Saints sizing up Bulls
If momentum is anything to go by, then Horsham Saints can expect to start seriously climbing Horsham Cricket Association’s A Grade ladder.
The Saints would be bubbling with confidence for their clash against Blackheath-dimboola starting this week after recording one of the best wins of the season.
They will also be full of realisation that they will now be taking on a team that copped a hammering from premiership favourites Homers and are perhaps ripe for the picking.
With thunderclouds and hot and humid conditions pressing in on the action at Horsham City Oval, the Saints navigated their way to the 296 runs required to beat Jung Tigers.
In a game where a flat batting wicket ultimately coughed up almost 600 runs, it was veteran left-hander Gary Davidson who steered the Saints to victory with five overs to spare.
Opener Davidson, who gave chance to gully early in his knock, made the Tigers pay by carrying his bat and finishing the game unbeaten on 153.
His knock was punctuated with powerful drives and punishing square-of-the-wicket shots and while clearly spent at the end of his innings, appeared in control until the end.
The Saints were only five wickets down when they passed the score, emphasising just how much the bat dominated the ball.
Others to make runs included Matt Combe, 55, Corey Smith, 27, and Brad Sproule, a carefree 22.
The Tigers attack toiled without luck and didn’t take crucial chances, although medium-pacer Pat Laffy finished with 3-60.
The victory put the Saints within three points of the top four and they will now be eyeing off another win, this time against bottom side Blackheath-dimboola.
If runs were on the specials board at Horsham City Oval then they represented the whole menu at Dimboola.
Homers, in a fixture switched to one-day conditions after rain washed out play the previous week, capitalised on a wafer-thin home side with a monster of a batting performance.
First drop Jarred Combe, 127, Chris Hopper, 119, and Craig Britten, 58, dominated proceedings as the Pigeons scored at almost nine runs an over to finish with 6-402.
The visitors then collected the only eight wickets required to beat the Bulls, rolling them out for 104.
Amid the carnage, where Jarred Combe collected 4-22, Lachie Watts made 66 and Darren Jones, 23.
Homers will now turn their attention to Laharum at home at Horsham Sunnyside where they will start a two-day clash on Saturday.
Laharum just couldn’t put together enough productive partnerships to reel in Rupanyup-minyip’s 202 at Rupanyup, making only 166 in reply.
Wickets fell regularly and it was only an 86 from Damien Bunworth, who had to retire on 86 during the afternoon, who made a serious impression in the scorebook.
Medium-pace all-rounder Brent Hudson was the destroyer for the Blue Panthers, capturing 6-38.
Rupanyup-minyip will now size up the young Jung Tigers outfit more than a little annoyed by last week’s narrow loss to Horsham Saints.
The clash at Horsham City Oval is set to be another intriguing clash between bat and ball.
Horsham Saints 5-299 (G. Davidson 153no, M. Combe 55, C. Smith 27; P. Laffy 3-60) d Jung Tigers 9-295 (J. Pymer 100, S. Leith 79no; H. Smith 6-59), Homers 6-402 (Jarred Combe 127, C. Hopper 119, C. Britten 58, M. Langford 28) d Blackheath-dimboola 8-104 (L. Watts 66; Jarred Combe 4-22); Rupanyup-minyip 202 (A. Carter 86; D. Bunworth 4-44, M. Adams 3-24, J. Mahoney 3-54) d Laharum 166 (D. Bunworth 86; B. Hudson 6-38).
Grampians
Buangor 102 (C. Slorach 3-27) v Youth Club 4-54, Navarre 121 (A. Slorach 40, C. Wilkinson 26, J. Hannett 25; M. Grinham 4-13) v Pomonal 3-136 (L. Jordan 36, B. Thomas 34no, M. Grinham 30), Swifts-great Western 2-177 dec (R. Peters 100no,
Wimmera-mallee
Jeffcott v Brimkellalac-sheep Hills, Marnoo v Birchip, St Arnaud v St Marys, Donald, bye.
Marnoo 5-71 d St Marys 66 (D. Lang 3-14), Birchip 2-72 (A. Clark 29no, J. Boyle 27no) d St Arnaud 70 (J. Falvey 4-13, A. Beacham 3-14), Brim-kellalac-sheep Hills 8-110 (M. Mcpherson 48no; N. Holmes-brown 4-22, D. Hawkes 3-14) d Donald 8-95 (C. Anderson 52; C. Mcpherson 3-14). SCHUBERTS PEST SERVICES