Sport
14 February, 2025
Clunes chase Brook finals spot
It’s last chance saloon for Clunes as only a win will suffice for them to have any chance of sneaking past Carisbrook for the last available finals spot.
With Clunes sitting 18 points adrift of Carisbrook in fourth and Carisbrook having a bye in the final round, the Magpies need two victories, including an outright win, to make the finals.
Both teams will be keen to bounce back from their round 11 losses where they were in good positions to take victory.
Carisbrook put together one of their best all-round performances of the season against Laanecoorie Dunolly and looked a strong chance to snap Laane’s long unbeaten run when the reigning premiers were 6/100.
However, Carisbrook was unable to land the killing blow but can take plenty of positives from their performance into the next fortnight.
Similarly, the Magpies got into a competitive position after the first day against Beaufort, making 191 runs before limiting the Crows to 1/40 from 20 overs.
Despite the economical bowling of Mark Jenkin, Harrison Blomeley and Mark Allen, Kriss Ellis, Nicholas Cooper and Tom Alexander were suburb for Beaufort, with Clunes taking one wicket for 251 runs on day two.
With both teams currently ranking at the bottom of the wicket-taking charts this season, the ability to take wickets often will be a key factor to victory for both teams.
With two wickets against Laane last week, young hot shot Atticus Cullinan has vaulted himself up to the top of the club’s wicket-taking charts with eight wickets.
Spin duo Dean Nalder and Ritik Yadav will look to cause major issues for the Magpies, with both taking seven wickets this season.
Jenkin will look to keep his good form going with the ball for the Magpies, taking wickets in his last two matches.
Blomeley and Allen hope their efforts with the ball against the Crows will be rewarded with a wicket against Carisbrook.
If the only meeting between the two sides this season is anything to go by, expect plenty of runs to flow at Bull Millgate Oval.
Both teams achieved their highest scores of the season in that round four contest, with Carisbrook victorious by six wickets.
Allen had a superb knock for the Magpies, scoring 76 runs from 55 balls with 14 fours and a six. He was well supported by a 54 from Mitch Coppick and a 46 from Aidan Thompson.
Carisbrook was able to chase down the total of 233 with four balls to spare after Martin Mark, William Coutts, Nalder, Liam Hurse and Chris Lee all scored above 30, with Mark high scoring with 43 from 39 balls.