Sport
3 February, 2026
Colts completes escape of Carisbrook
Another sharp bowling performance from Colts Phelans has blunted a surging Caris-brook fightback, completing a regular season sweep of last season’s runner-up with a narrow 23-run victory.
Led by Rhys Wagstaff’s 53 in an impactful return for the Colts captain, the visitors ended the first innings on 8/196.
Carisbrook looked poised to challenge that target sitting at 4/134 with 10 overs remaining, but three wickets in six balls from Asim Akhtar and Dayne Baker extin-guished the host’s chances of avenging last season’s Grand Final defeat.
The Colts won the toss and elected to bat at Carisbrook Recreation Reserve, with their opening partnership of Wagstaff and Ben Evans blazing 39 runs in the first six overs.
Carisbrook turned to youngsters Elliot Cullinan and Cooper Mark to help stem the bleeding, with Mark delivering the wicket of Evans for 28 thanks to a catch from Coutts behind the stumps.
The sudden ending of their 56-run opening stand didn’t stop the Colts from accelerating away, with Josh Collinson hitting three boundaries with his opening three scoring shots when he joined Wagstaff in the middle.
With the visitors threatening to put the game out of reach, Mr reliable Dean Nalder once again changed the game for Carisbrook, dismissing Collinson for 19 in his first over with a catch from Atticus Cullinan.
Asim Akhtar was next at the crease with the Colts at 2/100 after 20 overs, helping Wagstaff score his first 50 since round 12 of the 2023/24 season, coincidentally against Carisbrook.
Wagstaff would be dismissed soon thereafter however, becoming Nalder’s second victim when he was caught by Coutts after a well-made 53.
With Wagstaff out of the picture, Carisbrook suddenly had a new lease on the match and began rampaging through the Colts middle order.
In back-to-back overs, spinner Brayden Wright went duck hunting, bowling Liam Stubbings before getting Rhys Egan to be caught by Chris Lee without either batter troubling the scorers.
Cooper Mark compounded the Colts recent misery by removing Jack Mensforth for eight with the help of a catch from Elliot Cullinan.
In the space of six overs, the Colts stumbled from 2/123 to 6/143, needing the partnership of Akhtar and Jack Gallimore to get the visitors back on track.
The duo added a valuable 28 runs before Akhtar held out a Wright delivery to the waiting arms of Elliot Cullinan right on the mid-on boundary, with the hard-hitting left-hander gone for 33.
The new partnership of Luke Tatchell and Gallimore was running between the wickets very effectively until a slight miscommunication brought about Gallimore’s demise, run out by Lee for nine.
Dayne Baker and Luke Tatchell saw out the remaining two overs, with the experienced pair doing extremely well to bring the Colts to 8/196 from their allotted 40 overs.
Wright helped point Carisbrook in the right direction after a worrying start, taking 3/30 while Nalder (2/33) and Cooper Mark (2/35) finished with two wickets respectively.
While chasing down 196 wouldn’t be an easy task, Carisbrook has scored 190 or more runs in three of their last seven matches, in large part due to their fruitful opening partnership of Coutts and Elliot Cullinan.
Knowing how dangerous the pairing can be, Nick Henderson and Baker were tasked with grabbing an early wicket to fortify the Colts’ controlling position. Henderson was the man for the job, bowling Coutts for seven in the seventh over.
The quartet of Henderson, Akhtar, Gallimore and Mensforth ensured the pairing of Elliot Cullinan and Wright had to concentrate on every ball. However, the pair looked up to the job, playing some outstanding shots that flew to the boundary.
Their 42-run partnership came to an abrupt end thanks to a Mensforth double breakthrough, first getting Cullinan to be caught by wicketkeeper Tatchell for 34 before trapping Wright with an LBW dismissal for 29 in his next over.
Collinson followed Mensforth’s footsteps after replacing him in the attack, dismissing Atticus Cullinan for six thanks to a catch from his captain, Wagstaff.
Stricken to 4/86 after 22 overs, Carisbrook still had a mountain to climb with 111 runs needed with only six wickets in hand.
Nalder and Cole Harris clearly weren’t threatened by the lofty goal, with the duo combining to smash seven fours and a six on their way to conjuring 48 runs in eight overs.
With momentum quickly shifting to their opponents, Akhtar and Dayne Baker delivered the decisive blow to Carisbrook’s ambitions.
First, Akhtar removed Harris, caught by Tatchell after scoring 22.
Five balls later, Baker was on a hat-trick, with Tatchell making his third catch to dismiss Nalder for 29 before Baker bowled Lee for a duck.
The father-son duo of Martin and Cooper Mark attempted to keep Carisbrook afloat before Henderson bowled the younger Mark for nine.
Veterans Martin Mark and Leigh Koop ended the innings unbeaten on eight and 11 respectively, but Carisbrook fell 23 runs short on 8/173.
The Colts depth-filled bowling attack continues to power the reigning premiers quest for a repeat, with Henderson (2/12), Mensforth (2/21) and Baker (2/34) all impressive in victory.