Kyabram Fire Brigade posted its first win for the season on Saturday when its batters rallied to cover a competitive Cooma score in the third round of Goulburn Murray Cricket’s McMahon Shield competition.
While its batting gun Paul Newman was unavailable for the game, inclusions in Brett Andison, Kaine Herbert and young talent Bohden Learmonth proved crucial in The Flames’ win, achieved with two overs to spare.
Winning the toss and electing to bat, Cooma reached an impressive 1-91 at one stage, with young opener Liam Scopelitti and skipper Jake Kelly showing the way.
Scopelitti made 53 with five fours off 60 deliveries and Kelly top scored with 66 off 113 balls.
Slipping to 5-124, English import Hugo Bell came to the rescue with 37 off 39 balls to help the home side post 8-192 off its 45 overs.
Tom Owen, with 2-34, was the only multiple-wicket taker for The Flames, while spinner Kaine Herbert was the most economical.
In reply, The Flames, with promoted B-grade opener Brett Andison spearheading the run chase with a half-century and Rob Salter (32), Herbert (34) and Bohden Learmonth (33 not out), put the winning runs on the board for the loss of five wickets.
Opening bowler Hugo Bell’s 2-47 off nine overs was the best return from the Cooma bowlers, who had its most economical performer in Jack Norris, who conceded just 22 runs from his nine overs, although wicketless.
Fire Brigade and Cooma have winnable games this Saturday against Tongala and Leitchville-Gunbower, respectively.
Tongala never looked like chasing down Echuca’s score of 8-218, dismissed in 36 overs for 73.
Only opener Rory Knight, with a gritty 25, stood up as Summit Kingar ripped through the Tongala batting line-up with a match-winning 5-12 off nine overs.
Earlier opener Curtis Townrow, with a swashbuckling 70 with seven fours and six sixes, and Kobyn James helped Echuca reach 218 despite a top bowling effort from spinner Darin Ohlsen.
Back with Tongala after a two-year stint with Kyabram Cricket Club, Ohlsen took 5-8 off nine overs.
Opening bowler Oscar McKeown was the only other multiple wicket-taker for Tongala with 2-39 off five overs.
Cohuna Nondies halted Rochester’s winning start to the season, skittling the visitors for 79 in 29 overs in the game at Cohuna.
At one stage, 4-8 and 7-42, Jake Wright and Matt Harrington, both with 15 in the lower order, prevented an even more embarrassing scoreline for Rochester, coming off a shock win over reigning premier Echuca the previous week.
Nondies bowling spearhead Xavier Wishart with 4-25 off nine overs and Archie Sussex with 2-17 off nine overs had Rochy batsmen on the back foot from the start, and only three of its batsmen reached double figures.
In reply, Nondies covered Rochester’s score in 23.3 overs.
Moama piled on an impressive 9-272 against Leitchville-Gunbower, with Anthony McMahon posting a brilliant century.
McMahon faced only 80 balls and hit 12 fours and three sixes and shared a 100-run stand for the third wicket with coach Michael Hill, who made 53 off 69 balls with seven fours.
Opener Fraser Buchanan (26) and Jordan McGregor, with an unbeaten 48, also joined in the Moama run fest.
In reply, LG put up a fight with openers Tyler Jones (30), Josh O’Shea (42) and Billy Hawken (39), making handy contributions to help their side to a respectable 7-187, but it was well short of its target.
Bamawm-Lockington United’s batsmen excelled to inflict Echuca South’s first loss for the season.
A century from the combine’s Werner Brand and 42 from Declan Pearse covered South’s score of 7-182 with 10 overs to spare and seven wickets in hand.
Brand faced only 80 deliveries and hit seven fours and four sixes in his match-winning knock.