Liam Phillips
SOUTH Gawler picked up its league-leading second outright win on an action-packed day two of its Barossa and Light Cricket Association A1 match at Freeling to now sit three wins clear of fifth place; essentially locking up a finals spot.
Defending 176, the Lions tore through the Freeling middle order, with batsmen numbers-three-through-nine combining for just 30 runs on the way to a 116 total and definitive first-innings loss.
With plenty of daylight remaining, South Gawler decided to have a quick hit, with Robbie McCard (46 from 33 deliveries) guiding his side to 3/101 from 13 overs before sending the hosts back in, trailing by 161.
When the Water Hens needed to stand up, the team faltered, with four ducks and another three scores under seven as David Golder (4/22 from nine overs) and McCard (3/29) cut through the line-up like a hot knife through butter to close the innings on 68 for the outright win.
Magpies flex championship pedigree
Chasing Mallala’s staunch target of 9/244, Tanunda relied on this year’s best batsman, Trent Goers (81) to perform most of the heavy lifting.
Cameron Curnow (4/61) had a strong performance with the ball on his home wicket, but a solid half-ton from captain Jonathon Justin (52), as well as cameos from Sam Colquhoun (32) and Luke Snowden (39) brought the match down to the wire.
Peter Mernagh (17) and Mitchell Manning (10) were tasked with guiding the ‘Pies through the final stages, and did so, surpassing the target in the last stanza as their side reached 7/249 in the 75th and final over.
Blues survive scare
After setting a target of 131 for Sandy Creek to chase, Angaston needed some magic from its bowlers on their home wicket to salvage a result – and it was exactly what the hosts got.
Craig Doecke (4/27, five maidens from 14 overs) was Angaston’s leading wicket-taker, while the Cockatoos’ middle-order offered very little resistance.
Number-10 Nathan Gum (30) top scored for the visitors in a disappointing innings as Sandy Creek fell 17-runs short to keep Angaston’s regular season unbeaten record alive.
With 26 overs left in the day, Angaston took the opportunity to get its batsmen back in touch, with Jayden Antonie (57 not-out) and Lachlan Lade (63 not-out) set to head into next week feeling good about their form.
Nuri on finals bubble
Needing an outright win to leapfrog Sandy Creek into fourth-place, Nuriootpa was on the brink in its home matchup against bottom-placed Gilbert Valley, with time the only thing in its way.
After Daniel Doecke (6/31, eight maidens from 17 overs) helped run through the Bulls’ chase to dismiss the side 162-runs short of the 275-run target, despite Kym Vandeleur’s 69, the Tigers enforced the follow-on with 37 overs to get the 10 remaining wickets.
Doecke (5/31, five maidens from 13 overs) was massive again, but the conservative nature of Gilbert Valley’s play left Nuriootpa three-wickets short of a place in the finals – for now.