MILDURA West battled and scraped their way to a hard-fought Sunraysia Cricket Association victory over fellow high-flyers Nichols Point at John Hall Oval on a balmy Saturday afternoon.
Chasing a fair total of 179 for first innings points, things looked grim for the hosts when captain Chris Williams played on just before tea after making 33 and leaving his side at a precarious 6/108.
However, young English import Jasper Presswell (50 not out), who is better known for his pace bowling, and Taj Hill (26) combined for a crucial 53-run partnership which saw their team within touching distance of the target with more than a dozen overs in hand, despite the efforts of Riley Jobson (5/26).
Unfortunately for West, win aside, they dropped down the table due to some heavy-duty lopsided results at other grounds.
“That was a good win today,” Williams said.
“At tea we told the guys to just bat normally and see where it takes us. Try to ignore the coming weather and just keep grinding Nichols Point down.
“They needed to break that partnership early and they didn’t and that gave us belief that we could win the game.
“There’s no ceiling on what we are setting ourselves for this season.
“We just want to be there towards the end and give it a shake,” he said as the season’s Christmas break nears.
Next up West meet East in another two-day game with the latter coming off a thumping outright victory over Settlers at Mildura Senior College.
Chasing East’s 250, Setts were blown away for 65 and 106 with vice-captain Nicholas Dorman being the primary first innings destroyer with an impressive 5/14 off 11 overs while Liam Naylor picked up a useful 6/14 across both innings.
The win catapulted East to second on the table behind Irymple who walloped Merbein by an innings and 221 runs at Chaffey Park.
Set a near impossible target after the Swallows made 9/421 on the opening day, the Magpies, batting a man short, fell for 105 and 98.
Scott Steel did most of the damage with the ball finishing with figures of 4/29 and 3/55 while skipper Hamish Miah (36, first innings) and his deputy Dillon Furze (38 in the second) showed some resistance with the bat.
Across the river at McLeod Oval, Gol Gol won another NSW derby game against Coomealla Wentworth.
The visitors looked be in trouble at two down for 29 in pursuit of the Blues’ 9/262 but skipper Adam Thomson and Wade Hancock put any fears to rest with a massive 242-run partnership for the third wicket.
Hancock finished with 109 while Thomson was undefeated on 150 in a knock which included 12 fours and five sixes as Gol Gol amassed 4/306 and further NSW bragging rights.
