The Mil Lel v East Gambier Hoggies Wines Barber Shield clash might be the most one-sided of round 4 on paper, but it is game on at Frew Park.
Having won the toss and electing to bat first, the home side went on the front foot to race the team total beyond 200 for third successive week thanks to a serene century from opener Josh Smith.
His quick even hundred was the accelerator behind Mil Lel’s 234 which could be a tricky target for the bullish Bulldogs to chase down on the final day.
But initially a 200-plus score appeared impossible for the hosts after the visitors made some inroads with the new cherry.
Despite the dangerous Will Rowland looking confident in the opening over, East captain Alex Hentschke had the last laugh after dot-ball pressure led to the opener’s downfall on 8.
Hentschke’s new-ball partner Liam Turley also tasted some success when he ended Todd Carpenter’s miserable 12-ball duck.
At 2/23 the Bulldogs were circling the home side, but one over turned the game on its head.
After 13 overs where pace on the ball proved tricky to play, Hentschke turned to spin and brought his number-one tweaker Emerson Marks into action.
However, Smith took a liking to Marks’ left-arm orthodox and went on a rampage.
His barrage started with a lofted four over cover before the left-hander smashed a huge six straight over the bowler’s head.
Marks’ pain mounted in his second over which went for 16 runs as Smith smashed two maximums in the same arch.
Suddenly the score raced into the eighties, Smith was waving his bat for a half century and Marks’ day was done after hos four overs cost 37.
Smith continued his charge hitting a hat-trick of boundaries off Travis Younghusband’s deceptive seamers.
At the other end Nick Walters was building the perfect wall, blocking out any Bulldogs attempt of breaking the partnership.
With Smith the aggressor and Walters the deflector, the pair frustrated the visitors and went on to compile 115 runs for the third wicket.
Almost 14 years after smashing a century in an Under 13’s fixture against East Gambier, Smith celebrated the same milestone facing the same opposition.
Unfortunately, his celebrations were short lived when he finally found a fielder.
Leg spinner Ben Hentschke made the significant breakthrough which came as a relief to the Bulldogs after 72.5% of Mil Lel’s runs were scored off Smith’s bat.
With the dangerman out of the way East slowly went to work at the new batters and did so successfully.
Marc Roberts claimed Darcy Williamson and Carey Megaw thanks to some sharp work from himself and keeper Dion Stratford standing up to the stumps.
The Hentschke brothers teamed up to remove Logan Gibbs and Jack Miller before Younghusband cleaned up the tail.
Suddenly Mil Lel 7/84, but keeping things together was Walters, who remained unbroken at the close of innings.
His gritty effort of 55 off 205 balls had to be applauded on a day when only two batters exceeded the teens and his contribution could prove significant as the game goes on.
