Sport
10 February, 2026
Carisbrook pours on 324 runs against Clunes
With their finals aspirations potentially at risk, Carisbrook has delivered a clear statement of intent, belting 324 on day one to place themselves in a dominant position over Clunes.
It’s Carisbrook’s highest tally since returning to the MDCA’s A grade back in the 2023/24 season, buoyed by three brilliant half-centuries.
Not be outshone by his younger brother Elliot’s blistering 53 at the top of the order, Atticus Cullinan flourished with an outstanding 64.
Martin Mark turned back the clocks with a sparkling 51 on the eve of the innings, a misery complier for a Clunes team close to teetering out of the finals picture.
After winning the toss and electing to send Carisbrook in to bat, the Magpies handed the ball to the returning Noah Davies and spinner Ritik Yadav, hoping the star-studded duo could break the similarly talented opening partnership of Elliot Cullinan and William Coutts.
With Davies and Yadav on song immediately, Elliot Cullinan and Coutts found themselves in survival mode early. Still, Elliot helped break the shackles quickly with some exceptional shots that flew to the boundary.
Even the typically ground-stroke heavy Coutts went aerial while facing an aggressive Clunes field, as the opening partnership continued to expand with Elliot Cullinan reaching his 50 inside 15 overs.
A change of bowling brought about Elliot Cullinan’s demise, with Paul Coon claiming his wicket for 53, thanks to a catch from Jude McGuire.
After several appeals were rejected, Yadav claimed Carisbrook’s other opener in Coutts for 36, with Mitch Coppick taking the catch.
Carisbrook’s next two batters, Brayden Wright and Atticus Cullinan, followed in their openers’ aggressive footsteps, with the pair combining for 14 boundaries.
Wright blasted two fours and a six before being run out by Ahmed Rehman for 24.
Even with Yadav bowling the dangerous Dean Nalder for 15, the returning Jordan Hooper kept Carisbrook rolling with a hard-hitting 48 before becoming Coon’s second wicket with the help of a catch from Yadav.
After scoring his first A grade 50 in Carisbrook’s season opener versus Maryborough, coming from just 32 balls, Atticus Cullinan upped his senior batting watermark to 64, with over two-thirds of his runs coming from fours.
His reign of terror over the Magpies finally came to an end when he hit a Charlie Erickson delivery into the waiting grasp of Davies.
Erickson, who’s produced some spectacular spells for the Magpies in A reserve this season, also weaved his magic on Axel Purcell, trapping the fellow teenager with an LBW dismissal for naught.
With Clunes on the precipice of recovering something from Carisbrook’s barrage, Martin Mark suddenly resumed the visitors’ assault.
The veteran played some exquisite shots on his way to his first A grade half-century since November 18, 2023, in a Carisbrook victory over Maryborough.
Rehman brought an abrupt end to Mark’s renaissance knock, removing him for 51 with a Brenton Jones catch.
Rehman claimed his second wicket to end Carisbrook’s innings in the 75th over by dismissing Caleb Cluff for one, thanks to a Coon catch after Mark Allen removed Leigh Koop for four with an LBW dismissal.
Rehman (2/23) was among a quartet of Clunes’ bowlers to earn two wickets alongside Erickson (2/13), Coon (2/43) and Yadav (2/100 from 26 overs).