The region’s best batters put their hands up ahead of the ACT Comets return to the National Second XI competition, with four century-makers in 1st Grade across the Saturday-Sunday round of Premier Cricket.
Prolific Queanbeyan opener Nic Broes posted his first ton of the summer, his 154 allowing the Bluebags to declare at 8/348 at Freebody. In reply, Eastlake’s promising start was brought completely undone by a catastrophic collapse, as they lost 9/32 to be all out for 151.
Former Toowoomba allrounder Zac Beveridge took a hat-trick for his new club among his 5-45 from 19 overs, with Queanbeyan enjoying a dominant 197-run win.
North Canberra-Gungahlin won the toss and batted at Stirling but found themselves in immediate trouble against Weston Creek-Molonglo, with their top order back in the sheds with just 13 on the board, and the situation not much better at 5/33.
An 88-run seventh-wicket partnership, and then another stand of 71 for the eight added some respectability to the Norths total, eventually bowled out for 216.
Robbie Trickett nearly chased that down himself as the ‘Creek put the foot down from the outset, compiling an incredible 159-ball knock of 195 as Weston Creek-Molonglo finished with 8/399 and took a comfortable first innings win.
At ANU North, young Pathways leggie Jake Smith continued his strong start to the season, taking 5-89 from 28 overs as ANU bowled Western Districts out for 261.
Smith was part of ANU’s top order collapse in reply, however, with the Students slumping to 4/28. From there Eric Bell and Lachlan Simpson added 129 for the fifth wicket, while two further century stands down the order pushed ANU to 9dec/430.
Bell finished with 182 from 164 balls, and 18-year-old Dave Dubey made 102 from 62 balls batting at no.8. Wests saw out the remainder of the day, reaching 3/83 when Stumps were called.
And at Chisholm, Ginninderra’s Jak Wilcox took 5-43 from 18 overs as the Tigers bowled Tuggeranong out for 206 to secure a nine-run first innings win, having been bowled out themselves for 215 on Day 1.
Lower grade standouts:
- In Men’s 2nd Grade, a 171-run fifth-wicket stand between Jay Blamey (97) and Daniel Leggett (100no) got Ginninderra home by 5 wickets over Tuggeranong at Kippax 1.
- Zac Harlow’s 101 helped Queanbeyan declare at 9/288, who then had six bowlers take wickets in bowling Eastlake out for 239.
- Hugh Taylor made 110 in Weston Creek-Molonglo’s 6dec/313, who then bowled Norths out for 65 and 101 to claim the outright win.
- Wests opening bowler Jack Searl finished with 6-28 as they bowled ANU out for 144 to secure the 54-run first innings win. The Students’ Tristan du Toit took 5-49 in Wests first innings and another 4-37 in the second to finish with nine for the match.
- ANU 3rd Grade got home by one wicket against Wests on the back of opening bat James Harmer’s 92, with 18 the next highest score and five others in single-figures.
- And Brad Falkenberg’s unbeaten 186 set up Queanbeyan’s big total of 4dec/342 in 4th Grade, but Eastlake countered with Janaka Lokubalasuriyage Don’s 107no and finished on 6/214 to force a Draw.
Article by Brett McKay