Sport
20 February, 2023
Owls seeking quick runs for outright chances
BEAUFORT 140 v MARYBOROUGH 1/87 Pink Stumps Day at Beaufort was alighted by a brilliant bowling performance from Lachlan Morganti, who took eight wickets for the Owls to leave Maryborough in a good position to chase an outright victory on day two...
BEAUFORT 140 v MARYBOROUGH 1/87
Pink Stumps Day at Beaufort was alighted by a brilliant bowling performance from Lachlan Morganti, who took eight wickets for the Owls to leave Maryborough in a good position to chase an outright victory on day two.
Morganti’s heroics saw the Crows bowled out for 140, while Maryborough, in response, raced to 1/87 at stumps to give themselves the best possible chance of snaring the outright win they desperately need to be any chance of taking second spot.
Beaufort elected to change up their batting order, promoting Nicholas Cushing to open the batting alongside Kriss Ellis.
Ellis looked in good touch early on, hitting three fours before holing out to Sam Bartlett for 13 off Morganti’s bowling.
Blake Jantzen was next to go when the score was on 29, in a dismissal that was similar in nature to Ellis, with Bartlett again taking a catch from Morganti’s bowling.
Soon after, Morganti had his third wicket to leave the Crows 3/38, with Cushing hitting a ball straight to Martin Dell.
It meant that Lachlan Oddie, as has been the case for much of the season, was left to carry a significant load with the bat, and was prepared to do the job.
Wickets kept tumbling around him, however, and the Crows were soon left reeling at 5/52. Nick Stabbins holed out to Dell off Zac McLeod’s bowling, before Joshua Lofts also holed out off the bowling of Liam Maffescioni to Anthony Bourke.
Beaufort’s best passage with the bat came when Oddie and Richard Stokes put on a 51-run partnership, with Oddie taking charge. He was able to hit five fours and two sixes during the course of his innings, helping guide the Crows to a reasonably competitive total.
Stokes was the next casualty, with Morganti coming back on and taking his fourth wicket.
Craig Grant looked to take the game to the Owls, putting together a quickfire 21, which included three fours and a six, before he too was a victim of Morganti’s excellent spell.
Morganti had his sixth wicket when he ended what was a fine innings from Oddie on 54, hitting it to Lachlan Bursill, and wickets seven and eight followed to close out the innings when he captured the wickets of David Morse and Gavin Drinkwater.
It meant that the Crows would have to make do with defending 140.
Morganti’s 8/56 was the key attraction, but Maffescioni was another who played a key role, conceding just eight runs in seven overs, including five maidens.
The Owls’ edict as they came out to bat the remaining 27 overs of the day was simple — score quickly.
With Ben Hoban and Dell on deck, there was enough room for some crafty shots, and for the large part, it was Dell that was delivering.
He hit seven fours to bring about a well-deserved 50 before being clean bowled by Oddie for 52 with the score on 66.
Hoban and McLeod saw out the day to leave the Owls requiring another 54 runs to take first innings points, with Hoban unbeaten on 11 and McLeod making a quickfire 18.
Oddie continued his good game, taking 1/3 off five overs, including three maidens.