Sport
14 October, 2025
Classy Colts defeat Beaufort by 104 runs
A game-changing 84-run partnership between Rhys Egan and Luke Tatchell steered Colts Phelans into a controlling position which they capitalised on with the ball, bowling Beaufort out 104 runs short of the required total.
Egan and Tatchell’s late stand took Colts from 7/127 to a strong total of 223, a total they defended thanks to the bowling prowess of Josh Collinson, Nick Henderson and Abdaar Ishaq.
Electing to bat on their home deck after winning the toss, openers Ishaq and captain Rhys Wagstaff looked to score quickly, already reaching their 50-run partnership after just eight overs.
With the game threatening to slip out of their control early, the Bulls brought Lachlan Oddie into the attack looking to break the Colts’ opening stand.
Oddie did that and then some, removing both openers with Ishaq first to go for 27 after being bowled and Wagstaff out for 22 after a sharp catch from Nick Stabbins to suddenly put the Colts at 2/58.
The new partnership of Collinson and Tarkyn Balzan looked like they would pick up where their openers left off until Nicolas Stares bowled Collinson for four.
After an exciting innings from Asim Akhtar was ended on 30 after he was caught by Oddie off the bowling of Jarrod Blandford, the Colts entered the drinks break at 4/107 on course to make a big total.
With Egan and Balzan at the crease, the hosts continued to advance their position before the Bulls suddenly stampeded their middle order with three wickets in three overs.
Captain Brandon Walsh started by bowling Balzan for 17 before Blandford removed the next man in Harrison Kurzke before he troubled the scorers.
When Walsh grabbed the wicket of Jack Gallimore for a golden duck when he was caught by Kriss Ellis, the hosts found themselves on the back foot at 7/127.
With Beaufort going in for the kill, Egan and the next man in, Tatchell, weathered the storm expertly, constantly rotating the strike as the Bulls’ momentum slowly ebbed away.
After settling in quickly, it was Egan who was lifting the tempo, scoring seven boundaries before Walsh ended his innings at 67 from 54 balls after being stumped by Stabbins.
Tatchell and Hunter Kurzke saw out the last 10 balls to end the host’s innings at 8/223, with Egan’s 67 top-scoring and Tatchell and Hunter Kurzke finishing on 23 and seven not out respectively.
Walsh was the pick of the bowlers for Beaufort with figures of 3/36 from eight overs, well supported by Oddie (2/31) and Blandford (2/38).
Needing 224, the Bulls started well thanks to openers Ellis and Blandford, reaching 35 runs after eight overs.
Henderson sent Beaufort’s start crumbling down, grabbing two wickets in two balls with Ellis caught by Akhtar for 24 and Aichroth bowled for a golden duck.
Akhtar got in on the act six balls later, with Henderson returning the favour, catching Blandford for 13 to put the Bulls in a precarious position at 3/41.
Oddie and Theo Trevelyan-Clark attempted to stem the tide for Beaufort with an extended partnership, but they too were sent back to the pavilion with Oddie caught by Wagstaff off the bowling of Gallimore for eight and Hunter Kurzke dismissing Trevelyan-Clark for 12 three balls later, thanks to a catch by Akhtar.
The wickets continued to come for the Colts thanks to Collinson, first removing Walsh for three after being caught by Henderson and then ending the threatening innings of Woolidge at 10, who was caught by Hunter Kurzke.
With the Bulls at 7/92 with 13 overs to play, Nick Stabbins was leading a needed contribution from the lower order.
However, with time running out, the Colts capitalised on Beaufort’s needed risks, with Ishaq grabbing the wicket of Nicholas Broad for seven when Tatchell caught him and then bowling Stares with his next ball for a duck.
While Ishaq didn’t complete the hat trick, Collinson ended proceedings three overs later when Stabbins held out to Egan near the leg side boundary on 31.
Collinson’s final wicket brought him to figures of 3/30 from 7.2 overs, while Henderson and Ishaq grabbed two wickets each.
Stabbins showed some fight for the Bulls, top-scoring with 31, closely followed by Ellis on 24.