THE game of the round in the Sunraysia Cricket Association (SCA) looks delicately poised, with Gol Gol needing another 170 runs to beat Irymple and claim a third consecutive victory at Henshilwood Reserve.
With opener Bryson Lush making 96 and Jarrad Armsden making 28 down the order, Irymple became the first team to reach 200 this season in the first round when teams have been able to complete 80-over innings.
Gol Gol return to the crease at 0/34 from 19 overs, with Jayden Brooks (21) and Zac Tankard (13) the not-out batsmen. The return of spinner Nick Jensen was a massive asset for the visitors as he took four wickets, while Sheldon Calarco got three.
Gol Gol coach Adam Thomson told Sunraysia Daily last week that his side were looking forward to batting 80 overs again and having leading run scorers Shacaya Thomas (208) and Wade Hancock (107) certainly helped.
“Basically everyone will still be playing their natural game, and when you’ve got arguably the strongest bowling line-up in the competition coming at you, it will give us a much better sense of where we’re at,” he said.
“Shac’s scored 208 runs without giving a chance. Usually Shac starts the season really well because he works so hard. He’s probably putting in more time than anyone else and I think that comes out in the early games.
“Wade had a pretty short pre-season but he’s obviously class and when he gets his eye in there’s not too many better.”
Thomas’ wicket will be the prized, but Irymple’s varied bowling attack adds another layer of difficulty to any batting side.
New addition Luke Collett grabbed five wickets in the previous round and Lush took four with his spinners, while Chase Stone and Bailey Anderson have also been among the wickets so far.
Mildura East v Nichols Point
NICHOLS Point will need to chase down Mildura East’s 172 to win their first game of the season in the last week before the Christmas break.
Skipper Brad Thomas and coach Shaun Mathews loom as the most important players in the run chase, with the former especially so against a younger East attack.
Opener Mark Frazer scored 29 in his opening innings of the season and could be another player who could hold up an end.
East skipper Josh Berry has had no issues throwing the newer ball to his younger players, with Jayden and Zane Hunt and Surendra Prajapat having led the bowling unit in the first few games.
Berry led the scoring for East with a patient 53 from 169 deliveries, while Andrew Ross (30) and Aaron Cordell (22) also made handy runs.
Mathews (4/41) took the best figures of the innings for the Pointers after putting down a massive 27 overs, while Jack Norton snared 2/36.
Coomealla Wentworth v Mildura Settlers
MILDURA Settlers have already claimed first-innings points against Coomealla Wentworth, but an outright victory early in the season could put the reigning premiers firmly in the driver’s seat.
Despite an impressive 62 from coach Liam Freeman, the Blues were all out for 116, veteran Richie Wyld doing most of the damage with 6/20, his best bowling figures for Settlers on record (which dates back to the 2007-08 season on MyCricket).
A quickfire 91 from 87 deliveries for Jason Morrison and 29 from Cameron Kiel have seen Setts already make it across the line, but extra points are always handy.
Youngster Monty Maloney (seven) and skipper Braidyn Turner (two) are at the crease when play resumes, and with Wyld, Andrew Petrie, Mark Cleary and Luke Stanbrook still to come, they could extend well past their current total of 3/132.
Jake Wright has taken two of the three wickets so far and while Justin Freeman isn’t in the side, there are still plenty of talented bowlers in their line-up.
