Sport
21 January, 2025
Yadav crucial in Brook’s thrilling win
Carisbrook registered their first two-day victory of the season after holding on by six runs in a nail-biting finish against Beaufort.
The equation was simple for both teams when play resumed on Saturday, Carisbrook required six wickets before the Crows made 88 runs.
Returning batsmen Joe Kingsbury and Charlie Dyer were looking to pick up from where they left off with the score at 4/62.
The pair started the day by answering all the questions the Carisbrook bowlers had for them, allowing the Crows total to surpass 100.
With the Crows now only needing 47 runs with six wickets still in hand, Carisbrook desperately needed a breakthrough to turn the tide of the contest back in their favour.
Enter Ritik Yadav.
The spin bowler was making his first appearance for the season after taking 14 wickets last season which included taking five wickets in a two-day match against the Crows.
It didn’t take him long to make an impact, dismissing Kingsbury after he was caught by Liam Hurse for 35 and breaking the 59-run partnership.
Next to the crease for the Crows was another returning face in Kriss Ellis, looking to repeat his round three innings against Carisbrook to ensure his team got over the line.
While he was getting accustomed to the wicket, Yadav was causing havoc at the other end.
He would claim his second wicket after luring Dyer out of his crease, allowing William Coutts to complete the stumping which removed Dyer for 27.
Yadav would soon have a third, dismissing Jayden Scotland for one after he was ruled out LBW and all of a sudden, the Crows found themselves teetering at 7/114 still needing 36 runs.
Ellis and next man in Joel Pymer looked to wrestle control quickly from Carisbrook, adding a quickfire 12 to the total before Yadav was back into the action, collecting wicket number four as Pymer was caught by Elliot Cullinan for five.
With the Crows only having two wickets in hand, the plan was to give Ellis the majority of the strike to see if he could get Beaufort past the target of 149.
The plan seemed to work as Beaufort was only 17 runs away from first innings points until Ben Woolidge was run out by Jordan Hooper for a duck.
Number 11 Benjamin Grant was determined to claim victory for the Crows alongside Ellis, but they fell seven runs short as Dean Nalder claimed the final wicket of Ellis for 24 after he was caught by Lachlan Bursill.
Yadav was the hero for Carisbrook to win first innings points, spinning his way to a game-winning 4/36. He built off the first-day performance of Lucas Hurse, who finished with 3/33, while other wicket-takers were Atticus Cullinan (1/20) and Nalder (1/32).
Kingsbury, Dyer and Ellis tried their best to get the Crows over the line, but their top scores 35, 27 and 24 respectively just weren’t enough.
Despite collecting first innings points, Carisbrook elected to bat the last 31 overs of the day.
Coutts and Bursill were the opening pairing for the hosts in the second innings, making 11 before Coutts was out LBW for four off the bowling of Pymer.
New batter Elliot Cullinan would combine with Bursill to make 26 runs before the latter was next to go, removed by Lachlan Oddie for 20 after he was caught by Kingsbury.
Tom Alexander got in the action for Beaufort, trapping Cullinan for an LBW dismissal after he made nine.
Similar to the first innings, Nalder and Hooper were looking to create a strong partnership, but Grant broke the pair up as Nalder was caught behind the wicket by Dyer for eight.
Pymer would claim his second wicket of the day, removing Liam Hurse for four as he was caught by Dyer.
Hooper and Cooper Mark would finish the innings for Carisbrook at 5/79, with Hooper high-scoring with an unbeaten 26 and Mark on one.
Pymer was the pick of the bowlers for the Crows with his 2/12 off 10 overs, while Grant (1/1), Oddie (1/10) and Alexander (1/16) also took wickets.
The first innings victory puts Carisbrook level on points with Beaufort who hold on to third based on their better net run rate.