Mountain Men shine
Steadily building Laharum will attempt to impose back-to-back A Grade winning form on RupanyupMinyip in the first of Horsham Cricket Association two-day rounds starting on Saturday.
The Mountain Men followed up one-daygame success against Blackheath-dimboola with an important win against Jung Tigers and are now sizing up the Blue Panthers.
But Rupanyup-minyip is unlikely to be a willing victim, especially at Rupanyup, where last week the home side put on a mighty batting chase with Travis Hair bludgeoning his way to an unbeaten century.
Laharum, which boasts an often underrated batting list, comfortably overtook a Tigers score of 149 at Horsham City Oval last week.
After a collection of bowlers conspired to limit the Tigers’ scoring opportunities, Laharum responded with 8-151, passing the target in the 38th over.
Ben Peucker again proved a major catalyst to the Laharum batting effort, hitting 59 in the middle order, and Damien Bunworth 35 not out, and George Macduff, 19, also made runs. Tigers leg-spinner Angus Adams snapped up 3-19.
Rupanyup-minyip’s success came against an again luckless Blackheath-dimboola, which must have surely believed its 2-232 and unbeaten century to Harry Young, 113, and runs to Lachie Watts, 55, and Tom Magee 35 not out, were enough to defend.
But 34 to Blue Panthers opener Vic Lothian and 47 to Daniel Schaper paved the way for the irrepressible Hair to hit 102, a knock including nine fours and seven sixes.
The home side passed the target with four wickets down and two overs to spare.
Surely fortunes are due to change for Blackheath-dimboola, which now has the ominous task of taking on top team Homers on the turf at Dimboola.
Homers continued their solid run of form by beating Horsham Saints at Sunnyside oval.
Horsham Saints posted 4-165 with opener Justtin Combe hitting 66 and his firstdrop brother Matt next best with 54.
But the Pigeons showed off their diversity with bat and ball by passing the target with five wickets down and an over to spare.
Opener Sandy Hodge was unbeaten, 49, as was Craig Britten down the order with 44. Jarred Combe made 27.
The Saints will be on the hunt for a scalp and will see Jung Tigers as potential prey on the turf at Coughlin Park.
Word is that both sides will need to swing changes to overcome player injuries and unavailability for at least the first day of the contest.
The Tigers’ hunt for batting consistency continues with Steve Leith, 41, Brett Jensz, 27, and Sam Leith, 21, making the only serious impression with the willow last week.
Sam Leith and Homers’ Eddie Landwehr also represented Western Waves in a Victorian Country Cricket League under-21 match against Gippsland Pride at Footscray’s Merv Hughes Oval on Sunday.
Pride won the contest by 53 runs but left-armer Landwehr starred, capturing 5-57 from his 10 overs. Leith, batting at number six, made 16. The under-21 competition continues this Sunday with the Waves taking on Barwon at Camperdown.