KILLEY PLUCKS PIGEONS

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KILLEY PLUCKS PIGEONS

CASTERTON District has continued its new-found form with the willow as the Maroons posted a huge score on day one of the Hamilton and District Cricket Association A Grade round 10 match against Pigeon Ponds.


Maroons veteran, Rick Killey, was the last man out with 326 on the board, his personal contribution an astounding 178 from only 165 balls, including 14 boundaries and six maximums.


It is the highest individual score in the A Grade competition to date this summer and it rescued the visitors from a precarious 7-159, Killey helping add 169 for the final three wickets.


Pigeon Ponds Recreation Reserve was the venue for the local derby and the visitors were sent into bat after losing the toss, with Ben Holmes and Oliver Foster striding to the middle to get the day started.


The decision to bowl first appeared to be the right choice as wickets fell regularly with Holmes (nine), Kane Forbes (10), and Foster (35) all back in the pavilion with only 59 on the board, with Jack Beaton doing the early damage with the new ball.


Carey Megaw and Killey came together and started to regain the ascendancy with a 50-run partnership for the fourth wicket, but Megaw (19) was caught and bowled by Ben Hanrahan just as the pair was getting into stride.


Killey could only watch on from the other end as Kaden Humphries (three), Logan Gibbs (seven) and Jacob Edwards (four) came and went and with the tally on 7-159, the Maroons were in danger of being dismissed for well under 180.


The veteran found a winning partner in Michael Jarrad (13) as the pair added 37 for the eighth wicket, then Killey started to farm the strike and began to stroke the ball to and over the boundary and the runs started to flow.


He added 79 for the ninth wicket with Alastair McCrae (28) and then a final 49 for the final wicket with Fletcher Bright (two-not-out) to completely change the game and take the advantage from the home side.


The only downside for the visitors was they did not bat out their full 75 overs, the final wicket falling after one ball of the 68th over, which meant that Pigeon Ponds had to bat for three overs where they ended the day 0-10, with Hamish McCrae and Jack Beaton not out.


Credit has to be given to the pair after bowling for the afternoon and then putting their hands up to open the batting to protect the batsmen.


Beaton was the star with the ball as he grabbed 5-56, with Joel Staude (2-56) and Hanrahan (2-71) giving great support.


TAHARA V HAMILTON


TAHARA is riding a form wave to start the new year and after defeating Gorae-Portland last round, the Blue Caps followed it up with a great display with the ball at Tahara Recreation Reserve on Saturday against Hamilton.


After winning the toss and deciding to bat first on the synthetic surface, Hamilton failed to come to terms with the home team bowling attack, as the visitors wore a path to and from the middle.


The Blues did not even last until the afternoon tea break as Nathan Slaughter tore through the batting line up to collect yet another five-wicket haul.


Slaughter grabbed the first two early wickets with Taine Morris grabbing another two to set the visitors firmly on the back foot.


Five Hamilton batsmen made starts and posted double figure scores but none went on and played the innings the rest of the line up could bat around and set a target the bowlers could defend.


Batting at number eight in the order, Eli Crutch was the only player to reach 20 and his 31 came from only 21 balls as he attacked the bowlers, trying to knock them off the line and length that had served the home side so well.


Hamilton lasted only 38.4 overs and was all out for 112, with Slaughter grabbing 5-47 and Morris 3-24 leading the way for the Blue Caps’ attack.


After the tea break, Hamilton returned to the middle determined to make up for their poor batting display by attacking the Tahara batsmen from ball one.


The Blue Caps’ top order collapsed as the Hamilton bowlers attacked as a unit with every bowling change returning a wicket and only Hamish Myers (22-not-out) and Sam Brewer (15-not-out) stand in the way of a complete rout.


When play ended for day one, Tahara was 5-78 from 31 overs, still 45 shy of claiming victory with Myers and Brewster at the wicket as all five Hamilton bowlers claimed a wicket.


The game is on a knife edge and could even develop into an outright result if the captains play attacking cricket next Saturday.


In other matches …


TYRENDARRA batted all day against St Andrews to post 9-343 with Cameron Mather (104) hitting his second successive century and Jordy Withers (92) as Latham Wishart grabbed 4-92.


Portland Tigers posted 262 against Grampians at Dunkeld Turf with Shanaka Silva (65) and Paul Proctor (39) continuing their good form, while Zach Burgess suffered a dislocated shoulder late in the day for the Pumas that may end his summer.


Portland Colts 6-260 is in the box seat against South Portland as Luke Evans (91) and Matthew Belden (55-not-out) led the way at Henty Park.


Macarthur travelled to Alexandra Park in Portland to battle Gorae-Portland and appeared to be on track to post 400-plus, but the home side struck back after Simon Sharrock (128 from 105 balls – 17 boundaries and seven maximums) started on fire.


The Demons were all out for 258 inside 56 overs which gave the home team 16 overs to bat and at stumps they were 2-36.

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