FOUR wickets from Jack Lunghusen, as well as a middle-order revival from Jason Keath and Brad Windridge, helped reigning Northern District Cricket Association A Grade premiers, Leitchville/Gunbower snap a two-match losing streak on Saturday.
The trio were instrumental in setting up the composite team’s 36-run win against 2015/16 grand finalists, Wandella.
The win moved the defending premiers to second on the ladder, one win behind competition leaders, Barham/Koondrook.
The decision to bat first nearly backfired on Leitchville/Gunbower, with Matt Wilkinson and Liam Radcliffe dominated against the top order.
The visitors were reeling at 3/21, before Kurt Brereton (30) and Keath (41) combined for a 62-run stand.
Windridge (40 not out) provided some late order hitting to set the Bombers a 152-run victory target.
Wilkinson finished with four wickets for the hosts, with Radcliffe’s two scalps giving him 11 wickets for the season.
The Bombers struggled to handle the pressure Lunghusen was delivering, with Sam Radcliffe (28) and Zak Sambrooks (22) helping the Bombers reach 115 before the side was dismissed in the 42nd over.
The loss leaves Wandella fourth on the ladder, with the side’s 0.58 point advantage over Cohuna United keeping the side in a finals spot.
United lost its fourth consecutive match at the weekend, going down to Barham/Koondrook by two wickets in a close encounter.
Looking for its first win since round one, Bradley Griffiths (40) and Marcus Rogers (36) combined for a 66-run second-wicket stand, before Daniel Cooke (40) added some late innings runs to help the hosts reach 8/170 off 45 overs.
Shane Guerra was prolific with the ball, claiming United’s last five wickets in a productive spell.
Blake Chant (43) and Matt Thomas (35) set the tone at the top of the order, putting together a 59-run opening-wicket stand that helped the middle order chase the runs down.
The border side finished its 45 overs at 8/173, with seven bowlers each claiming a wicket for United.
Ladder leaders stunned
COHUNA United inflicted Leitchville/Gunbower’s second loss of the Northern District Cricket Association B Grade season at the weekend.
Led by a half-century from Jordan White and five wickets from Justin Moon, United’s five wicket win sees the side sitting fourth on the ladder, one win off top spot, after six rounds.
Leitchville/Gunbower’s decision to bat first failed to capitalise on any momentum, with Moon building on the efforts of United’s opening bowlers.
The visitors were reeling at 7/58, but a 76-run stand between Pieter Van der Kooij (50) and Wade Keath (25) helped Leitchville/Gunbower post a competitive total of 137 off 37.3 overs.
United lost its first wicket without a run on the board, but White (60) and Darren Hancock (30) produced a 68-run second-wicket stand that steadied the innings.
Peter Taylor’s 40-run contribution late in the innings secured the win as United went on to score 9/180 off its 40 overs, with Toby Duncan, Jayden Haw and Josh Hawken claiming two wickets each.
Despite the loss, Leitchville/Gunbower remains on top of the ladder, thanks to a 0.53 point lead over Nondies, who recorded a 101-run win against Barham/Koondrook at the weekend.
Keegan Ryan (70) and Nick Gilbert (62) combined for a 132-run third-wicket partnership that helped Nondies score 5/205 off its 40 overs.
Cody Storm claimed two wickets for the border side, who struggled in reply.
Storm (16), joined Wes O’Neill (24), Jack Webb (22) and Mitchell O’Neill (21) in reaching double figures as the visitors fell for 104 in the 32nd over.
Ryan was Nondies top bowler, claiming three wickets.
Meanwhile, Wandella is also equal with Leitchville/Gunbower and Nondies at the top of the ladder following a seven-wicket win against Riverside Park co-tenants, Kerang Fairley Town.
Sent in to bat first, Daniel Higgs (26) and Paul Goodson (22) led the way with the bat as Kerang Fairley Town managed to reach 126 in the 31st over. Toby Gray was the Bombers’ best bowler, claiming four wickets.
Despite losing Gray with two runs on the board, Tom Gibson (43) and Craig McGrath (32) steadied the Bombers’ response, before Gibson and Simon Williams (70) combined for a 87-run fourth-wicket stand to record a much-needed win.
Ryan Barnes was the best of Kerang Fairley Town’s bowlers, claiming three wickets.
