Round 11 has been won and run in the Busselton T20 Cricket competition with the leader board really taking shape.
The Swingers have found their form and sit on top of the ladder with 10 wins from 11 games to have 100 points for the season; at a net run rate of 8.52 runs per over.
Last season’s runners-up, The Lemons, are sitting in second with 75 points while a new team, the Fine Legs, are third on 70 points but have a game in hand.
Inaugural premiers, the bin Chooks, have dropped four games this season and are in fourth spot with 60 points, but with over nine runs per over this season, have the best nett run rate of all teams.
Son’s of Pitches and Jack of All Trades both have 30 points, with the Pitches in front by run rate by 7.44 per over to 6.17. Match Fixers, 25 points at 7.76 and with 1 game in hand, and the Heavy Rollers, 20 points at 6.77, make up the rest of the table.
Monday night. Game 1 of week 11. Reigning premiers against the Fine Legs, in what shapes as a huge game for each other’s season. Nathan Larson opened the batting with Chris Brook, as the Bin Chooks looked to hit a match winning total. Larsen was out with the score on 7, contributing 6 runs after clearing the boundary off Shaun Scadden’s second ball. Larsen dismissed off the third! One for 7 was soon 2 for 12 and 3 for 26, as Armstrong, Beckett and Leaney all departed with Brook at the crease still. He soon also departed, but not before hitting the magical 25 run mark, to retire once again this season. Matty Harbeck, 27 retired, Scott MacGlaughlin, 26 retired, and Nayton Columbera, 22, were also th maintays of the innings, to post 7 for 131 from 20 overs.
This score well below the Chooks best, and about 30 runs shy of a par score on the rapid Vasse Oval. Justin Chandler, 2 for 8 from 2 overs, Rick Toovey, 2 for 10 from 2 overs were the pick of the bowlers.
Needing just over 6.5 an over to win, the Fine Legs started in the perfect fashion, with Shaun Scadden and Mark Ramirez hitting 18 from the first over of the run chase. 10 more came from the second, 8 from the third and 7 from the 4th to have the Leg’s 1 for 43 from 4 overs. With Scadden being caught by Leaney from Columbera’s bowling for 20, Ramirez retiring on 25 and Brad Price also retiring on 25, the second wicket didn’t fall until the score was 74 in only the 9th over. Azza Smith and Gav Noney both came and went before Toovey hit an unbeaten 19, and Paul Culnane 11 not out, to post a 5 wicket victory with 3 overs to spare.
Tuesday night had game two of the week, with the Lemons looking to continue their good form against the Heavy Rollers at the Vasse Sporting Complex. The Lemons batted first, with Dave Holmes, 15, and Ben Gerrans, 23, putting on 32 for the first wicket. Holmes was then joined by Jarrod Simpson and a 24-run partnership ad the total at 56 when Hplmes was dismissed by his former skipper Glenn Anderson. Rhys Johnson came and went for 3, Aaron Beckett for 5, before a massive 73 run, 5th wicket partnership was hit between several players. Simpson retiring on 25, Ryan Wellings retired on 27 while Jess Dornan hit 22 befroe Dave Barnes dismissed him. Steve Ritchie hit an unbeaten 28, and Darren Maccora, 10 not out, saw the Lemons posting an above par 6 for 174.
Needing a good start, in form Roller, and captain, Paul Keen opened with himself and Glenn Anderson, but this partnership didn’t last, with Keen back into the pavilion for 1. Anderson soon retired on 27, Dave Lamotte hit 31, including 3 consecutive sixers of Maccora’s first three deliveries. When Robbie Williams was run out for 6, the Rolelrs were on track for victory, being 3 for 89 from 10 overs. Pete Morris hit 16 before Maccora took his wicket, and that is where the Rollers had their momentum stopped. With no other batsman hitting double figures, the Heavy Rollers were dismissed for 126 in the 18th over, to hand the Lemons their 7th win for the year.
Game three had a brilliant game of cricket; The Swingers defeating the Match Fixers on the last over of the match. The Match Fixers batted first, with Kent Perkins, 13, and Jarrod Bailey, 19, putting on 28 for the first wicket. Small partnerships continued, with the Match Fixers 5 for 111 in the 14th over. Paul Christianson hit an unbeaten 28 while Brad Kelly hit 22 to set the Swingers 143 to win from 20 overs. See the full report at busseltonmail.com.au.
