Five-wicket haul not enough for second grade cricketers

A 113-run defeat for Gunnedah’s second grade cricketers at McAndrew Park last Saturday did not reflect promising signs for the home side.

Several of Gunnedah’s bowlers had sound figures as Bective East was dismissed for 188 with one ball remaining in its 40 overs, before Gunnedah was rolled in just 21.4 overs.

Gunnedah’s Jaycob Price had the best bowling figures of the match after bagging his maiden five-wicket haul, but the damage from Bective East’s opening bowlers proved significantly greater.

The hosts started on the wrong foot as they were two players short for a while, and Bective East’s openers set the platform for a strong total.

James Haling and son Henry built a 114-run stand in the first 20 overs, after three overs proved costly for the home side. Thirteen runs came in the fifth over and the 16th over, while the 13th over cost 14 runs.

Only 23 runs were scored in 10 overs following the 20th over, as Jonah Cameron and Josh Langdon bowled well.

James Haling made 50 off 96 balls before Cameron trapped him lbw in the 23rd over, and Henry Haling fell for 40 off 58 when he was ruled lbw to Langdon.

Lachie Straney claimed a wicket from the first ball of the 31st over with the total on 137, before Lachlan McColl boosted the run rate.

Price claimed two wickets in the 36th over, and then Trent Winsor struck in the 37th and 39th overs before Price polished off the innings with three wickets in five balls.

Price finished with 5-45 from 7.5 overs while Cameron (1-26) and Langdon (1-28) had fine figures as they bowled eight overs each. Winsor nabbed 2-22 from five overs, but the hosts paid for ill-discipline as there were 26 runs from wides, six from no-balls and 10 from byes.

The first ball of Gunnedah’s innings was a wide before Keaton Walters upper-cut the second legitimate ball for four.

The run chase was in tatters as Hatton rattled the stumps three times in the third over to leave Gunnedah 3-11. After snaring two wickets in three balls, Hatton bowled successive wides before his next ball was on target.

Shahid Khalfan snared the next three wickets as a return catch was followed by a catch at cover and a successful lbw shout, making the score 6-29.

Resistance was minimal as Darrin Cameron (16) and Price (15) were the only Gunnedah players to reach double figures.

Twenty runs were added for the seventh wicket before two wickets to Brady Hunter were followed by two to Fletcher Panton.

The total of 75 would have been notably worse had there not been 21 sundries, including 14 wides and five byes.

Bective East 188 (James Haling 50, Henry Haling and Lachlan McColl 40; Jaycob Price 5-45) defeated Gunnedah 75 (Darrin Cameron 16; Marty Hatton 3-16, Shahid Khalfan 3-18) by 113 runs.

Jaycob Price was one of only two Gunnedah second graders to reach double figures with the bat, after he captured five wickets.