Peucker ton sets up battle with Tigers

An unbeaten and match-winning 130 from Laharum’s Ben Peucker has set the scene for a fascinating showdown against Jung Tigers in Horsham Cricket Association.

Peucker hit 15 fours and five sixes in the Mountain Men’s win over Dimboola-blackheath in a high-scoring one-day clash at Laharum, and the solid batting form will fully test the Tigers at the weekend.

Laharum made a monster 4-278 and the Bulls made a good fist of the chase, eventually running out of steam at 7-210.

As teams prepare for a return to twoday fixtures, Jung Tigers will go into the contest having secured a place in a one-day series grand final.

The Tigers beat Horsham Saints to win a place against Homers but will take on the Mountain Men while juggling a team list to cope with availability concerns.

While Peucker’s knock was a standout in the shadow of the Grampians, Daniel Griffiths also had a good day with 78 as he shared in a 202-run stand. Josh Mahoney also made 31, while Brodie Cramer was the best of the Blackheath-dimboola bowlers with 4-52.

The Bulls refused to crumble in the face of such a large run chase with Hamish Exell, 89, and Cramer, 58, sharing in a 140-run partnership. Garrett Liston also chimed in with 25.

Daniel Mibus made sure Laharum secured the win, capturing 5-38.

The result appears ominous for the Tigers, although the Jung side had a ripper match against Horsham Saints at Coughlin Park.

The match-turning moment in a clash headed for the wire came when Tigers outfielder Jeremy Pietsch pinged in a return from the boundary from a free hit to have Matt Combe short of his ground.

The Tigers were defending only 165 but the Saints faired little better with the bat, except for Combe who on 32 appeared to be directing the home side to victory.

Young Tyler Puls shone with his left-armers for the winners, capturing 3-23.

The Saints now take on Homers, who shored up their place in the March 12 Cornell-schwedes one-day final by beating Rupanyup-minyip at Minyip. All-rounder Simon Hopper sparkled in the victory, initially capturing 5-23 as the Blue Panthers accumulated 8-163, and then hitting 86 as the Pigeons made the target with six wickets down.

Other good performances from the match included Travis Hair’s 55 and Daniel Schaper’s 33 for the Blue Panthers.

Rupanyup-minyip will enter a two-day campaign against Blackheath-dimboola at Dimboola and desperately needs to win after losing all games since the Christmas break.

ACROSS CRICKET Horsham