Sport
19 January, 2023
Laane determined to keep unbeaten run at Beaufort
The rain-affected nature of the MDCA season thus far means that Laanecoorie Dunolly head out to Beaufort on Saturday knowing that the winless Crows are the only team they have not defeated in season 2022/23. Laane showed over the past fortnight that...
The rain-affected nature of the MDCA season thus far means that Laanecoorie Dunolly head out to Beaufort on Saturday knowing that the winless Crows are the only team they have not defeated in season 2022/23.
Laane showed over the past fortnight that they are still the team to catch, dispatching of Maryborough by 82 runs, and will now be looking to ensure that they can get another victory over the following fortnight against the Crows to shore up their top two status.
For the Crows, it wasn’t the outing they were looking for against Colts Phelans in their first home game of the season, unable to get away from their tight bowling, and scoring 138 runs across both their innings, but with another outing at home, they will be looking to put on a show for their supporters against the best in the business.
Interestingly, the pitch should offer up a decent challenge for batsmen, with 29 wickets falling across both days — including 17 on a manic first day of action. Both teams could be tempted to win the toss and bowl first as a result, although Beaufort employed the tactic of batting first against Colts as they looked to take advantage of the hot weather.
The form of Lachlan Oddie has been a genuine shining light for Beaufort this season, and the game against Colts was no exception, as he tallied 36 runs — 33 of their 61 in the first innings — and two wickets. There was some more support in the second innings, despite Oddie’s removal for three runs, with Joshua Lofts, Nick Stabbins and Richard Stokes all reaching double figures.
Earlier in the season, the Crows were able to grind it out to make 142 runs against Laane, and while they looked well on the way to defeat before rain played its part, it was the gritty lower-order batting, particularly from Craig Grant and Nicholas Cushing, which in retrospect helped Beaufort earn three points.
Laane’s performance against Maryborough at Princes Park will make them near-unbackable favourites, however, and it will be a big task for the Crows to take stock by grabbing early wickets if they are to field first.
They demonstrated how deep their batting order can be, with competition-leading run-scorer Samit Gohil and captain Matt Smith leading the way with 49 runs apiece, while Tom Hannett and Benjamin Gunn scored 37 and 32 runs respectively. Add in Daniel Romeo’s 29 and new recruit Damith Perera’s 21 and it all added up to a formidable 269, which could not be caught by the Owls.
Gunn showed his outright versatility as an all-rounder by picking up the pieces in the middle-order and tail, taking five wickets, while Romeo and Joe Lovel took two apiece.