NICHOLS Point rising star Riley Jobson fell agonisingly short of a century in his side’s important clash with Irymple in round 4 of Sunraysia cricket.
The youngster, batting at number three, had played superbly but was bowled on 99 by Swallows acting skipper Billy Phelan, as the Pointers were all our for 230 at Nichols Point Reserve.
Jobson, whose knock came from 151 delivers including 15 boundaries and two sixes, passed 50 for his home club’s first division side for the second time.
Dean Fulco was also solid down the order for the home side with an unbeaten 47.
Phelan, captain in place of the absent Mark Thomson, led from the front with the ball for Irymple with 3-43, Chase Stone and Tyler McGregor finishing with two each.
The Swallows are 1-31 in response after five overs, and while coach Bryson Lush was bowled by Michael Maalste for a duck, Daniel Frasca was firing with 24 from 18.
Meanwhile, it was one of the roughest days possible at the office for Mildura Settlers who were skittled for just 29 by Merbein at Mildura Senior College.
The rebuilding phase for the club is well and truly underway as Merbein’s Englishman Ben Green and veteran Shane Trinick ran riot through the batting order, the former claiming the first four wickets to finish with 6-19 from 9.1 overs and the latter 4-10 from nine overs.
Youngsters Will O’Connor and Cooper Aldridge tried to dig deep for the home side but the pressure proved too much.
The Magpies already have first innings points after finishing day one on 8-215 but it remains to be seen if they declare immediately or continue to bat.
Tony Trinick (63) and Hamim Miah (41) played the best up the order, while Jarrod Forrester (29 not out) and Green (28 not out) currently share an unbeaten 54-run eighth-wicket partnership.
Gol Gol’s batting depth was on show against Mildura East at Alcheringa Oval with Tyson Adamson and Aidan Calarco top scoring in the reigning premiers’ total of 282.
Calarco’s quickfire 61 helped the home side to a solid start, but it was Adamson’s 67 from 50 deliveries that really helped push them along, while Hayden Carroll chimed in with an unbeaten 32.
East’s Nick Dorman has made a good start to the season and it continued with 3-60, Ryan Muir and Andrew Ross each taking two wickets.
In response East are 0-35 from eight overs with English pair Josh Andrews (27) and Josh Bowyer (8) at the crease.
Mildura West coach Chris Williams scored a half-century in his return to action following neck surgery as his side were dismissed for 166 by Coomealla Wentworth at McLeod Oval.
The three-time Innes Medal winner finished with 52, helping his side straighten from 5-49 to add an extra 117 runs to the total.
Shane Driscoll (29 not out) and Joe Fleri (28) played solid hands too, but the day belonged to Blues bowler Liam Freeman who finished with 5-32 from 21 overs.
Jay Turlan chimed in with 2-17, while new English import Tauseef Kataria, who arrived this week, took his first scalp on Australian soil.
Coomealla Wentworth will resume on 0-1 after navigating one over before close of play.
