Smith’s five to sink Sandgate

JACKSON Smith’s first five-for of the Queensland Premier Cricket campaign has set Gold Coast up nicely in its two-day home tilt against SandgateRedcliffe, but the run chase did not start according to plan.

Smith (5-35) was the chief destroyer for the hosts, who limited Sandgate-Redcliffe to a first-innings total of 172 but the Gold Coast will return next weekend with nine wickets in hand after the early loss of opener Bradley Radford (duck off 10 balls).

In the visitors’ innings, Smith and Dolphins ‘keeper Lachy Aitken combined to dismiss Sandgate opener Daniel Seaton (24 off 64) and second drop Jack Cooper (4 off 5).

Aitken finished with four catches behind the stumps.

Nathan Lyons (2-51) and Bradley Munro (222) both bagged double scalps, while Chris Taylor (1-46) chimed in with the key middle-order wicket of Caden Sweeney.

But it was the MunroRadford combination to dismiss SandgateRedcliffe’s No.3 Rory Livingstone (61 off 149) that proved the key wicket, with the next four dismissals all coming within 20 runs as the Dolphins wrapped up the tail quickly.

Playing without the competition’s leading runscorer in Max Bryant, it was Radford’s turn to open in his second first grade start of the season.

But his afternoon came to an end trapped lbw for a duck, leaving Scott Palombo (4 off 21) and Hugo Burdon (8 off 13) at the crease.

In Sunday’s T20 semifinal at Bill Pippen Oval, Callum Taylor (85 not out) carried his bat and Burdon (79) starred in a stellar 2/189 innings.

Wynnum-Manly could only manage 99 in reply.

Gold Coast is now into next Sunday’s decider.