The penultimate round of the 2023/24 Barrier District Cricket League’s (BDCL) A Grade competition saw a final-over thriller between Central and West at Jubilee Oval in a preview to what will also be the semi-final match-up in two weeks time.
This Round 14 contest, however, ended in a four-wicket win to the Magpies.
The Robins won the toss and elected to bat first, with the openers finding it tough to get going, evidenced by Callum Rosewarn (five off 24) departing early and the side down 1/7.
Fellow opener Lachlan Kaye (13 off 53), and captain Mackenzie Attard (34 off 59) turned things around with a 42-run stand before Kaye’s wicket began a collapse of 5/12.
At 6/61, Daniel McInerney took it upon himself to increase the rate of scoring for West, along with Paul Attard, with the pair combining for a 75-run partnership. McInerney raised the bat and finished on 50 not out off 52 balls – a performance that included two fours and five sixes.
On the bowling front for the Magpies, Scott Mateer (3/13) and Kade Ticehurst (2/28) were the pick of the bunch as the Robins made 7/139 from their 40 overs.
In reply, Central’s batters also found it difficult at times to get consistent runs, with opening batter Sheldon Hall (five off 20) heading back to the sheds early in the innings as Casey Ferguson (2/16) took his first wicket of the afternoon.
Hall’s partner at the top of the order, Adam Rhodes, hit the ball to all corners of the ground on his way to 56 off 60 that included three fours and three sixes. When he departed, Central was 3/87, which was when the team’s captain, Jarred Paull stepped up, scoring an unbeaten 34 off 64 – including three sixes – as he helped play a part in guiding his side home with three balls to spare.
“As the game went on, for both teams to score 140-odd runs, I thought it was pretty pleasing, which is always a good contest leading into the finals, knowing that you’re going to play that side and nothing was really split between the two. It was a difficult pitch to play on so to see that type of total was pretty good,” Central captain Jarred Paull told the Barrier Truth.
“The bowlers had done a lot of hard work early. I think we had them 6/70 at the second drinks break after 30 overs but Daniel McInerney to his credit, against all odds, for him to score 50 runs in the last 10 overs and then for them to put 70 on the board, I felt that 140, weighing up all the conditions that was over par.
“We had a bit of a chat and there was a bit of home truths said before we went back out to bat but it just shows the commitment of training that’s required and we just had to make sure we had to keep a level head and try not to rush it and try and get them so fast because obviously it was a hot day and the West fielders were fielding in the hottest part of it.
“We had a bit of a plan and we needed a bit of luck to go our way for that to happen and we were lucky enough to put a couple of big overs together in the middle that set us up to stay just under a run a ball for a majority of the innings. Obviously, it just got a little bit tight towards the end there.”
The final round of the regular season is this coming Saturday and will see the top two sides, North and West. playing at Alma Oval, while South and Central battle it out at Jubilee Oval. Both fixtures get underway from 11am.
