Lara up with ball to spare

ANDY Hughes (94) and Brad McMaster (67) laid the foundation to a precisely-calculated run chase, delivering Lara victory over East Belmont with just a ball to spare.

“It was well-timed to the last over, but at five overs to go, with just two wickets down in the chase, we probably could have gone a bit harder,” Lara coach Daniel Weigl said.

“But at the end of the day chasing down 230 against East Belmont is a really good result for us.”

The Lions set a target of 6-230 on the back of Sean O’Neill’s punishing 103 that comprised 11 fours and a six — the visitors’ skipper featuring in a fourth-wicket coalition with Lachie Inglis (47) that produced 102.

East was particularly savage on anything loose, with standin Cats’ skipper Andy Hughes calling on eight bowlers, with Tyler James (3-11) the best rewarded. In response, the Cats were impenetrable early with Hughes eventually run-out at the bowler’s end with the score on 164, with McMaster following 10 runs later.

It was then left to Brenden Miller (35 not out) and Englishman Tom Cullen (30) to bring Lara home.

“They did the same as the openers, pushing singles and picking the gaps, there was no blasting,” Weigl said.

“It came down to us needing eight off the last over and then seven off four balls.

“Brenden Miller hit a six over mid-on and then a four, two balls later. The really pleasing thing, from my perspective, was that we executed the plans we had spoken about.”