
Last season's newcomers to the Busselton-Margaret River A-Grade cricket competition notched their fourth win in the opening five rounds of the Yates Shield competition when they beat reigning premiers Yallingup-Oddbods in a high-scoring display at Bovell Park last Saturday.
Batting first on a good track, Vasse tallied an eye-watering total of 9-263 off 50 overs and then dismissed YOBS for 195.
Import Lewis Smith (100 off 133 balls) earned the honour of notching Vasse's first ever A-Grade ton, to complement his feat earlier in the season of taking the club's first ever A-Grade five-for.
Allrounder Chris Dendle also had a great game for Vasse, hitting 78 off 88 balls and then taking three wickets.
YOBS skipper Matt Connaughton was his side's best bowler, repeatedly beating the bat in the early stages and finishing with 4-40.
Excellent entertainment was provided late in the day by Haig Colombera for YOBS.
After being given a life on 0, the big-hitting allrounder smashed 76 runs off 45 balls including seven sixes, some of which cleared the fence while others damaged cars parked around the perimeter.
Margaret River Hawks continued their unbeaten run as ladder-leaders by beating Cowaramup in a see-sawing contest at Cowaramup Oval.
Cowaramup were cockahoop to get Hawks 5-36 early in the day, including a team hat-trick, before Tom Miller (53) and Rumesh Silva (34) hauled Hawks out of trouble with a 95-run stand for the sixth wicket.
Ben Cox (5-16) bowled superbly for the Bulls, assisted by left-arm spinner Will Taylor (3-25).
Chasing 139 to win on a difficult wicket that kept low, Cowaramup reached 79 off 40 overs with Fraser Oates (21) and Archer Coates (19) getting starts but not being able to go on with the job.
Legspinner Peter Crimp was outstanding for Hawks, taking 4-13 off 10 overs, while Mat Kent and Rumesh Silva took two cheap wickets each.
The remaining A-Grade game saw Dunsborough get the better of St Marys at Barnard Park.
St Marys managed to bat out their 50 overs for a respectable 9-178, with no fewer than eight batsmen reaching double figures, the best of them being Spencer Drummond (26).
Right-arm quick Seb Watts (4-41) and offspinner Elijah Truscott (2-34) continued their good form for Dunsborough, who polished off the required target inside 36 overs with the loss of just two wickets.
Skipper Chris Reagan (55), Ben Cadd (75 not out) and Phil Watts (40 not out) all enjoyed their time in the middle for Dunsborough.
In B-Grade games, St Marys' total of 113 all out at Barnard Park was comfortably overhauled by Dunsborough's 5-115 in 31 overs.
Matt Miller (37) and Robbie Trebell (31) batted best for Saints, while Judd Truscott (3-18) and skipper Cam Morris (47) were best for Dunsborough.
The other B-Grade game saw Vasse easily get the better of YOBS.
Alex Warner's 69 comprised more than half of YOBS' total of 127 off 36 overs, while the Vasse reply of 1-128 in 28 overs included an opening stand of 105 between Shaun Scaddan (78 not out) and Brad Price (32).
The highlight of C-Grade cricket was a thrilling last-ball win by Nannup over Cowaramup at the Nannup Oval.
Batting first, Cowaramup notched 8-172 with Anaru Teddy hitting 52 before Ben Cook and Matt Baker added an unbroken 69 for the eighth wicket.
Justin Mutter took an outstanding 6-24 for Nannup, who got up to win off the last possible ball with Eden Williams (65) leading the way.
Darren Cameron (4-11) played the role of destroyer for YOBS, who bowled St Marys for 83 and responded with 6-85 in just 16 overs, Mitchell Carpenter (43 not out) scoring more than half the requirement himself.
In the other game Vasse (160) were beaten by YOBS Academy (6-163) with two overs to spare.
Nathan Whitfield (42) and Jamie Liston (78 not out) were the respective standouts with the bat.