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Sport

29 October, 2024

Crows make it two from two in fast start

BEAUFORT 7/212 def CARISBROOK 131

By Michael Thompson

Crows make it two from two in fast start - feature photo

Beaufort’s perfect start to the A grade campaign continued on Saturday as they delivered an 81-run victory over Carisbrook at Goldfields Reserve.

Carisbrook won the toss and elected to bowl, hoping to take some early wickets.

They would succeed in the early part of the innings, with Thomas Alexander going out for 15 after a fast start, hitting a Parteek Singh delivery straight into the waiting arms of Caleb Cluff.

But Beaufort would soon have the game on their terms, and in particular, it was the pressure of their top order quality that would bring Carisbrook undone with some untidy bowling.

The Brookers would bowl 55 extras throughout the balance of the day, which included 35 wides, and this did not help their cause.

Regardless, they would soon have a second wicket, that being Thomas Grant for 17, with Liam Hurse delivering his first wicket after luring him into a shot straight to Brian Knight.

Hurse would then have a second wicket, and it was the key wicket of Lachlan Oddie, who hit a ball straight to Atticus Cullinan.

However, through the early stages, the one constant was the form of Kriss Ellis, who again delivered in his second game as captain, and stuck it out throughout the first half of the innings.

Together with Nick Stabbins, the duo would help reset the foundations for the Crows after a slight wobble, putting on 39 for the fourth wicket before Stabbins would depart for 11, with Dean Nalder taking his wicket, caught by Singh.

Carisbrook would have thought they were a good chance to get themselves right in the game when they managed to grab the wicket of Ellis for a well-made 43, with Nalder and Singh again combining for his wicket.

When Joe Kingsbury was bowled by Nalder, the Crows were 6/125.

Enter Jayden Scotland.

The Crows’ new recruit seemed to take it upon himself to banish any chance Carisbrook had of cleaning up the tail with some strong shots, scoring six fours as he combined with Joel Pymer for an important 51-run stand, which ended when Pymer was bowled by Cullinan.

A 36-run partnership for the eighth wicket wasn’t what Carisbrook needed as the Crows closed out the innings on 7/212, with Scotland unbeaten on 46 and Ben Grant at the other end scoreless.

Nalder was impressive in his bowling spell, taking 3/37, while Hurse finished with 2/34.

Carisbrook needed to be perfect if they were to be any chance of overhauling the Crows, but after a bright start, they lost two wickets in quick succession.

Martin Mark was first to go with the score on 18, bowled by Pymer for six, before Cole Harris departed for 12 with just three more runs added to the score, nicking a Pymer delivery to Craig Grant behind the stumps.

Nalder and Hurse got to work on ensuring that Carisbrook would regain a foothold, and a 38-run third wicket stand would be the result.

Nalder was hoping to continue his terrific form from the opening round, but it wasn’t quite to be, tickling a Pymer delivery to Craig for the former’s third wicket.

Carisbrook were just holding on at this point, with Cluff looking to provide solid support for Hurse, who provided the bulk of the runs to this point.

Cluff was unable to last, however, scoring two before he was caught and bowled by Alexander, who came on and made a difference.

After some exceptional hitting which yielded eight fours and two sixes, Hurse’s resistance came to an end for a well-made 60, with Oddie taking a catch off Alexander’s bowling, and simultaneously sparking a collapse.

Alexander and Oddie would do the damage, with Oddie striking for three quick wickets, trapping Singh in front for LBW, before Alexander would take a catch to remove Cullinan. Oddie would then clean bowl Knight to show you just can’t leave him out of the game.

Alexander finished off a terrific day’s work by cleaning up the remainder of the tail, combining with Ben Grant to get the wicket of Angus Morrison, before Craig would stump Brandyn Eagle for the final wicket to deliver a four-wicket haul for Alexander, who finished with 4/32 off 7.1 overs.

Oddie was likewise impressive in taking 3/12 off six overs, while Pymer’s early work saw him take 3/38 off eight overs.

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