Finals race heats up in A reserve

Impressive victories from MKM and Beaufort Red have stoked the flames in a now hotly contested A reserve finals race, with five teams now separated by just six points behind the still undefeated Avoca.

By Jonathan Peck

Muhammad Haseeb Khan was exceptional in MKM’s victory over Maryborough, taking five wickets and hitting an unbeaten 37.

MKM 1/64 def Maryborough 63

MKM has moved itself back into the top four in convincing fashion, defeating Maryborough by nine wickets after bowling last season’s minor premiers for 63.

It has been a whirlwind fortnight at the Mill, after being forced to forfeit against Beaufort Red, superstar Muhammad Haseeb Khan led the charge for MKM, restaking their claim as one of A reserve’s most dominant teams after three straight losses.

Fellow frontline seamers Joshua O’Connor and Tristan Tack combined with Khan to cause nightmares for the Owls’ batting lineup, which spectacularly fell to 9/30.

Bradley Reeves saved some of Maryborough’s blushes with an entertaining 34 with three fours and three sixes, but that didn’t stop MKM from bowling the Owls before the drinks break.

Khan ended a terrific spell with 5/5 with three maidens from seven overs. O’Connor (2/11 from three overs) and Tack (2/15 from three overs) were also outstanding with the ball.

Despite Reeves castling the in-form Jarrod Nedelkovski for 14, Khan ensured MKM made quick work of Maryborough’s meagre total, smashing six boundaries on his way to an unbeaten 37 as the Mill reached their target inside 15 overs.

The result allows MKM to leapfrog Maryborough into third via the tiebreaker.

Bradley Reeves was a constant bright spot in Maryborough’s disheartening defeat to MKM.

Clunes 134 def by Beaufort Red 4/142

Beaufort Red has clipped the wings of the high-flying reigning premiers, leaving Bull Millgate Oval with a massive six-wicket win over Clunes and are now only three points adrift of the finals places.

With the Magpies fresh off surpassing 200 in two of their last three batting innings, Thomas Grant and Nicolas Stares put Beaufort Red on top with a couple of early wickets.

After an impressive spree from Blake Jantzen with the ball, Clunes captain Josh Dunn and Mark Allen helped stem the tide, scoring 26 and 24 respectively to set a solid challenge for Beaufort Red to chase 135.

Grant, Stares and Jantzen led the way for Beaufort Red, grabbing two wickets and two maidens each, including Jantzen’s 2/16 from eight overs.

Openers Grant and Jantzen got Beaufort Red’s run chase on the right foot until a double breakthrough from Paul Coon put the game back in the balance with the visitors at 2/41.

Joshua Lofts emerged as the hero for Beaufort Red, guiding his team to a finals-boosting victory with a 62 not out that included five fours and two sixes.

Coon gave everything in Clunes’ defence, ending the innings with 3/25.

Avoca 156 def Beaufort Blue 88

A revitalised Beaufort Blue gave the ladder-leaders a good run for their money, but Avoca enters the Christmas break still unbeaten following their 68-run triumph on Saturday.

The Bulldogs threatened to build a substantial target throughout the innings, with Jedd Gay, Cameron Holland, Glen Cosgriff and Matt Drummond all getting off to promising starts.

However, Beaufort Blue’s bowling attack remained unwaveringly persistent, striking with three key wickets in the space of four overs before Rory Wilkinson capped off a superb performance by ending the building partnership of Cosgriff and Drummond at 54.

Alongside Wilkinson’s 3/19 and three maidens from eight overs, the trio of Richard Stokes, Dan and Beau Quixley all finished with multiple breakthroughs, helping Beaufort Blue limit Avoca to 156.

Openers Kriss Ellis and Brady Edwards looked poised to mount a serious challenge for the visitors until James Collicoat grabbed wicket numbers 15 and 16 of the season by removing both openers inside 10 overs.

Malcolm Woolley attempted to mount a fightback for Beaufort Blue, but Avoca’s attack proved too potent, bowling their opponents for the seventh consecutive game.

Holland supported Collicoat in disrupting their opponents’ top order with 2/12 and four maidens, while Drummond and Tyson Gray cleaned up the tail as Beaufort Blue lost their last five wickets for 18 runs.

Jayden McDonald slogs away in Laanecoorie Dunolly’s defeat to Carisbrook.

Carisbrook 5/138 def Laanecoorie Dunolly 133

An outstanding captain’s performance from Jarryd Coghlan has Carisbrook eying a late-season surge up the A reserve ladder after defeating Laanecoorie Dunolly by five wickets.

After stumbling to 3/19 thanks to some quick wickets from Tate Williams and Brandon Carter, Patrick Pritchard and Brendan Redpath got Laane back on track with a 48-run partnership.

Outside of Carisbrook’s rising spinner Axel Purcell bowling three consecutive batters on his way to finishing with top figures of 3/32, Laane’s lower order showed sustained fight to take their team to a respectable total of 133.

Laane’s late resistance looked as if it would pay dividends when Redpath quickly caught fire with the ball, ripping through Carisbrook’s top order to place the hosts in trouble at 3/20.

Starting with a 56-run partner-ship alongside Purcell, Coghlan steered Carisbrook to their second win of the season, finishing unbeaten on 64 after cracking nine boundaries to get Carisbrook over the line with 12 overs to spare.

Redpath ended the match with 4/24 from his allotted eight overs, his second four-wicket haul of the season.

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