Sport
18 January, 2024
Clunes look to continue good form against Owls
Although they missed out on their desired result by just one wicket, Clunes are now back to second on the overall ladder, and will be aiming to stay there as they welcome bottom team Maryborough over the next two weeks. Regardless of whether or not...
Although they missed out on their desired result by just one wicket, Clunes are now back to second on the overall ladder, and will be aiming to stay there as they welcome bottom team Maryborough over the next two weeks.
Regardless of whether or not they managed to get the outright win they desired, it was a statement performance from the Magpies, who had many of their stars firing on all cylinders as they started their two-day campaign on a positive note.
With the ball, Lachlan Morganti had an outstanding fortnight, taking eight wickets for just 42 runs, including a marathon second-innings stint which yielded 23 overs, 13 maidens, and figures of 5/29.
Jaxon Smyth, himself, shouldn’t be overlooked, having taken six wickets for the game, while setting Clunes up for first innings points with a stunning 4/12 to open the game.
Add in Noah Davies’ four wickets, and the Magpies are looking good from a bowling standpoint.
With the bat, it was the Mitch Coppick show across both days as he put together his best knock of the season.
Coppick moved into third on the runscoring charts thanks to his 88, which was his third half-century of the season.
However, he certainly wasn’t alone in his endeavours.
Jude McGuire had a confident outing on the first day, scoring 57 runs off 66 balls, while Brendan Ingram also performed well, scoring 35 runs as he provided some handy middle-order ammunition for the Magpies.
They will now be favoured to get a good result against a youthful Maryborough, who had some competitive moments against Laanecoorie Dunolly, but couldn’t sustain it for long enough.
It was good to see the Owls’ younger talents get their chance to shine with the bat, with the likes of Sam Thomson and Jasper Trickey looking capable against Laane’s top-line bowlers, before they eventually got their breakthrough.
But the Owls will also be happy with the form of Ben Hoban, who held his wicket for the entire day, and Troy Bursill, who put together a well-made 52.
It’s with the ball that the Owls still need work to be done.
They have still struggled to put teams away this season, and were unable to contain Laane’s middle order, despite the good work of Mick Malik, who conceded just 15 runs from his 9.5 overs, as well as Trickey, who continued his consistency throughout the season, conceding three runs an over, despite going wicketless.
The Owls will be hoping to improve from their last meeting against Clunes, which saw them bowled out for 77 before eventually losing by five wickets.
