Sport
7 February, 2025
Battle for second in A reserve comp
The first round of A reserve in 2025 has seen Maryborough increase its lead at the top of the table to 12 points while three teams are now deadlocked on 33 points in the battle for second.
Maryborough 185 def Clunes 34
Maryborough returned to the field with a bang, defeating the reigning premiers by 151 runs as they reduced Clunes to the lowest score of the season.
The Clunes bowling attack was able to make inroads regularly throughout the opening innings, with Brad Stevenson and Brett Coon collecting three wickets each with Coon grabbing best figures of 3/20.
However, a swift 61 from Ben Robertson anchored the innings for the Owls, which coupled with some hard-hitting from Brad Rowe, Bradey Tranter and Jason Hunt brought the total up to 185.
The vaunted Owls bowling attack certainly didn’t cool during the midseason break, bowling the Magpies out for 34.
Fresh off his Kirton Shield appearance, Sam Ross grabbed top figures with 3/3 from 4.5 overs while Hunt continued his fine form with 3/6 from four overs and fellow Kirton Shield team member Oliver Cassidy grabbed 2/7 off four overs.
Stevenson top-scored for the Magpies, making 17.
Carisbrook 9/168 def MKM 6/164
Carisbrook has moved just outside the finals in fifth place after holding on against MKM by one wicket.
After sending the visitors into bat, Carisbrook was in the driver’s seat with two wickets from David Coomber putting MKM at 3/64.
A 59-run partnership between Tristan Tack and Jithin Thomas was the platform for MKM to get to 164, with Tack finishing on 43 and Thomas adding 41 with seven fours.
Brandyn Eagle was the other Carisbrook bowler to grab two wickets alongside Coomber, ending up with 2/21.
Carisbrook looked comfortable in achieving their winning target of 165 after 30 overs, needing only 38 runs from 60 balls with five wickets in hand.
Even after Daryl Rooks was run out for a top score of 49, the hosts were sitting pretty at 7/162, needing only three runs from 34 balls.
MKM brought a major scare by grabbing two wickets for one run before Carisbrook managed to get over the line with a boundary.
Sebastian Borg and Joshua O’Connor grabbed two wickets each for MKM, finishing with figures of 2/25 and 2/26 respectively.
Colts Phelans 96 def by Talbot 9/105
Talbot has moved into third after claiming an away victory against Colts Phelans.
The result leaves Talbot, Colts and Clunes gridlocked on 33 points, with only 0.65 quotient separating second and third.
The Yabbies found themselves in trouble at 7/64 after Graham Taylor ripped through Talbot’s middle order, ending up with remarkable figures of 4/6 with four maidens from eight overs.
Talbot recovered to make a defendable 105 after a late-hitting masterclass from Matthew Zeuschner added 30 to their total.
Openers Aaron Balzan and Peter Egan got the hosts off to a decent start with a 22-run partnership before Karl Gunther dissected the Colts’ opening lineup, grabbing the first four wickets of the innings.
With Colts still looking a decent chance at 7/86, Jack Kenden would shut the door, taking the last three wickets to finish with figures of 3/22 and give Talbot the win.
Beaufort 6/185 def Laanecoorie Dunolly 117
After losing their first five games of the season, Beaufort are now two wins on the trot after defeating Laanecoorie Dunolly at Buangor Recreation Reserve.
A 70-run partnership between Andrew Grant and David Kiely set the table for the Crows to reach their second-highest score of the season, with Grant using the partnership as a launchpad to make 76.
Steven Dellavedova was the pick of the bowlers for Laane, grabbing two wickets while allowing less than two runs an over from his eight overs.
Nicolas Stares gave Beaufort the dream start, claiming the wickets of Paul Waddington, Brendan Redpath and Dellavedova before the scorers added to the runs column.
Callum Liddicoat and Jacob Meyer tried their best to pull Laane out of their 3/0 hole, making 46 and 44 before Richard Stokes would send the pair back to the pavilion on his way to join Stares with four wickets for the match.
Round 10
With only five rounds left to play in the regular season, the pressure heats up for teams in the finals picture.
Fresh off their win over second-placed Colts Phelans, Talbot will look to do one better by taking down top-of-the-table Maryborough.
Maryborough will look to repeat their round five performance when these teams last met when the Owls flew away with an 85-run victory.
Carisbrook will be looking to reduce the gap between themselves and the top four to six points when they host Colts Phelans.
Colts could put themselves three games clear of the chasing pack for finals with a victory.
In a repeat of an ongoing A grade fixture, Clunes will look to bounce back from their loss at Princes Park when they face a Beaufort side keen to keep their winning ways going.
MKM and Laanecoorie Dunolly will look to snap their current losing streaks when the two teams meet at Ron Sinclair Oval to conclude round 10 action.