MACARTHUR hosted Casterton District at Macarthur Recreation Reserve in a Hamilton and District Cricket Association A grade round five clash, and after a horror start to its innings that saw the home side slump to be 4-18, the Demons clawed their way back to record a bonus point victory on Sunday.
Logan Gibbs and Carey Megaw ripped the Demons’ top order apart, as Michael Brilley, Simon Sharrock, and Kyle Smitten were dismissed for ducks with Ollie Wortley (three) rounding out the early collapse of the home side.
Jack Wortley and Charlie Summers came together and knuckled down to add 111 for the fifth wicket.
Wortley was sublime at number five, as he struck his maiden A grade half century, but with his score on 68 he fell to Kaden Humphries.
Summers (44) followed Wortley back to the pavilion soon after, while Harry Turnham (27-not-out) carried on the good work with the willow, as the Demons posted 8-184.
Casterton District looked to Logan Gibbs (3-22), Carey Megaw (2-22), and Jacob Edwards (2-31) to lead the way with the ball, but Gibbs suffered a hamstring injury that may well keep out for the next few weeks.
Only Kane Forbes (25) and Gibbs (23) managed to reach the 20-run barrier.
The Maroons were dismissed for only 129 in reply, as the Demons bowlers hunted as a unit with Simon Sharrock (3-23), Adam Fry (2-18), Summers (2-19), and Kyle Smitten (2-25) delivering a brilliant line and length to defend the total posted by the batsmen.
Portland Colts d College
PORTLAND Colts retained its undefeated start to the summer and its ladder lead with a bonus point victory against College at College Turf on Saturday.
Lachie Watt won the toss and elected to bat first, but Portland Colts skipper, Luke Evans, set up Eagles opening batsman, Charles Murrie, with the opening over and then had his man for a duck with the first ball of his second over.
The early wicket set the home side back and the top order batsmen failed to set a foundation for the rest of the team to bat around, as only Adrian Burn (54) could manage a score in the top six.
Burn found a willing partner in Lachie Brown (28-not-out) and together they rescued the innings with a 59-run seventh-wicket partnership that gave the bowlers something to defend, as the team posted 153.
After the tea break, James Chapple continued his amazing run of form with the willow, combining with Adam Barbary to add 91, before Barbary (52) fell to the bowling of Lachie Watt.
Chapple carried on finishing the run chase with an undefeated 80-not-out, guiding the Colts to another bonus point win.
Tyrendarra d Tahara
TYRENDARRA took no prisoners against Tahara at Monivae Turf, as the defending premiers earned another bonus point victory to remain undefeated for the summer.
Hamish Withers won the toss and sent Tahara in to bat, and the first wicket fell from only the third ball of the game after Kieran Barker was caught at the wicket by Withers as Ben Menzel struck the early blow.
Only Brad Gauci (29) and Taine Morris (40) managed to post double figures, as the Blue Caps were routed for 101 in the 35th over.
Shay Rhodes grabbed the bowling honours with 4-14.
After the tea break, the Tyrendarra top order made light work of the run chase with Kirk (13), Mitch Arnold (27), and Cam Mather (47) ensuring the bonus point was secured by reaching the target inside 17 overs.
St Andrew’s d South Portland
ST Andrew’s travelled to Cavalier Park and after a dominant batting display the team returned home with a bonus point victory.
The visitors won the toss and elected to bat first, but the home team had their foot on the run rate, as Brendan Huf and Fraser Hill added only 48 from the first 16 overs before the introduction of Tighe Warburton and his spin bowling had success for South Portland, with Hill (14) stumped smartly by Harrison Dennert to hand Warburton his first wicket.
He would claim his second soon after as Nicholas Emsley (four) gave the bowler a return catch and the visitors were 2-53.
That would be the last success the South Portland bowlers would enjoy, as Huf and Darryl Fry took command of the game by adding an undefeated 133 runs for the third wicket with Fry being the aggressor with 57-not-out from only 61 balls, and Huf remaining not out on 84 from 135 balls.
St Andrews finished with 2-186, with Warburton claiming the only wickets with 2-25.
In reply, Bailey Walsh tore through the top order of South Portland as he sent three of the first four batsmen back to the pavilion as the scoreboard showed 4-18, with the team eventually bowled out for 112.
Gorae-Portland d Hamilton
DESPITE losing again, Hamilton showed glimpses of what can be, as the Blues hosted Gorae-Portland at Kennedy Oval West on Saturday.
The visitors won the toss and elected to bat first and after the early of Zac Duncan (four), Sam Roberts (89) and Nick Wills (23) added 91 for the second wicket.
Once Hamilton took the pace off the ball through Anthony Read and Mitch Lang, the wickets tumbled with Read gabbing 3-30 and Lang 2-33 to restrict Gorae-Portland to 9-175.
Xavier Stevens and Nick O’Brien both posted 29 in the scorebook, as the openers took the game up to the Go-Ports attack with an opening partnership of 50 to give the home side a great foundation for the rest of the chase.
The introduction of Tom Roberts and Sam Atchison into the attack saw the Blues collapse from being 0-50 to all out for 109, as Roberts finished with 5-15 and Atchison 4-24 to snare a bonus point win for the visitors.
The Portland Tigers and Pigeon Ponds game has been postponed due to Pigeon Ponds players having fought the bushfire that engulfed the area last week, with the game to be played later in the season.
