KEEP’S ACTIONS BRING VICTORY
SPORT’S finest captains pride themselves on leading with their actions, and Trent Keep epitomised that with an innings that thrust Broadbeach Robina’s campaign back on track.
In the face of Runaway Bay’s imposing 5/211, set up by an unbeaten century stand between Wade Kilborn and Nico Reifer, Keep stood tall to orchestrate the Taper Premier League triumph in the final over.
Finishing unbeaten on 120 off 121 deliveries, the opener smashed 13 boundaries and found strong support from Ryan Thorpe (43) after the loss of two quick wickets threatened their cause.
The Cats appeared in control with the ball in hand, reducing Runaway Bay to 4/68 — with co-captain Keep also in the wickets when he dismissed his rival skipper Jayden Hoare.
However Reifer (57*) and Kilborn (77*) combined in a 142-run partnership that breathed life back into the contest, only for Keep’s innings to send them back to the drawing board.
The win lifted Broadbeach Robina to sixth, with their next two clashes to come against sides beneath them on the ladder and the chance to enter finals reckoning begging. Elsewhere, a rampant Kushaal Ram saved Coomera Hope Island’s blushes and deliver their first victory of the campaign.
Ram’s emphatic and unbeaten 80 from just 70 balls came at a team when his team were limping, restricted to just 5/81 as Palm Beach Currumbin’s Zane Anderson (3/40) found himself on a hattrick. Displaying a masterclass in clinical batting, Ram hit five boundaries and four sixes in his innings to lift Coomera Hope Island to 194, before Josh Henderson’s 4/14 with the ball spearheaded the Lions’ 22 run defeat.
For Helensvale, a remarkable six-wicket haul from Jack Baird kept the Hornets atop the table following a five-wicket win over Queens.
Baird was rampant with ball in hand, finishing with 6/22 off his eight overs before teammate Harish Kumar’s unbeaten 71 made light work in their chase of 148.
Baird was joined by one other on the Gold Coast to snare a five-wicket haul across the wicket, with Southport Labrador’s TJ Miller proving the chief destroyer in a Surfers Paradise capitulation.
After the Tigers were dismissed for 158 — Hiran Wickramasekera’s 62 playing a lone hand in setting up a defendable total — Miller’s Scott Boland-esque figures of 5/7 set shockwaves through the Demons’ line up to be allout for a paltry 58.
Only former Australian international Nathan Reardon offered any resistance for the bottom-placed Surfers, dismissed for 38 — the first time in the 2022-23 Taper Premier League he had not registered a half century — after being promoted to open the innings.
To round out the competition’s sixth round, Mudgeeraba Nerang’s Howard Biddle capitalised on his bowling attacks work; blasting a 88* to help defeat Burleigh by six wickets.
Four wickets apiece to Rhys Finn and Griffith Williams limited Burleigh to 9/151, before Biddle’s heroics chased down the target with three overs to spare.