Sport
16 December, 2025
Bennett and Dell star in the Owls return
Following their unplanned mid-season hiatus, Maryborough ended their one-day season in style, defeating a valiant Carisbrook by six wickets, thanks to a game-changing 131-run partnership between Oliver Bennett and Martin Dell.
With a vintage Dean Nalder half-century and prized knocks from Elliot Cullinan and Cole Harris, Carisbrook looked in prime position to enter the Christmas break inside the top four after posting 207.
After the Owls lost two early wickets, Bennett and Dell put on a batting masterclass at Carisbrook Recreation Reserve, with Bennett scoring 85 and Dell ending unbeaten on 81 to ensure Maryborough’s victory.
Carisbrook captain William Coutts won the toss and elected to send the white-hot opening partnership of himself and Elliot Cullinan in to bat first.
Coutts’ decision looked very wise when the dynamo duo quickly found runs off the Owls’ starting bowling duo of Oliver Cassidy and Jason Hunt.
Cautious that Carisbrook’s in-form pair could quickly unravel the first innings, the Owls threw the ball to Kristopher Bagley and Liam Maffescioni.
While Bagley’s consistent deliveries stunted the run rate, Maffescioni capitalised by claiming the wicket of Coutts for 15, who was caught by Troy Bursill behind the stumps, ending Carisbrook’s first wicket partnership at 51 runs.
Elliot Cullinan and Jordan Hooper seemed poised to replicate their vital partnerships in Carisbrook’s recent back-to-back wins, but Maffescioni struck again, this time getting Cullinan to hit a shot caught by Liam Radlof, ending his innings at 44.
Maffescioni wasn’t done causing havoc to Carisbrook’s top-order, quickly adding a third wicket when Hooper was caught by Dell for two.
With Carisbrook’s fast start slightly nullified at 3/71, Mary-borough eyed a killer blow to their opponents’ innings.
However, the pairing of Nalder and Atticus Cullinan began to reassert Carisbrook’s advantageous position.
Even when Atticus Cullinan’s strong start ended when he was caught by Bursill for 12 off a Hunt delivery, Nalder kept Carisbrook’s run rate flowing with his characteristic flourishing shots.
With the new man in Harris also in fine touch, the partnership of Harris and Nalder brought about 66 runs before an unlikely source in Alex Burrow ended Nalder’s knock at 55, thanks to a catch from Hunt.
It was an opportune time for Burrow’s second wicket of the season, as the Owls looked poised to knock off Carisbrook’s lower order.
Harris and Cooper Mark had other ideas, frustrating their opponents with an excellent late stand that brought the hosts past 200 for the first time this season.
Mark and Harris would both be dismissed by spinner Jasper Trickey for 24 and 38 respectively, thanks to catches by Bennett and Dell, but they did a supreme job in guiding Carisbrook to an impressive final total of 7/207.
Maffescioni and Bagley were crucial in ensuring Carisbrook didn’t lay down an even tougher gauntlet, with Maffescioni taking top figures of 3/32 from eight overs. While he didn’t receive a deserved wicket, Bagley was just as important, conceding just 17 runs from his eight overs.
With reliable opener Ben Hoban unavailable, Lachlan Bursill was promoted from A reserve to join Bennett in starting Maryborough’s run chase.
Lachlan Bursill helped Bennett get off to a fast start before he was removed by Hooper for five, caught by wicketkeeper Coutts.
Burrow seemed on the cards for a big total when he joined fellow UK import Bennett in the middle, but his innings turned into a short cameo when Atticus Cullinan sent him back to the sheds for a run-a-ball 12 thanks to Coutts’ second catch of the day.
With Maryborough sitting at 2/50, the game remained on a knife-edge as the next partnership proved to be key for deciding who would take the vital six points.
Fortunately for the Owls, the pairing of Bennett and Dell carried the visitors to a winnable position.
After navigating the spell of Atticus Cullinan, the duo routinely found the boundary facing Elliot Cullinan, Nalder, Axel Purcell and Mark.
Bennett in particular was playing some brilliant shots, seemingly destined to reach his first century in Maryborough colours.
Those dreams were dashed when Purcell recovered quickly from some early boundaries to draw Bennett into a deadly mistake, as the opener picked out Elliot Cullinan on the mid-on boundary to end a superb knock on 85.
Despite Purcell earning his second wicket in the same fashion, removing Hunt for six with a catch from Elliot Cullinan, Dell ensured Maryborough got over the line in the 36th over, finishing 81 not out from only 72 balls to end the one-day season with 197 runs from just four games.
Radlof finished the innings alongside Dell on seven.
Purcell showed great determination to finish with 2/34, while Atticus Cullinan (1/45 from eight overs) and Hooper (1/40 from seven overs) were the other wicket takers for Carisbrook.