Albion secure minor premiership and Mornington take 10-run victory

Albion secured the Gunnedah District cricket minor premiership and, in the process, continued their unbeaten winning streak in the 2023/24 competition, following their 72-run victory over a valiant Kookaburras last weekend.

Meanwhile, Mornington ensured themselves the minimum of semi-final action, sewing up second spot on the ladder through a tense, 10-run victory over Court House.

In the first T20 match of the round, Mornington batted first against Court House and were cautious early.

Openers Henry Johns and Josh Langdon dug in early against the Court House attack of in form opening bowling duo Peter McCormack and Braithen Winsor, progressing the score to 23 off the first six overs without loss.

Winsor was patient though, finding a way through Johns’ defence to strike the first blow for Court House in the eighth over – and Winsor’s last – to have them 1/32.

As Langdon was joined at the crease by Richard Avendano, their partnership progressed the score to 50 in the 11th over, before Avendano was caught off the bowling of Will Hicks for 15.

While circumspect early in his innings, Langdon continued patiently at one end, setting the platform for a late-order surge at the back end of the innings.

He lost three partners in the space of four overs though and from 2/50, as Court House continued to pick up regular wickets to keep the scoreboard in check at 5/95 after 15 overs.

That was further enhanced for Court House as they had their sixth wicket with that of Langdon for 27, but not before he had provided the backbone of the Mornington innings in setting the platform for the lower order to take advantage of the latter overs.

Tim McDermott was the perfect pinch hitter for Mornington, boosting the total above the 100 mark. In the process, he belted three boundaries in a quick-fire 15 that saw Mornington finish 7/116 after 20 overs.

In contrast to Mornington’s start to the innings, Court House came out in an attacking mindset, exemplified by Sam Doubleday and Keaton Walters.

Doubleday struck two fours in a brisk 10, before he was undone by Jack Hayes while Walters also struck a quick 13 before he was caught behind off Cooper Blinman, but not before they had Court House with the early innings momentum at 2/32 after five overs.

A 39-run partnership between Peter McCormack and Brad Gander kept the scoring rate ticking over for Court House, but Mornington fought back through their spinners.

Firstly, Avendano removed Gander for 20 and next over, Langdon removed McCormack for 22 to leave the match evenly poised at 4/73 after 13 overs.

When Avendano picked up his second wicket and Langdon his second and third victims with successive deliveries, Mornington looked to have the game on their terms at 7/91, but not before a fightback from middle order bat Jye Hicks.

Hicks farmed the strike in the closing overs, all but dragging his side across line but when he was the second to last man dismissed off the bowling off Blinman for 27, it inevitably sealed the match for Mornington.

They closed out the Court House innings, completing victory by 11 runs to secure their spot in the finals.
In the other match of the day, Albion cruised to victory over Kookaburras, set by the platform of their batting innings.

Batting first, they raced to 4/152 off their 20 overs off the back of key contributions from Ryan Cooper with 42 and captain Ash White 47 not out.

However, Albion couldn’t make inroads to the Kookaburras batting line up, who were dogged in their stance to surrender their wicket.

Albion could only muster one wicket for the innings, but Kookaburras never looked like chasing the target albeit with some luck along the way and finish 1/79 after 20 overs.

Read about Gunnedah district cricket matches earlier this month here: Court House demolish Kookaburras inside 16 overs – Gunnedah Times