By Ian Beeck | posted on February 6, 2020
CRICKET finally returned on Saturday after a long holiday hiatus and it showed, with a number of rusty performances but the usual suspects dominating.
Railways took on Denmark, who would want to forget 2019, losing the opening 10 games, and with zero points to show for the season thus far, what had they to lose?
And that is the attitude they came with after Railways won the toss and elected to bat – the score was soon 2-10 with both openers sent packing early.
The wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals with Railways 8/90 at one stage and looking like being dismissed for under triple figures.
But everywhere man Nathan Crudeli picked up exactly where he had left off before the break, smashing 73 off only 68 balls including three towering sixes.
He found a valuable ally in number 10 batsman Simon Harvey who made 17 runs and when Crudeli was last man out in the 38th over, Railways had managed to scramble to a competitive 147.
Bradley Stewart led the bowling attack with 3/37 while Graeme King, Aden Montague and Ben Attrill all took a couple of scalps.
Denmark started brightly and were 1/44 with opener Daniel Robson dominating proceedings and it looked like the Magpies would clock up their first win of the season.
But once Robson departed for a well-compiled 40, the flaky Denmark line-up collapsed to be all out for 101 in the 44th over, with Jarrad Fuller finishing with the amazing figures of 3/8 off 4.4 overs.
Over on Turf E, Collingwood Park won the toss and batted first and clearly their top-order had been working hard in the nets as they all had solid scores with the side finishing on 9/210 off their 50 overs.
The hard-hitting Nathan Dover, averaging more than 50 this season, smashed 76, Leroy Van Dan Dool was stumped on 48 and Nick Barrow made 37.
For Manypeaks, Paul ‘Burner’ Donaldson took 5/27 but the other bowlers, perhaps enjoying the festive break a little too much, rarely troubled the Parks’ batsmen.
Swashbuckling captain Aran Tilbury, in his eight games this season (when not in Bali), either makes a score in the teens or the forties but unfortunately is was the former this game as he was first out for 14.
The only bastman to make an impression was wicketkeeper Sebastian Stanton with 75 and the Peaks’ tail failed to wag and they were all out for 193 to lose only their second game of the year.
For the bowling side, Mathew Heberle was im- pressive with 4/35.
In the final game, an improving Mt Barker won their third game of the year, defeating Royals by 27 runs.
Opener Alexander Fergie held his wicket finishing with 77 not out, well supported by Clayton Wood with 53 not out.
Royals batted through their 50 overs but could not put the disciplined Barker bowling attack away, finishing with 9/163.
