Victory sees Nightcliff claim top-four spot
STRIKE League cricket is back in Darwin with a different format, but with all sorts of solutions in the 20-over games.
The Territory’s best under-23 players will go into battle against an experienced opposition over three weekends of frantic cricket.
The Storm and the Blaze capture the weather and culture of the Northern Territory in two words, making their onfield contests over the next three Sundays compulsory viewing for cricket fans. Most of the big names of Top End cricket will be on show, including opposing skippers Matt Hammond (Storm) and Luke Shelton (Blaze).
Last year’s series was livestreamed on ntnews.com.au and this year is no different.
In Darwin Premier Grade cricket, Nightcliff produced a big upset when it thrashed the high-flying Waratah by 108 runs at Gardens Oval.
Opening bat Jhiah Baxter’s century set up the win, his 107 including 14 boundaries and three big sixes.
Tahs looked in control at 2-90 in reply, but spinner Jacob Thorne and fast man Tom Pinson then proceeded to take six wickets between them as the home side lost 8-69.
Better news for the young Tigers is they find themselves in the top four with three games left in the minor round.
Southern Districts continued their unbeaten season and moved clear on top of the ladder with an eight-wicket win over Tracy Village.
A second-wicket partnership of 86 between skipper Kierran Voelkl (54) and Dean Fry (46no) in search of the Villagers’ 133 set up the win.
Medium-pacer Chris McEvoy and off-spinner Dean Fry had earlier combined to bowl the Villagers out for 133.
And Palmerston got back on the winners’ list with a convincing four-wicket win over
PINT at Marrara. The Power’s skipper Alex Bleakley made an unbeaten 45 in pursuit of PINT’s 9-175.
A pair of 30s from Stephen Regan and Shane Buttfield played major supporting roles.
The win snapped a worrying two-game losing streak for the young Power side.