Sport
17 February, 2026
Clunes deny Carisbrook of outright win
An outstanding bowling performance from Carisbrook has been denied a rare outright victory by a margin of millimetres, with Clunes rebounding strongly after being bowled out for 63.
Following a Jordan Hooper five-wicket haul that restricted the Magpies to the lowest A grade score this season, Carisbrook were given 52 overs to bowl the hosts out again and take a massive leap towards the top four.
The visitors placed themselves in touching distance, but Clunes held on by a single wicket thanks to a key knock from Brenton Jones and a remarkable tenth-wicket stand by captain Mitch Coppick and teenager Charlie Erickson.
The visitors entered day two in a dominant position after scoring 324 on day one. That position only improved as Atticus Cullinan and Hooper threw fireballs that removed Clunes’ fresh opening tandem.
First, Atticus Cullinan ended Ahmed Rehman’s knock when he was caught by wicketkeeper William Coutts for one. Anthony Ellis followed Rehman swiftly after he guided a Hooper delivery to Dean Nalder for a duck.
Facing immediate trouble at 2/1, the Magpies looked to be in capable hands with Brett Coon and Coppick tasked with cleaning up the messy start.
However, things only went from bad to worse for the Magpies, as Atticus Cullinan castled Coon for seven and Hooper dismissed Coppick for five with the help of an Elliot Cullinan catch.
Everything Hooper and Atticus Cullinan touched turned to wickets, with Atticus Cullinan taking his third wicket thanks to a catch by younger brother Elliot that sent Mark Allen packing for a duck.
When Hooper got the in-form Dylan Davies to be caught by Leigh Koop for four and remove Jones for the same score, thanks to Elliot Cullinan’s third catch of the day, Clunes were in disarray at 7/22.
In the wreckage of the carnage, Jude McGuire and the returning Aidan Thompson gave the Magpies a moment of respite, combining to smash seven boundaries.
The stand could only hold the Carisbrook train from steamrolling ahead for so long, with Hooper adding fuel to the fire by bowling McGuire for 15.
Even after the 20-over barrage of Hooper and Atticus Cullinan concluded, wickets continued to tumble for Clunes with the arrival of Cooper Mark.
The seamer got Noah Davies to be caught by Coutts for two before castling Thompson after an entertaining 24 to bowl the Magpies out for 63 after just 22.4 overs.
The demolition duo of Hooper and Atticus Cullinan were ruthless throughout, taking season-best figures of 5/23 and 3/32 respectively.
Following the staggering events of the first innings, the Magpies elected to reshuffle their lineup for the second innings, with the hot hand of Thompson opening alongside Rehman.
Despite his team wrapping up the first innings points, Hooper’s thirst for wickets wasn’t fulfilled, quickly dismissing Rehman for seven thanks to a Coutts catch.
With their opening bowlers feeling the effects of their first innings workload, Carisbrook were forced into an early bowling change.
Fortunately for the visitors, their wicket-taking form transferred onto Cole Harris, who removed Allen for 10 courtesy of a Atticus Cullinan catch.
Suddenly falling to 2/20, the Magpies were desperate for a sustained partnership to help halt Carisbrook’s momentum.
However, Carisbrook were like sharks smelling blood along the coastline, hunting down every wayward batsman swept to sea.
Elliot Cullinan added to his velcro like catching in the field by ending the extended resistance of Thompson, caught by Coutts for one.
Harris had his second and third victims shortly thereafter, sending Ellis and Dylan Davies packing for 10 and five respectively, with the same form of dismissal as Coutts brought his catch tally to four.
Clunes were now hanging on for dear life at 5/36, with the clock rapidly ticking towards midnight. However, the reunion of a fruitful partnership began to turn the hands counterclockwise.
After helping the Magpies to a defendable total in a round seven defeat to Beaufort, McGuire and Jones were asked to complete an encore.
The duo duly delivered, improving Clunes’ position with every over while talented bats like Coppick and Coon remained in the sheds. The pivotal 45-run stand came to an end thanks to the spin of Brayden Wright bowling McGuire for 13.
Despite McGuire’s removal, Clunes looked like a solid chance to complete the escape, with Coppick stepping up alongside Jones.
Their road to recovery hit a major snag when Nalder completed a sharp caught and bowled, removing Jones after a season-high 48.
As his team neared the cusp of an outright victory with three wickets remaining, Mark began to replicate his first innings spell and bowl his team to maximum points.
After getting Coon caught by Hooper for 13, Mark dismissed Noah Davies for a second time in the match, gone for four thanks to a Wright catch.
Mark’s double breakthrough placed Clunes on their final life, with young Erickson thrust into a daunting challenge alongside Coppick in just his second career A grade match.
The teenager has produced moments of magic in A reserve this season, including a hat-trick against Beaufort Blue, but he still had some pixie dust in stock with the bat.
With their backs against the wall, Coppick and Erickson got the job done, making it to 52 overs with a 29-run stand.
Coppick continues to thrive under pressure for Clunes, instrumental to their survival with an unbeaten 60 that included nine fours and a six. Erickson was just as critical, scoring seven in a memorable moment of his young senior career.
Cole Harris led a continually potent Carisbrook attack in the second innings, finishing with 3/29.