Weston Creek-Molonglo’s Douglas Cup defence is off to a strong start after a big win over Ginninderra, while the Devoy brothers spun Tuggeranong to a shot at outright victory that would have felt unlikely at the start of the day.
Resuming at 0/43 against Weston Creek-Molonglo at Kippax 1, Ginninderra added just one run before losing their first wicket and fell to be 4/69. ‘Creek and ACT Pathways leg-spinner Blake Faunce then had an impact through the Tigers middle order and struck twice more as Ginninderra lost their last three wickets for 12 runs to be bowled out for 169 in 84 overs.
Faunce finished with 5-73 from 27 overs, with the ‘Creek going straight to the top of the Douglas Cup standings with their 187-run win.
At Kingston, Eastlake started Day 2 with nine wickets in hand and needing another 167 runs to chase down Tuggeranong’s 188 but losing 3/13 in their top order set the tone for the day.
Shane and Craig Devoy did the damage, with the pair of spinners claiming 4-29 and 3-4 respectively, and the last five wickets between them as Eastlake lost 5/9 to be all out for 80.
Tuggeranong then enforced the follow-on to have a dip at an outright win, though Eastlake were able to survive 45 overs to finish the day on 3/76.
Shane Devoy took another 2/20 to finish with seven wickets on a remarkable day.
Elsewhere, ANU needed 109 runs at the start the second day’s play to take the first innings points over North Canberra-Gungahlin at Keith Tournier Memorial Oval, and got the job done despite making it hard for themselves.
They hadn’t added to their overnight score when the lost their first wicket, lost another 2/18 in the middle order and 3/15 in the lower order to be 9/173. They got the couple of runs needed for the one-wicket win but were bowled out for 180 soon after.
Allrounder Lachlan Simpson added 55 to his five-wicket haul last week, while Norths’ new ball pairing of Hayden Page and skipper Nick Wood took seven wickets between them. The Eagles reached 4/81 when the teams finally shook hands on the contest.
Queanbeyan similarly needed just 46 more with six wickets in hand to take the points from Western Districts at Jamison, got there five down, before Dean Solway’s 91 pushed them on to post 9/250 when they declared and put the Lions back in.
Siddhartha Sharma finished with 5-95 from 23 overs for Wests, and Alex Corver made 72 as Wests finished the day 3/155 from 51 overs.
Premier Cricket will play its first full weekend round of two-day cricket, with Men’s 1st to 4th Grade playing Round 2 this coming Saturday and Sunday.
The second one-day match of the Women’s Elite cricket series was also played on Sunday, with ACT Meteors allrounder Alisha Bates the standout in a dominant win for the South team.
Bates finished with 105 from 71 balls and added 164 for the second wicket with Alana Horsfall (74no), in South’s seven-wicket win. Earlier Amber Smith finished with 86no in North’s innings of 195.
Lower grade standouts:
- ANU’s Neve Lynch (59) and Aimee Slocombe (51no) put on a 90-run opening stand as the Students posted 4/169 from their 40 overs to kick off the Lynne O’Meara Cup season. ANU’s bowlers then finished the job, restricting Ginninderra to 9/148 in their innings at O’Connor.
- Queanbeyan’s Natalie Miller took 4-5 from four overs as they bowled Tuggeranong out for 125 at Neil Bulger Oval, to secure a 19-run win.
- Eastlake started their Women’s Grade season in strong fashion too, accounting for Weston Creek-Molonglo by 171 runs at Forestry Oval in Yarralumla.
- In Men’s 2nd Grade, ANU’s Lewis Roberston finished 120 not out in their score of 6-dec/250 to take first innings points at ANU North, before Norths opening bat Hamid Mehmood replied with 107 himself, as the Eagles made 9/198 in their second innings.
- Phil Moore’s 94 was a lone hand in Queanbeyan’s score of 155, replying to Wests’ 262 in 2nd Grade at Freebody.
- Eastlake captain Nick Arthur rescued his side from 3/25, making 127 as the Demons made 229 in reply to Tuggeranong’s 281 at Chisholm.
- In 4th Grade, ANU’s Jude Holohan finished with 5-33 from four overs, as the Students kept North Canberra-Gungahlin to 9/178 in pursuit of ANU’s 6-dec/235.
- Matt Broers finished 102no in Wests’ six-wicket win over Queanbeyan at Brad Haddin Oval.
- Eastlake opener Rukshan Abeysekera made a patient 109no in the Demons’ one-wicket win over Tuggeranong at Chisholm 2, while Blake Tomamichel finished with 5-49 from 14.2 overs.
- And in the first round of 5th Grade one-dayers for 2023/24, Queanbeyan’s Daniel Clugston took 5-10 from six overs, as the Bluebags beat Tuggeranong by 48 runs at Conder.