The touring Adelaide High School team do not like cricket in Mount Gambier, they love it after completing a short, sharp and successful three-day tour of the Blue Lake city last week.

Across two days Adelaide High’s Year 8/9 and 10 teams played a combined total of three games against local schools and clubs at Scott and Frew Park.

The main events were the two clashes on Wednesday with a spot in the Statewide Grand Final up for grabs.

The Year 10 travelling team kicked off proceedings last Tuesday night with a T20 contest against the combined East Gambier/North Sportsman’s Under 17’s outfit on the latter’s home turf.

The hosts batted first and struggled to break free from the visitors’ tight lines.

The home team searched for any width allowing the chance to put the pressure back on the bowling, but were not offered it and could only post an under par 110 on the board.

Dular Desai was close to unplayable picking up the eye-catching figures of 4/7 from his three overs, while Josh Koster did not give away anything to claim three wickets for two runs across his 18 deliveries.

With the required run rate less than a run a ball, Adelaide mowed down the total and scored the victory with a leg in the air.

Josh Bevan’s name on the scorecard could have been mistaken for Michael as he steered the run chase in similar fashion to the Australian great of the late nineties and early noughties.

Bevan finished unbeaten on 32 from 25 balls, while Charlie Edmunds also played a pivotal role in the win with 24.

Adelaide’s Year 8/9 team did not miss out on the opening night action either, completing a centre-wicket training session on the McDonald Park oval to warm up for its battle against Tenison Woods College.

Cloudy and windy conditions greeted players on Wednesday morning for the high-stakes battles at Scott and Frew Park.

The Year 10 T20 contest between Adelaide High School and St Martins Lutheran College was the first to be completed after the travelling team taught the hosts a lesson with a clinical performance.

After the sides agreed to allow Adelaide to bat first on the turf pitch, the visitors teed off.

The St Martins bowling attack had little in its armory to challenge the confident tourists as they amassed an imposing 3/248 from its 20 overs.

Yet again Bevan showed off his touch smacking a 27-ball half century, while Edmunds outdone him scoring an unbeaten 52.

Aiden Hancock’s 32 in quick time put the cherry on top of a brutal innings from the Adelaide High batters.

The visitors then rubbed salt into the wounds of the inexperienced St Martins outfit with the ball.

Adelaide skittled St Martins for a poultry 21 with Koster (4/8) and Charlie Mulvaby (3/4) doing the damage.

The demolition job ensured the visitors won by 227 runs, what could possibly have been the biggest win ever recorded in the format in the Limestone Coast.

But the main contest took place at Frew Park where Adelaide’s Year 8/9 team was pushed to the brink by a spirited Tenison Woods College side.

The hosts batted first at the picturesque venue and were in a spot of bother at 2/34 after a double strike from Roman Crawford.

But that brought Jed Sims and Jared Kuhl together at the crease and their feats with the bat allowed Tenison’s light to shine.

After digging deep in the middle overs the pair flourished towards the death scoring a flurry of boundaries.

Sims finished unbeaten with his highest ever score less than 20 short of a century, while Kuhl departed for 32 after their 100-run union was broken.

Their efforts pushed Tenison to a competitive 5/189 from its 40 overs.

A thriller was in prospect after Tenison had its tails up in the field during the opening overs of the run chase.

Despite the heat of Kuhl’s bowling, Darcy Catton (33) and Rhys Livingston (43) put on 61 for the second wicket.

Just when Adelaide’s run chase appeared on course, a collapse put the visitors in the tricky position of 4/82.

However, Kuwerdeep Singh’s 32 changed the game to bring the required rate under a run-a-ball and Boston Molzer (32*) and Jack Appleton (25*) pushed Adelaide over the line in a thrilling run chase with eight balls to spare.

After the joy of both sides sealing berths in the state finals, the Adelaide High School kids were treated to a sight-seeing tour of the Limestone Coast before heading home last Thursday.

Appleton thanked all the local contributors who helped make the tour happen.

“The game at East Gambier on Tuesday night was a challenge to start, but “Bear” (Geoff Hanel) was there rolling the wicket and Rob Johncock made sure everything was organised,” he said.

“On Wednesday Gary Ashby prepared a really good wicket at Frew Park which allowed batters to get their hands through the ball.

“Brad Maney was also really good from Tenison and there was a great atmosphere all day.”

Appleton said the intensity of the contest with Tenison caught his eye.

“The batting depth of Tenison went deeper than we thought and their bowlers put on a lot of pressure,” he said.

“Jared in particular was in the batter’s face which was great because we do not get a lot of and showed us some real cricket.

“The competitiveness of Tenison was much higher than many schools we play in Adelaide.”

Appleton said the tour was so enjoyable he hoped to make it an annual occurrence.

“The kids had a great time and from a student development point of view it was great, so we might look to make it more of a regular thing,” he said.

“The quality of cricket, people and facilities were great and make it a really attractive proposition for us as a program.”