AUSTRALIA’S Over 50 men’s cricket side came out on top to claim the Spirit of Cricket Festivale Cup on Tuesday.
They defeated an Australia A side containing Sunraysia players Brad Purdue and John Mensforth in the final at Mildura Senior College by 30 runs to round out the veterans tri-series, which also included New Zealand.
Australia top order guns Stephen Mace and Andrew Kratzman did the damage with the bat, scoring 70 from 95 deliveries and an unbeaten 61 from 54 balls respectively as they reached 5/250 from their 45 overs.
Chris Lanigan was the top Australia A bowler with 2-41.
After taking 10 wickets in his previous four matches, including an impressive 4/21 in last Friday’s victory over New Zealand at Chaffey Park, Purdue was unable to claim a scalp in the final, finishing with 0/37.
Mensforth opened the batting in the run chase but Australia A was in early trouble as partner Phil Whybird fell for four runs with the score at 1-16.
The Sunraysia batsman finished with 20 from 30 deliveries when he was the next man out at 2-36.
Australia A put up a brave fight to finish at 9/220 from their 45 overs.
Number 4 Ashley Hardy led the chase with 56, caught out when unselfishly trying to raise the required run rate.
Gerard Wyeth kept it interesting with an entertaining lower-order knock of 37 runs from 24.
Stephen Gollan was the pick of the bowlers with 3-42, while Phil Melville and Tim Haysman each finished with two scalps.
Several players involved in the tournament are set to continue playing across Sunraysia this weekend when the inaugural Spirit of Cricket Twenty20 franchise event takes place.
