Third straight for Stingrays

• B Grade, Division 1

KORUMBURRA welcomed Inverloch up the road to Korumburra Recreation Reserve and the hosts won the toss and chose to bat first. 

They started promisingly too, with openers Phillip Richards (15 from 78) and his captain Trevor Allen (40 from 79) reaching 39, before Richards fell leg before wicket to Tom McQualter (1/3 from 8) who bowled extremely efficiently on the day. 

The Cobras skipper batted on with Jason Richards (4 from 27) to put on another 25, before the Stingrays struck twice in a matter of two runs to see the score 3/66. 

In the end, the hosts were just never able to recover from losing their skipper as they finished their 40 overs 6/90. 

Leg spinner Josh Williams (3/17 from 6) was the pick of the bowlers for Invy’. 

In reply, it was a new look opening pair at the top for the Stingrays, opting for some firepower in the form of Amad Mujtaba (43 from 31), who belted five sixes in a 69-run opening stand with young wicketkeeper Jack Butcher (25* from 46) who anchored the chase beautifully. 

The hosts ended up claiming some late wickets, but the visitors wouldn’t be denied, closing out their third straight win to the tune of seven-wickets. 

Cougars winners by four 

KOONWARRA L/RSL welcomed MDU to the Koonwarra Recreation Reserve and the visitors won the toss and chose to bat first. 

The Demons started their innings losing wickets quite regularly and were never able to shake that bug, despite a decent innings from Gary Webster (28* from 67) who remained unbeaten as his side were dismissed for 88. 

Adam Drury (4/28 from 8) did most of the damage for Koony with the ball. 

In reply, the Cougars top order were able to build a good enough base to their innings to ensure the late flurry of lost wickets didn’t impact the result, as they ran out winners by four-wickets. 

The hosts lost 4/6 in a late Demons charge, but the Cougars skipper James Rushton (10* from 6) kept a cool head, Jake Palmer (4/18 from 8) was the dealer of the late blows that almost stole the game for his side. 

Easy job for Nerrena 

EAST Campus Oval played host to the Imperials contest with Nerrena on the weekend, and saw the latter win the toss and send the Imps in to bat first. 

The hosts were under early pressure at 1/8 but were able to recover thanks to a strong half century from Nick Eddy (75 from 39) who smashed nine fours and a six in his team-high knock. 

Although Eddy’s innings was just about the only shining light for the Imps as the rest of their XI never got going, Eddy’s dismissal sparked a loss of 7/38 as his side finished 10/128. 

Needing 129 for the win, Nerrena did the job comfortably, only losing one wicket along the way but remaining unbothered to cap off the nine-wicket win behind opener David Baldi’s (88* from 83) unbeaten half century. 

• B Grade, Division 2

Visitor OMK gets best of Leongatha Town

ROBERT Quaife was the mainstay for Outtrim Moyarra Kongwak (OMK) after the visiting Diggers elected to bat first against Leongatha Town, enabling his side to set up a challenging total which its bowlers successfully defended.

Opener Quaife made 59, with Nathan Carrick’s 28 the next best score for the eventual winner.

Cooper Rickard ended Quaife’s knock, also dismissing a couple of OMK’s middle order batsmen on his way to figures of 4/35 off seven overs.

Rickard was Leongatha Town’s only multiple wicket taker.

While OMK failed to bat out its 40 overs it set the Scorpions 164 for victory, requiring them to score at over four runs per over.

Owen Fitzpatrick led the way by dispatching Leongatha Town’s opening pair, skipper Mark Hardy and Noah Fixter, with the team’s score just 14 when that double was completed. Fitzpatrick finished with 2/14 off seven overs.

Teammate Mitch Sawyers sent down just three and a half overs, but was a wrecking ball and skittled Leongatha Town’s lower order after earlier accounting for number three batsman Luke Ashton (35). Sawyers snavelled 4/16.

With few of the Town batting lineup reaching double figures, OMK won by 24 runs.

Wonthaggi sneaks home against Kilcunda Bass

NUMBER 11 batsman Riley Gray was called on to survive 12 balls, enabling Wonthaggi Club to sneak past the Kilcunda Bass total, with Jayden Burns making a crucial 8 not out to guide Club home.

Needing 134 for victory, Wonthaggi was reduced to 9/129 when Lucas McRae was run out for a duck.

Luke Sibley’s batting at the top of the order should have laid the foundation for a more comfortable win, with the Wonthaggi skipper and keeper racing to 41 before Chris Peckett had him caught.

However, a reasonably comfortable 2/47 at the fall of 

Sibley’s wicket soon became a precarious 5/54.

With the score progressing to 116 before the loss of another wicket, Club seemed well placed with just 18 runs left to get, but Kilcunda Bass delivered an almighty scare.

While Bradley Waldron bowled just two overs, he claimed the vital wicket of Nathan Cant who had reached 36 and appeared set to see Club home.

Peckett and Daniel Bettles finished with identical figures of 2/21, with both bowling their full allowance of eight overs and gave Kilcunda Bass every chance of victory.

Nerrena’s top order solid in win over Sharks

NERRENA’S top order all made solid contributions, with the side laying a foundation that might have set up a comfortable win over Phillip Island.

The chasing side reached 137 for the loss of just two wickets as it honed in on Phillip Island’s total of 166.
However, the departure of Rupesh Elava (38) sparked a major change in the complexion of the match when he was quickly followed by the dismissals of Gerard Murphy (34) and Joel Moore for a duck.

Suddenly 2/137 had become 5/137.

Nerrena still required six more runs for victory when Charlie Dougherty went out, with just two wickets left to complete that task.

Although the Sharks claimed one more scalp, it came too late, with Nerrena having already passed the target.

Elava was the winning side’s highest scorer, but all of the top four made it into at least the twenties, ensuring not too much was left to the rest of the lineup.

Glen Alvie had the bye.