Southern Districts Cricket Club 268 Garner 51 Richards 4/57 defeated Nightcliff Cricket Club 163 Wasiewicz 46m Roads 60, Bangs 4/40 Potgieter 5/42
The Crocs are on the board and back in the hunt while Nightcliff lower order has been exposed. On competitive surface at the Pass, Nightcliff opted to bowl but were not able to get a roll on with only one partnership under 10 while the largest partnership of the day was 10th wicket with 47. Southern Districts batting again full of starts with only Hammond not making it to double digits, skipper Garner again the mainstay with the bat at five with 51. Nightcliff bowled tightly but questionable tactics towards of the end of the day where it appeared they were happy to see out the day in the field when the pitch was arguably at its best bat. In fairness to the Tigers, the Crocs lower order would feature in a few clubs’ top six.
On day two, Carroll was aggressive at the top but Potgieter was able to find the edge and then nail Van Luin’s front pad off to have two in two and the dismissal of Hoogenboezem to the miserly McEvoy caught and bowled a short time later meant that Wasiewicz and Roads would need to create another match winning from 3 for 39. While not always convincing they steady the ship and had move to 3 for 123 at tea. Post the break they brought up the 100-run partnership before the Bangs and Potgieter Show turned up with some reverse tang and blew Roads’ toe off as the Tigers lost 7 for 19, Potgieter with the last wicket of McKinnon to claim a five wicket haul.
PINT 3 for 271 Chowna 129* Poulton 95 defeated Tracy Village 137 Sehrawat 48, O. Bembrick 4/54, N. Bembrick 3/19 & 3 for 188 Campbell 100* Wilton 43
The trend continues of Tracy Village defying the outright with Campbell and Wilton second innings Bradman efforts the second game running. PINT claiming their second two-day win of the season with ease, with the Bembrick brothers doing the damage as the Village elected to bat first. There was enough the pitch for the quicks with keeper Poulton pouching three for the day and the stumps being rattled twice, the pair producing their best figures of the season. With youngster MacDonald knocking over Gregory Francis at 5 for 59, a sub 100 score was still on the cards but first Doyle 35 and then Sehrawat added valuable runs, notably a 31-run 9th wicket partnership that took them past 130.
PINT with new stick from Camberwell Magpies in Tom Scott 39, started well as he and Chowna made 89 for the first wicket. N. Bembrick promoted up the order for quick runs, last four balls before play resumed its original schedule with Poulton teaming up to ensure no loss and first innings points on day one. On day two, quick runs were the order of the day as PINT needed to give themselves as many overs as possible to bowl out TV.182 run partnership was racked up in 20 overs with the skipper Chowna knocking up a century and Poulton who has been impressive addition, fell five runs short.
With a lead of 134 and roughly 60 overs left in the day, early wickets were the key and MacDonald picked up before Wilton and Campbell took the game on and ensured they made the most of their double hits.
Palmerston 9 for 463 Firman 135, Bleakley 127, Anderson 48, Galeotti 4/93 defeated Darwin 289 Deshpande 56, Galeotti 57, Bedi 78, Martin 5/127, Shahzad 3/108
Palmerston have headed into the bye with a big win against the Eagles on the back of Firman and Bleakley tons in a match winning partnership of 205. On a pitch that offered plenty with the new ball in both innings, Darwin stuck Palmerston in and were rewarded early with Hill and Montague back in the sheds before the pair went about their business. Bleakley was subdue in comparison to previous weeks with Firman taking the lead as he struck at over a 100 with eighteen fours and five sixes. The Eagles bowlers could do little past tea but toil away with new addition Galeotti part timers doing the bulk of the work. A slow over rate and dropped catches added to their frustration with 18 penalty runs added and play going well past 6pm. With Firman’s dismissal caught on the fence, the runs kept flowing with two 50+ partnerships that ensured a 400 plus score.
On day two it was tough going for the Eagles, losing Andrews early before the key wicket of Dickman fell to Martin chipping to midwicket at 1 for 52 and then 4 for 82 just before the main break with Darwin skipper Kerber caught behind to be Martin’s second. Deshpande never quite got going as he brought up his 50 in in the 42nd before he too fell to Martin. Galeotti was solid with 57, combining with Bedi to get the scoreboard moving and added 93 for the seventh wicket. Strangely, Darwin were bowled out in the 82.2 for 289 when technically it should have been a compulsory close at 80.