TAHS WIN THRILLER
Cool-headed Udara hits four off the final delivery
WARATAH playing-coach Udara Weerasinghe’s boundary from the last ball of the match gave his side a thrilling five-wicket win over Palmerston in Premier Grade cricket.
Weerasinghe hit left-arm spinner Hamish Martin through mid wicket to lift Tahs to 5-284 and first innings points.
Martin’s marathon 36 overs cost him only 82 runs, but it just fell short of a winning performance.
“It’s a good feeling to win a game like that where everyone played hard to get the points,’’ Weerasinghe said. “Hamish bowled very well but we had several contributors as well, including Ash (Chandrasinghe) who should have got a century instead of 85.’’
PINT stayed second on the points table when it beat Tracy Village by six wickets at the Village ground.
The Green Caps batted on after passing Village’s first innings 198 score to reach 7-341 when stumps were drawn.
PINT middle-order bat Lachlan Bangs lived up to his name with an explosive 110 from 80 balls, 68 runs coming in boundaries when he cleared the fence six times and sent the ball crashing into it eight times.
Darwin beat Southern Districts by two wickets at Fred’s Pass, Kris Denby (32 not out) and Luke Zanchetta getting the Eagles home after some early stumbles.
The win moved Darwin above Tracy Village into third place on the ladder behind pacesetters Waratah and PINT.
A crucial 54-run partnership for the eighth wicket between skipper
Jacob Dickman (52) and Denby was the match-breaker, coming after slow man Jackson Isakka reduced Darwin to 7-98 when he trapped Connor Hawkins in front of his wickets. “I’m absolutely rapt with the win. We had to work hard to get there but to get the points is just fantastic,’’ Dickman said.
“I’m disappointed I wasn’t there at the end, but the important thing was we won the game which keeps us in touch with the top sides.’’
Waratah 5-284 (A Chandrasinghe 85, Y Pednekar 70, I Conway 46; H Martin 3-82) d Palmerston 9-280. Darwin 8-162 (J Dickman 52, H Chamberlain 38, K Denby 32no; B Symons 3-55) d Sth Districts 158. PINT 7-341 (L Bangs 110, B Speake 64, M Nawaz 35no, C Hassett 31; H Burdon 3-78) d Tracy Village 198.