Sport
9 January, 2023
Seventeen wickets fall on wild day at Beaufort
BEAUFORT 61 trail COLTS PHELANS 7/93 Colts Phelans have taken first innings points on a day of attrition at Goldfields Recreation Reserve, where 17 wickets fell for 154 runs. However, the Crows will be looking for quick wickets on day two to keep...
BEAUFORT 61 trail COLTS PHELANS 7/93
Colts Phelans have taken first innings points on a day of attrition at Goldfields Recreation Reserve, where 17 wickets fell for 154 runs.
However, the Crows will be looking for quick wickets on day two to keep alive some hope of an outright victory.
It was a disastrous start for the Crows, as they lost two wickets in quick succession after putting six runs on the board.
First, Charlie Dyer was trapped in front LBW by Richard Clark for a duck, before Nicholas Henderson was able to bowl efficiently to his field to ensure that Kriss Ellis would hole out for six runs.
Henderson and Clark were able to deal damage in their opening stints, with further reward coming in the form of Blake Jantzen, who was caught off Henderson’s bowling for five runs, and Nick Stabbins, who was bowled by Clark for one.
Much of the Crows’ innings would be surrounded by Lachlan Oddie, who was negotiating and weathering the storm well, but was fast running out of partners.
Soon after, Beaufort would find themselves 7/35. Richard Stokes was removed by Dayne Baker, with Matt Scott then coming into the attack and taking two quick wickets — that of Craig and Simon Grant, who were both taken without impacting the scorecard.
Oddie and Gavin Drinkwater had the best partnership in the innings, putting together 14 runs, but the introduction of Callum Watts into the attack brought about the end of the Crows innings in quick succession, with Drinkwater, Nathan Elford and David Morse dismissed to ensure that Colts would have 62 runs to chase for first innings’ points.
Oddie top-scored for Beaufort with 33 runs, and was not out.
It was an even bowling performance across the board from Colts. Henderson (2/13 off nine overs) and Clark (2/14 off seven overs) bowled well to open, while Scott (2/11 off seven) and Baker (1/14 off five overs) took care of the middle order. Watts (3/8 off 3.3 overs) then finished off the tail.
Beaufort’s saving grace was knowing that if they could bowl well in the early stages, they could also put some significant pressure on Colts’ batting lineup, knowing that they had difficulty on the wicket.
Liam Tatchell and Wayne Stubbings opened for Colts, but their opening partnership lasted eight runs before Morse was able to find an edge to Craig Grant to remove Stubbings.
Ed Foreman came to the crease, and along with Tatchell, put together a quick 21-run partnership, but Tatchell was caught by Elford off the bowling of Dyer.
Soon after, Dyer would bring Beaufort back into the game with two further wickets, getting the wicket of the dangerous Rhys Egan for four, as well as Jackson Gordon for one, with both nicking to Grant behind the stumps.
Oddie’s good game continued when he was introduced to the bowling attack, and reaped rewards when he was able to remove Foreman for 30 runs, before soon after enticing Scott to play a big shot, leaving Grant to stump him when he missed for 14 runs.
At 6/71, the game was open to interpretation, but the work of Watts, who scored 19 quick runs, ensured that Colts would have a handy first innings lead, before being bowled by Jantzen late in the day’s proceedings.
Colts will start day two with Richard Clark (three not out) and Dayne Baker (zero not out) at the crease, with the Crows looking to end the innings in a hurry.
Dyer was the pick of the bowlers for the Crows, with his good spell rewarded with 3/22 off 12 overs, which included five maidens. Oddie was also among the key wicket-takers, taking 2/29 off 11 overs.