The KFC Festival of Cricket continued on Sunday at Frew Park with Mount Gambier playing their second game of three, taking on Hamilton.
After their win against Wimmera Mallee in the first game the side had a revamp with players unavailable due to playing for the South Australia Outbacks in Canberra.
Hamilton won the toss and sent Mount Gambier into bat.
Mil Lel’s William Rowland opened the batting with Penola’s Mark Smith and the two got off to a handy start.
Smith was the first wicket to fall in the fifth over, bringing Jack Miller to the crease to join his Mil Lel teammate.
Unfortunately the partnership was broken while still developing with Rowland bowled for 20.
Emerson Marks joined Miller at the crease but could not replicate his century innings from the first game, being bowled for just two.
Hamilton finally took the wicket of Miller for a well batted 36.
Alex Hill was joined by Scott Easterbrook and both were dismissed before they could do any real damage to the scoreboard.
Mount Gambier wasin a bit of trouble at 6/95, with many players failing to capitalise on big starts to shut Hamilton out of the game.
If a big total was to be posted they would require a tail wag.
Alex Hentschke and Robert Drenthen looked good at the crease and scored 13 and 24 respectively to get Mount Gambier to a decent score of 8/135, however again the batsmen failed to go on for a big score.
The ninth wicket partnership saw Logan Gibbs and Michael Waters completely take the game away from Hamilton.
The pair combined for a massive 86 run partnership that featured 10 boundaries, including six sixes.
On 32 Gibbs was bowled meaning the pair fell only 14 runs shy of a 100 run partnership.
The partnership nonetheless was incredibly valuable runs that completely took the opposition out of the contest.
Hamilton finally dismissed Waters for a destructive 66, with Mount Gambier’s innings finishing all out for 246.
Isaac Mulraney was left not out for 10.
The pressure was on Hamilton with the bat, and the Mount Gambier bowlers were sure to capitalise.
Liam Turley claimed the first wicket at the beginning of the 4th over, only four overs later Turley had his second, reducing Hamilton to 2/36.
Opening batsmen Huf was looking dangerous for Hamilton and managed to get to 34.
Miller stood up with the ball and caught Huf LBW before the damage inflicted could become too extensive.
The wickets came consistently for Mount Gambier, with Emerson Marks taking a catch off his own bowling.
The share of the wickets continued with Rowland taking his first wicket in the 38th over, before Mulraney and Gibss cleaned up the tail with Mulraney taking two wickets and a run
out.
Hamilton was all out for 141, falling 105 runs short of the score posted by Mount Gambier.
With another dominant win for the Mount Gambier side they will be full of confidence going into the final game, which if they win will qualify them for the grand final against Warrnambool and Districts.
