Sport
11 January, 2024
Maryborough looking to chase down big Laane target
A very youthful Maryborough outfit will have a big task ahead of themselves tomorrow as they attempt to chase down Laanecoorie Dunolly’s formidable total of 302 runs. Already a tricky task in itself, it doesn’t help that Maryborough will also be...
A very youthful Maryborough outfit will have a big task ahead of themselves tomorrow as they attempt to chase down Laanecoorie Dunolly’s formidable total of 302 runs.
Already a tricky task in itself, it doesn’t help that Maryborough will also be missing leading run-scorer Tom Hart and Ben Hoban, who lies third on the list of runscorers for the Owls this season.
Having said that, there is a bit of a silver lining for Mitch McClure’s men.
While McClure will be expected to shoulder much of the batting load, with four teenagers playing, there’s also a good chance for the likes of Lachlan Bursill, Sam Thomson and Lachie Condie to test themselves against Laane’s formidable bowling lineup.
From Saturday’s lineup, the Owls will be desperately seeking some top and middle order stability. McClure leads their lineup with 176 runs for the season, but their next best batter in their selected team is Bursill, who has scored 37 runs for the season.
What lineup the Owls bring tomorrow then, will be one of great intrigue.
The Owls will be a little disappointed to let a golden opportunity slip after Laane made a good start, sitting at 1/116 at one stage.
They were able to reel them back in a little bit to have the reigning premiers sitting at 5/201, but some terrific hitting from Laane captain Matt Smith, who scored 91, allowed them to dictate terms as they had for much of the day.
What it did show was that there’s still plenty to be offered in the pitch for both batters and bowlers, with Smith, Tom Hannett (71) and Sam Bartlett (43) all scoring well for Laane, while Mick Malik was the pick of the bowlers for the Owls, with his line and length yielding just 15 runs from his 9.5 overs, as well as two wickets.
Laane’s bowling lineup will be hoping to continue their good form, and the thing which has separated them is that there has been no true standout.
Daniel Romeo leads the way with 13 wickets, while Joe Lovel and Sergio Rosier has 11 each. Add in Sam Bartlett’s 10 and Zach Graham’s eight, and that’s 53 wickets between the top five bowlers in the lineup.
Having said that, there may also be an opportunity for the likes of Thang Nguyen to get significant overs in as he continues to build up his experience after a successful Country Week campaign in the junior competition.
