KYABRAM Fire Brigade, courtesy of a deadly bowling spell from Mick Mattingly, routed Rochester for 115 runs when Goulburn Murray Cricket’s penultimate round was completed on Saturday.
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Mattingly’s fast-medium pacers produced figures of 5/45 off 12.2 overs on a windy afternoon at Kyabram’s Northern Oval.
He was well supported by off spinner Marx De Villiers with 3/21 from seven overs as the visitors capitulated in just 36.2 overs chasing Fire Brigade’s score of 202 from the previous week.
Only two Rochester batsmen — Sean Williams and opener Brandon Byrne — held up the Flames’ bowlers for any length of time.
Williams top scored with 32 while Byrne contributed 30 but they were the only two Rochester batsmen to reach double figures in a demoralising defeat.
■Second top side Tongala also had a decisive win, skittling Bamawm Lockington United for just 61 runs in 28 overs.
Paceman Matt Ohlsen did the damage with a deadly burst of 5/9 off seven overs.
He was well supported by fellow paceman Adam Nunn with 2/18.
Only two BLU batsmen — Nathan Neville with 18 and Josh Wood who was run out for 11 — reached double figures in the BLU batting disaster, which ended the team’s finals chances.
■A plucky Moama kept its finals chances alive by chasing down Echuca’s formidable score of 7/315 — thanks to a century from Jordan McGregor.
McGregor who made 119 and Alistair McCann with 60 staged a 104-run stand for the fourth wicket to give their side a genuine chance.
McGregor finally was out with Moama still needing 15 runs to win but tailender Will Devlin with 31 then got the runs needed to pull off the challenging run chase.
■Cooma didn’t get it all their own way in winning its third game for the season but still had 165 runs up its sleeve at the finish of its clash with wooden spooner Echuca South.
South was able to post a respectable 175 in reply to Cooma’s daunting 9/340 with paceman Brad Goodman starring with the ball for the winners.
In one of the most destructive spells for the season, Goodman claimed 6/26 off 18 overs, which included six maidens.
Skipper Michael Hill chipped in with 2/13.
At one stage South was 8/101 but a 74-run ninth stand between Amila Gunathilaka with 45 and Ben Eade with 26 delayed Cooma’s victory celebrations for some time.
■The final four won’t be set until the last home and away round starting this Saturday.
Fourth-placed Echuca shares fourth spot on premiership points with fifth-placed Moama but has the better percentage. But Echuca will probably have to beat second-placed Tongala to play finals as Moama should account for bottom side Echuca South.
Third-placed Rochester will hold its spot if it accounts for BLU.
B Grade
Resuming at 1/59 in pursuit of Girgarre’s score of 90, openers Jarrod Chapman (34) and Ryan Thomson (27) got support from Trent Finn (40), Brett Andison (33) and Shannon O’Brien (34) to help Fire Brigade reach 5/201.
Sent in again Girgarre just staved off an outright loss, finishing at 7/41.
■Stanhope got some breathing space in the top four with a win over Rochester Blue.
Resuming at 2/29 chasing Blue’s total of 128, opener Steve Hall (36), Craig Emmett (27) and Lachlan West (34) helped Stanhope to 133.
■Cooma came up well short in its effort to make the 260 runs needed to beat Northern United, falling for just 56 runs.
■Tongala secured its third win for the season thanks mainly to opener Peter Bird (38) and Harley Reid (32).
They were the only serious runmakers when Tongala resumed at 1/37 and reached 9/133 chasing BLU’s moderate score of 127.
■In the remaining games Rochester Gold had the better of Echuca South while Moama got home against Echuca.
C Grade
Fire Brigade had only one wicket up its sleeve in successfully chasing down Girgarre’s score of 8/137, of which Brendan Avis contributed 44.
Liam Dillon with 28 and Jack Norris did best of the Flames’ batsmen to get their side over the line.
■Led by Daniel Brock with 92, Stanhope’s 3/178 proved too much for the Echuca Green batsmen, who were restricted to 8/138.
Brock received support in big stands with Anthony Newman (32) and Ashley Lucas who made an unbeaten 32.
■Echuca lost only three wickets rounding up Cooma’s score of 9/111 of which Kade Turvey’s 25 was the biggest contribution.
■With Daniel Newton (59) and Shanon Jarrett (29) showing the way with the bat Rushworth hauled in Moama’s score of 8/139 in 33 overs for the loss of only four wickets.
■In the remaining games BLU had the better of Rochester and Northern United handled Echuca South.
D Grade
Top side Fire Brigade’s score of 9/161, with Jordan Northausen (39), Bohden Learmonth (32) and Micael Cottrell (23) the main contributors, was never threatened by Echuca, which was dismissed for 116.
Ross Laurenson with 4/16 starred with the ball for the Brigade.
■Peter Francis with 40 and Liam Francis with 29 got Rushworth over the line chasing Tongala’s 7/121.
■Cooma claimed a top-four side’s scalp with an eight-run win over Moama.
Nathan Angelino with 28 and Stuart Burt (25) helped Cooma reach 8/151 and then three-wicket hauls to Russ Napier and Burt restricted Moama to 9/144.
■Bottom side Ky Fire Brigade White gave third-placed BLU a run for its money in a thriller.
With opener Richard Mawley the star with a half-century White posted 7/149 and it took BLU until the last over to get its nose in front.