3-9 off four overs.
Rup-Minyip, like its A Grade team-mates, took a liking to the Jung Tigers bowling attack, feasting on an innings which finished at 3-276.
Chasing 181 for victory, the Blue Panthers dominated the day’s proceedings with Clinton Midgley in stunning form to carve his way to 125 which came off 151 balls and included 21 boundaries and one six.
Midgley dominated the attack and with Nick Hudson, 68, put on 152 runs for the second wicket.
At Dudley Cornell Park, Laharum put a game break on fifth-placed Colts when they claimed victory by four wickets.
Chasing 136 for victory, Laharum posted 6-141 off 47 overs with Josh Mahoney top scoring with a run-a-ball 30, while opening bat Dayan Wilfred made 28.
Saturday’s round of C Grade matches saw Laharum make their way into the top four when they proved for bottom team Colts.
Laharum 3-99 (Daniel Mibus 43, Brodie Foster 19) d Colts 91 (Nathan Keel 54; Brodie Foster 4-12).
West Wimmera Warriors 121 (Jobe Dickinson 50; Jeremy Schmidt 3-3) d Natimuk 60 (Jack Parfett-Oliver; Jack Mason 3-11, Glen Treverton 3-10).
Homers 9-214 (Clint Garwood 54, Hugh Dougherty 53; Nathan Schorback 3-18) d Blackheath-Dimboola (Nathan Schorback 21, Steve Glover 16; Bayley Burke 3-16).
Lubeck-Murtoa 7-198 (Matt Downer 53, Philip Yew 50, Seth Callaby 29; Aaron Leih 2-27) d Jung Tigers 59 (Aaron Leith 24; Matt Downer 3-14, Darcy Schultz 3-4).
Horsham Saints 148 (Rod Kirkwood 62, Chris Sounness 21; Murray Wilson 2-22, Nathan Robinson 2-26, Peter Brand 2-8) d Quantong 131 (Peter Brand 30, Murray Wilson 24, Stuart Jose 22; Alan Kuriakose 3-17).