Warriors burn into top four

They mustered 8-96 from their 40 overs, but the required runs were well within the reach of the Lyrebirds, despite the best efforts of Troy Lehman and Isaac Carney.

Lehman trapped Jack Armour in front for just six in much-needed early breakthrough, and Carney claimed the scalps of Paull and Walsh but Brent Eastwell (31*) and Rhys Holdsworth (20) were largely untroubled in their 40-run fourth wicket stand that helped Buln over the line in the 28th over.

The loss sees Longwarry remain winless and firmly rooted to the bottom of the division one ladder, and they will be hoping to regroup and rebuild in the second half of the summer.

Drouin defends total

Drouin (5-169) def. Yarragon (6-159): Gamini Kumara and Ishan Ratnayake rediscovered their mojo with the bat at the weekend, but even their 118-run stand couldn’t help Yarragon over the line, with Drouin claiming a flurry of late wickets in a successful defence of 169.

Andy Trewern began patiently with Ratnayake and the pair added 24 for the first wicket, but Trewern couldn’t make the most of his chances, merely spooning a return catch to Mitch Goodwin to be on his way for nine.

Zaron Smith came and went rapidly, leaving the onus again on Kumara and Ratnayake to muster a fightback – but this time the duo was up to the challenge.

Mixing ones and twos from well-timed and well-directed nurdles through the field with the odd boundary, Kumara (60 from 87) and Ratnayake (69 off 97) had the Hawks on the back-foot for much of the run-chase, and it seemed that a successful late charge to the target was on the cards.

However, Simon Gardiner induced a loose stroke from Ratnayake with 20 required in the final few overs, and Goodwin was able to do the same to Kumara, and the new batsmen to the crease simply couldn’t hit the boundaries required.

The Panthers finished at 6-159, 10 runs short, and no doubt ruing a wasted opportunity to knock off one of the ‘big four’ in division one.