BATEMANS Bay Cricket Club’s under 14s resumed from the Christmas break in excellent fashion by beating Ulladulla United by 52 runs at Hanging Rock on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Bay won the toss and elected to bat and made a great start led by openers Jack Gallen (20) and Sean Griffin.
The pair played text book cricket shots and took the score to 46 in the 12th over when Gallen was unlucky to be run-out by a direct hit.
Griffin retired at the same time for a well compiled 24 not out.
Tyler Kariotis and Ben Wiggins came to the crease and they too batted sensibly, and Wiggins delighted the crowd with two huge sixes and two fours in a smash and grab innings of 27, until he was bowled by a straight delivery with the score at 2/80.
Paul Bishop came and went for no score and Kariotis was retired for 11. Mackenzie Clack then batted with Charlie Valentini and the pair took the score to 96 when Valentini was bowled for one.
The wicket triggered a mini-collapse as the Bay lost the wickets of Lachlan Knight, Dylan Art, Liam Dufield and Angus Skipper, who were chasing quick runs, all for no score towards the end of the innings, which was held together by Clack’s unbeaten 19.
After 30 overs the Bay had totalled a competitive 9/114.
The pick of the bowlers for Ulladulla was Ryan Geerlings with 4/12 and Matt Wheeler and Alex Eggins both claimed two wickets.
It was up to the Bay’s bowlers and fielders to put pressure on Ulladulla’s batsmen and the team did that as it was able to restrict Ulladulla to 8/62 from its allotted 30 overs.
Clack (1/6) and Wiggins (0/5) opened the bowling with good pace and bounce and Clack made the initial breakthrough in his second over, getting an edge from Nathan Simmons’ bat through to wicketkeeper Gallen who held on to a great catch.
Charlie Valentini then made a superb throw from the outfield to dismiss Zac Jones, leaving Ulladulla 2/7.
Griffin (1/2) and Kariotis (0/4) continued to attack the stumps and did not allow the batsmen any width to play shots.
Griffin then snared the vital wicket of Ulladulla gun Dale Ramsden for six runs with a ball that zipped back off the seam and rattled the stumps which left the score at 3/16 in the ninth over.
Ulladulla’s captain Rocky Lavalle was next in but before he could get settled, he middled a full toss from Dufield (1/6) to mid-wicket where Clack dived to take a great catch.
Valentini (1/2) then got some reward for his best bowling effort of the season by hitting Alex Eggins off stump with an outswinger and Ulladulla was 5/22 in the 15th over.
Lachlan Knight (0/8), Dylan Art (0/5) and Angus Skipper (0/4) were all unlucky not to gain a wicket, but all bowled a fine line and length which restricted Ulladulla’s batsmen.
Valentini managed to nab his second run out of the innings, and late wickets to Paul Bishop (1/10) and Gallen (1/7) closed out the innings with Ulladulla well short of the Bay’s 114.
Coach Pat Griffin praised his side for the team effort it put together.
“It was collectively their best effort so far this season,” he said.
“They made runs and batted out the 30 overs and then backed up with tight bowling and great fielding.”
The win places Batemans Bay equal second on the Shoalhaven District Cricket Association’s third grade ladder with 34 points. However the team sits in fourth by percentage.
This Saturday the boys travel to Sussex Inlet to play Bay and Basin in another one-day game which starts at 8am.