HAMILTON has kept its season alive with a come from behind Hamilton and District Cricket Association A grade victory against St Andrew’s at Clem Young Oval, as Riley Casey and Hamish Cook staged a late order partnership that claimed the points for the visitors on Saturday.

The day was late beginning as the players waited around for the ground to dry sufficiently for play to begin with the area away from the wicket block causing the issue.

The home club were proactive, mopping up the water and play began at 2.20pm with Nic Cullinane replacing Simon Sharrock for the second day.

With Hamilton beginning the day without loss for 23 and requiring 168 for the win, Cullinane and Brenton Callaby took the score along to 50 before Cullinane (19) failed to clear the infield and was caught by Luke Purcell to give Latham Wishart the breakthrough.

Tobi Cook strode to the middle needing a change in his luck and he and Callaby (47) doubled the tally to 101 when Callaby was caught by Cam Pither as Purcell grabbed the second wicket.

The Blues then suffered a mini collapse as Anthony Read (zero) and Cook (19) were back in the pavilion with 109 on the board.

Father and son duo, Robbie Cook and Hamish Cook, joined forces in the middle, as Robbie took an aggressive approach, while Hamish was content to turn the strike over.

Robbie Cook fell for 36 when he chanced his arm once too often against Brendan Huf and was caught by, Ross McNaughton just as it looked likely the Blues would cruise to victory.

Again, the visitors collapsed as first Cook then Jake Lang (zero), Caleb Millard (zero) and Archie Buck (zero) fell for the addition of only 12 runs with the board showing Hamilton teetering on the verge of defeat at 8-158 and still needing 33 runs.

Hamish had stood at the non-strikers end and watched on as the wickets tumbled at the other end, but Casey strode to the wicket and the pair refused to be fazed by the task at hand.

They took the visitors through to victory without further loss before Casey (26) was caught and Cameron Templeton was quickly dismissed as the innings and the game ended with 198 on the board.

Cook remained unbeaten on 32.

Wishart was the pick of the Drews attack with 4-72 but had great assistance from Huf and Purcell who each grabbed two wickets.

Pigeon Ponds d College

MANY pundits would have seen College wining the match against Pigeon Ponds in the ‘Battle of the Birds’, but the visitors plucked the Eagles at home at College Turf by 58 runs.

The Eagles began the second day of the match still needing 189 runs with nine wickets in hand with Heath Schmidt and Lachie Watt at the wicket.

Watt (14) was used as a nightwatchman on the first day and he lasted a further eight overs before Joel Staude pouched the first catch of the day to give Hamish McCrae the early breakthrough.

Schmidt was joined by Hamish Bailey, as the two experienced batsmen looked to build a foundation.

Simon Close and McCrae bowled in tandem for the first 30 overs of the day until McCrae was given a rest after his 15-over spell that saw the paceman take 1-34.

There was no rest for Close though, continuing to deliver the spell his team needed from him, as Anthony Close replaced McCrae with College 2-75 and the batsmen well set.

Anthony grabbed the much-needed wicket when he had Schmidt (32) well caught by Charlie Johnston with 80 on the board.

That wicket caused the Eagles to collapse, as Adrian Burn (zero), Charles Murrie (zero), Bailey (31), Russell Bennett (three), Henry Bensch (12) and Angus Brown (zero) all fell to the wiles of the Close brothers, as the home side slumped to 9-110.

Lachie Brown and Jack Kruger were all that stood between the visitors and victory, and the pair refused to be bowed, as they withstood all the bowlers could muster.

Simon was finally taken from the attack after a marathon 29-over unchanged spell that was rewarded with the figures of 2-64, as George Austin was thrown the ball trying to snaffle the last wicket.

Austin did get the wicket and the victory, rattling Kruger’s stumps for four, but it was Anthony Close who took Man of the Match honours, backing up his 69 runs on day one with 6-29 on day two.