Cricket
14 October, 2024
Youthful Demons start season with a bang
Laharum has hit the ground running in the Horsham Cricket Association, defeating Jung Tigers by six wickets at Cameron Oval on Saturday in a round one clash that mirrored their round one match last year.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Tigers got on the front foot early, dismissing Brodie Foster for a duck, caught by Martyn Knight off the bowling for Tyler Puls.
Dayan Wilfred and Max Bunworth steadied the ship by batting patiently and put on a 63-run partnership before Wilfred was caught and bowled by Angus Adams for 38.
At 2/67, youngsters Max Bunworth and Harrison Hoffmann tried to rally and batted patiently, but both fell quickly, with Bunworth scoring 31.
Captain Josh Mahoney and youngster Jackson Hoffmann came to the crease, batted smartly, and guided the Demons to 4/170 off their 45 overs.
Mahoney finished unbeaten on 56 with Hoffmann on 21.
David Puls was the pick of the Tigers bowlers, finishing with figures of 1/12 off seven overs.
In response, Conor Lawson and Dom Rose got the Tigers off to a good start, with the former batting patiently.
Mahoney got the breakthrough, bowling Rose for 29. When Wilfred caught Lawson off the bowling of Jim McInnes, and Leith dismissed for 13 not long after, the Tigers were 3/70.
With Angus Adams and Tyler Puls at the crease, the Tigers settled, and they put on a partnership of 30 runs before Puls was run out by William Gulline on 18.
Jake Durdin stuck around with Adams, and they put on a 30-run partnership before he was bowled by McInness for six. When Mahoney bowled Haydn Smith for a duck, suddenly, the Tigers were 6/131.
With Adams still at the crease and 39 runs needed, the Tigers were still within a good chance for victory, but through tight bowling, McInness took three of the following four wickets, bowling the Tigers out for 164, six runs shy of the total.
These two teams played out a thriller in round one last season at the same venue. The Demons scored 204 runs, and the Tigers chased it down in a thriller to win by one wicket.
Demons captain Josh Mahoney said the boys will take a lot of confidence from the win, especially since they were missing Ben Peucker and Daniel Griffiths.
"It was huge for the kids, especially without those two there, as it shows they can do it," Mahoney said.
"They can all play cricket. They are talented kids, and having the confidence to execute the plans gives them a good base on which to build."
Mahoney said it was about being patient at the crease and praising the bowlers for keeping things tight.
"The runs were there if you were patient and worked through each bowler's spell, and the main thing was to get to drinks in a good position," Mahoney said.
"The outfield was pretty quick, and we cashed it on the freebies we could get. Jackson Hoffmann got off to a slow start, which was important in the end as he contributed handy runs.
"Jim McInness is one of those guys that drops in and out of the side, and he and Jackson Hoffmann, Connor Cowan and myself were tight and gave the batters nothing, and it was Jim who cashed in with the wickets through the pressure."
"It was a good team performance, and there's lots to build on moving forward."
Mudlarks blitz the Saints
At Murtoa Recreation Reserve, Lubeck Murtoa stormed to a comfortable six-wicket win over the Horsham Saints.
The Mudlarks won the toss and sent the Saints into bat. Through Dezi Carter (23) and Mark Crafter (13), the Saints got off to a reasonable start.
When they both fell, the score was 2/44, and with Gary Davidson at the crease, the Saints had a base to build on.
The Mudlarks bowled tight and when William Gellatly got the prized wicket of Davidson for eight, the Saints were 3/47.
Brock Hamerston put up resistance, scoring 13, but the Saints couldn't get any momentum, with the Mudlarks taking regular wickets to bowl them out for 98 after 43 overs.
Nic Ballagh continued the season where he finished last year, taking 3/10 off nine overs.
In response, Shannon Reddie and Dylan Eats were the stars with the bat, both unbeaten on 48 and 21, respectively, chasing down the total in the 26th over.
Harry Crute was the Saints' best bowler with figures of 2/20 off five overs.
Homers defeat Colts in tough clash
The Colts' return to A-grade got off to a good start, scoring 175 runs against a good bowling outfit.
The innings didn't start well for the Colts, however. Baxter Perry was on fire early, dismissing Chris Block and Josh McCluskey for a duck and five runs, respectively, to give the Colts 2/28.
Captain Logan Millar and Josh Colbert rebuilt the innings with a 44-run partnership until Millar fell for 14.
Colbert remained at the crease, scoring 79 before he was trapped in front by Oliver Potter for LBW.
With the Colts 6/133, Beau Purchase (21), and Joey Nagorcka, (13), helped guide the Colts to 175.
Oliver Potter was the pick of the bowlers for the Homers, with figures of 3/50 (6).
In reply, Jake McLean got the wickets of Adam Atwood (15) and Monty Wynne (0) to have the Homers at 2/27.
Luke Millar and Patrick Mills steadied the ship for the Homers, putting on an 82-run partnership before Miller fell for 38, caught by Jay Couch off the bowling of James McNeil.
Mills then fell for 68 twenty minutes later, but a 44-run partnership from the Perry brothers guided the Homers to the win. Gibson scored 18 whilst Baxter remained not out on 26.
Jake McLean was the best bowler for the Colts, taking 3/27 off his nine overs.
Josh Colbert's 79 was the highest score of the round, and after scoring 464 runs at an average of 54 in B-grade last season, he has hit the ground running in his return to A-grade.
Colbert said the white ball in A-grade helped with the B-grade playing with a red ball.
"It was a good test, and I felt good out there. I saw them well," Colbert said.
"The white ball makes it easier to see, and I could pick it up nicely.
"The extra pace helped, too, as the ball comes onto the bat well, and I was able to utilise that to my advantage."