Sport
16 January, 2023
Colts secure statement victory over Crows
BEAUFORT def by COLTS PHELANS by 8 WICKETS Colts Phelans made their two-day intentions clear, sweeping aside the disappointment of their recent one-day final loss by completing an outright victory over Beaufort on Saturday. Trusting that their...
BEAUFORT def by COLTS PHELANS by 8 WICKETS
Colts Phelans made their two-day intentions clear, sweeping aside the disappointment of their recent one-day final loss by completing an outright victory over Beaufort on Saturday.
Trusting that their bowling attack could get the job done again, just as they had last week, Colts aggressively declared with a 32-run lead to open proceedings, and put Beaufort in to bat again.
They were rewarded almost immediately, with Matt Scott cashing in on Kriss Ellis hitting it to Wayne Stubbings for the opening wicket, with the score on two.
Beaufort were willing to put up a little bit of a fight, however, with Joshua Lofts and Blake Jantzen putting on 18 runs to get the score up to 20.
The game would change with the introduction of Ben Stubbings into the attack. Stubbings bowled exceptionally well, and was rewarded with Jantzen’s wicket when he hit it to Scott, removing him for six.
Soon after, Stubbings got his second wicket, this time taking the catch of his own bowling to get the important wicket of Lofts, who looked comfortable at the crease for his 15 runs.
The work of Stubbings inspired his teammates. Richard Clark was next to strike, trapping Charlie Dyer in front lbw for no score, before Stubbings got the important wicket of Lachlan Oddie, with the Crows star holing out to Nicholas Henderson.
Clark would strike again for his second wicket, leaving Malcolm Woolley edging one through to Liam Tatchell for his second wicket. At that stage, the Crows were 6/29, trailing by three runs with four wickets in hand.
To their credit, Nick Stabbins and Richard Stokes fought hard to try to give Beaufort a fighting chance. For the seventh wicket, the pair would put on 30, with Stokes scoring 18 runs and Stabbins eventually finishing not out on 16.
The Crows established a 27-run lead before Stokes was next to go, hitting one straight to Ed Foreman to give Callum Watts his first wicket of the afternoon, and fourth for the match.
Soon after, after some brief resistance from Craig Grant, who added nine runs, Watts had his fifth wicket of the game, with the Crows wicketkeeper hitting it straight to Rhys Egan.
Dayne Baker finished off the Beaufort innings with the wickets of Gavin Drinkwater and Simon Grant for ducks.
At the end of the innings, the plaudits were reserved for Stubbings, whose 10 overs had yielded the figures of 3/5 off 10 overs — with nine maidens. Clark, Baker and Watts all had the distinction of each finishing with the figures of 2/9 as the Crows were bowled out for 77, leaving Colts chasing 46 for victory.
With a relatively low total to chase, Colts looked to end the game in a hurry by sending out crafty middle-order batsmen Jackson Gordon and Clark to push the run-rate.
Gordon’s stay at the crease was brief, however, bowled by Stokes for three runs to give Beaufort a tiny glimmer of hope.
Not long after, Stubbings was caught short, ran out by Jantzen for four.
However, the duo of Clark and Tatchell were able to guide Colts to their target of 46 in 15.3 overs, giving them a comfortable outright victory by eight wickets.
Stokes was the Crows’ best bowler, finishing with the figures of 1/13 off five overs.
Colts Phelans will now enjoy a fortnight off, while Beaufort’s task does not get any easier, welcoming Laanecoorie Dunolly to their home patch.