Waratah 3/221 Koduru 100* and Jain 78 defeated South Districts 217 Broes 47, McEvoy 42, U. Weerasinghe 4/38 and Siegelwin 3/38.
Southern Districts are not on the board and will need to shape up quick if they are to keep the dream of four premierships in a row on the table as they succumbed to a composed Waratah at Gardens Oval. The top order continues to make starts and not go as Broes passed twenty for the seventh time this season but has only the one fifty to show with comparable stories for what is considered a deep batting line up on paper. Young quick Siegelwin made early inroads for Tahs before the Weerasinghe brothers were able to make breakthroughs just when partnerships looked like they could be dangerous.
McEvoy and Nagel produced the biggest partnership of the day with forty-nine for the seventh wicket to get the Crocs past two hundred, but a larger total was not on the cards even though an ace was up their sleeve with a big inclusion for day two. With only an over to face on day one, Elliot fell to Bangs LBW to only need the nine wickets on day two.
Tahs have a penchant for chasing such totals and that did not change even with Southern Districts gaining the services of South African first class allrounder Delano Potgeiter who slashed in for day two (he made 81 and 155* not out to be man of the match in South Africa’s Sheffield Shield final equivalent in March). Jain and Koduru combined in worker like fashion to snuff out any chance of Crocs victory. Jain will be disappointed of falling short of the ton, holing out to the man on the fence from a Bangs short ball. Koduru’s fourth hundred and with three regular season hits left, puts him well on track to crack the one thousand run mark, while he is only just short of achieving the target if you include all formats.
Nightcliff Wasiewicz 105* and Roads 116 6/295 defeated PINT 145 Hatton 5 for 24 and 0/45
The Tigers shook off the previous round in convincing fashion with a dominate display over PINT. The dual tons from Wasiewicz and Roads on day along with another 150+ partnership to add to their season statistics. The pair built their innings after the loss of Hoogenbooezem and Gale in quick succession. With the run rate around three for most of the first session, Roads was able to open up post tea and Wasiewicz the rock that the innings could be built around. Chowna threw the ball around but break through did not come until the 61st over and Nightcliff well on top. Wasiewicz bringing up his ton in the second last of the day with a loft over mid-on from Edmondstone who had reverted to wearing his cap back to front while bowling.
PINT were on the back foot early on day two with Chowna out cheaply to McKinnon and then drawing a false shot from Edmondstone in an ambitious pull. PINT steady the ship with Poulton and Ketheeshwaran before Fleming broke through with a half volley on middle stump that Ketheeshwaran played all around to be three for 107 prior to tea. It was a procession from there Hatton and Fleming applying the brakes and then rolling through the middle order and backed up in the field some handy catching. Especially pleasing to see was the completely local bowling line up of the Tigers and with Hatton coming back strongly after copping some tap in his first spell, to then take five for 5 in 5.4 overs to finish with five for twenty-four.
PINT were stuck back in after having not passed the follow on but Edmondstone and Gamage were able to rectify their first innings issues to see the day called.
Tracy Village 160 Roser 42, Brar 57, Martin 3/52 and Shahzad 5/31 & 4/143 Wilton 73 Campbell 50 and Martin 3/62 defeated by Palmerston 6 for 239 d Montague 82, Firman 56 and Bleakley 59 & 1/5
Tracy Village were able to bat out the second day to ensure there was no outright possibility but had questionable motives on the first days play where their main objective was not get bowled out twice. With only one batsman in the top six not facing twenty-eight balls or more, the lack of intent to score was obvious when by tea they were 4 for 84 in 42 overs. Palmerston spin duo of Martin and Shahzad have hit some great form with the ball, the pair taking eight for eighty-three in in forty-three overs on a pitch with no demons.
Roser, and then Brar were the main stays for Village and the seventh wicket partnership between Brar and Wilton of fifty-one the only positive in an otherwise brandless style of cricket. Palmerston were able to see out the day with only the loss of Hill though there was a strong a shout on Montague just before the close of play.
Day two saw Palmerston collect first innings points in relative ease with 102 run partnership between Montague and Firman getting them close before Bleakley picked up from where he left off against Nightcliff and clubbed 59* in 25 deliveries. With a 79-run lead, the declaration was made at Tea, but early chances were missed, and Wilton and Campbell saw out most of the day before declaration attempting to close out play but still gave Palmerston an opportunity chase sixty-five in two overs for the outright win, they got close just sixty runs short.