Sport
28 November, 2022
Owls win bird battle
Maryborough put together their most complete performance of the season so far to establish themselves as a threat, taking a nine-wicket victory over Clunes. The Owls were impressive with the ball in the tail end of the innings to help restrict the...
Maryborough put together their most complete performance of the season so far to establish themselves as a threat, taking a nine-wicket victory over Clunes.
The Owls were impressive with the ball in the tail end of the innings to help restrict the Magpies to 117 off 35 overs, before their top order was even more impressive, scoring 121 off just 20 overs to take the win with 120 balls to spare.
Early on, it looked like Clunes were ready to get the upper hand. Despite losing the wickets of Mark Allen and Anthony Ellis, a 58-run partnership between Mark Coppick and Ashley Gunn looked set to give the Magpies a competitive total. But when Tom Hart took the first of two quick fire wickets, removing Gunn for 24, he was able to change the game.
Shortly after, he removed Jaxon Smyth, before Coppick would later be removed after a quick 23-run partnership with Aidan Thompson for the top score of Clunes’ innings with 27.
From 4/106, Clunes would collapse, with Harry Lumsden bouncing back from earlier bowling trouble to demolish the middle order, taking three wickets at the expense of just three runs, before wickets to Akon Mawien and Martin Dell allowed the innings to close.
Lumsden took 4/40 off his eight overs, while Liam Maffescioni and Hart took two wickets apiece.
In response, it was all Maryborough, and Hart in particular, who dominated on the pitch, with Hart scoring a quickfire 67 to help set the tone for the Owls. However, he was removed just short of reaching Clunes’ total, stumped by Coppick.
Sam Bartlett and Mitch McClure finished the job, with Bartlett finishing not out on 27.
Brendan Ingram was the sole wicket taker for Clunes, taking 1/15 off his solitary over.
The win was the Owls’ first of the one-day season, and second overall, moving them to second on the one-day ladder.