Cricket matches in the balance
Three Horsham Cricket Association A Grade two-day matches hang in the balance while one will be downgraded to a oneday match when play resumes this weekend.
The first day of a contest between Noradjuha-toolondo and Horsham Saints at Horsham City Oval was called off after covers on the wicket leaked overnight before the start of play.
Instead, the Bullants and Saints will play a one-day clash at the ground on Saturday.
Of the three matches that went ahead, the most compelling was between Colts and Rupanyup-minyip on the Dudley Cornell Park turf wicket.
Electing to bat after winning the toss, Colts were in trouble after openers Dylan Arnott and Liam Jakobi fell for six and two runs respectively, leaving the team reeling at 2-9.
It was left to Brad Couch and Nathan Koenig to salvage the innings, which they did by building a 36-run partnership before Koenig was bowled for 27 by Jordan Weidemann.
Couch continued to craft a patient innings of 55 not out from 161 balls as wickets fell around him.
Besides Koenig, keeper Marc Thomas was the only Colt batsman to build a meaningful partnership with Couch, knocking 15 runs from 56 balls before falling to the bowling of Corey Morgan.
Batting at 11, Logan Millar did his best to give Couch the strike, but was eventually brought undone when stumped by Blue Panther keeper Jamie Byrne to have the Colts all out for 127.
Rupanyup-minyip bowler Brent Hudson was in fine form, claiming four wickets for just 21 runs from 16 overs, including the scalps of openers Arnott and Jakobi.
Morgan was also more than handy, taking 3-28 from 13 overs.
With 80 overs to chase Colts’ total, Rupanyup-minyip’s batsmen would have been confident of victory.
But the team was set on its heels with a first-ball dismissal of Tendai Maruma off the bowling of Couch.
Byrne was caught behind off the bowling of Couch a few overs later, leaving the Blue Panthers precariously positioned at 2-12.
A 19-run stand between Mark Mbofana, 11 not out, and Morgan, 14 not out, before the close of play steadied the ship, leaving the ladder leaders 97 runs from victory with eight wickets in hand.
Well placed
Jung Tigers appear well placed to chase down a Blackheath-dimboola total of 114 at Dimboola Recreation Reserve when play resumes on Saturday.
An opening stand of 38 between Harry Young and Chris Hauselberger looked promising for the Bulls, but things began to unravel when Young was bowled for 14 by Tiger Joel Mclean.
Hauselberger stuck around for a hard-earned 46 before falling to David
Puls, but the rest of the line-up struggled to generate many runs.
Mclean, 3-23 from 12 overs, and Marty Knight, 3-17 from six overs, did most of the damage for the Tigers.
In reply the team was 1-65 at the close of play, with Knight, caught and bowled by Brodie Cramer, the sole wicket to fall.
Young opener Josiah Mock and first drop Sam Leith will resume a 28-run partnership with only 50 runs between them and victory.
Laharum has been set a daunting task in its match against Homers at Sunnyside Recreation Reserve.
The Pigeons were all out after 63.3 overs, but not before blasting 226 runs.
The architects of the innings were opener Adam Atwood, 65, Chaminda Gamage, 93, and Jason Kannar, 36.
The wickets were split by three Laharum bowlers, led by Josh Mahoney with 4-56 from 20 overs.
Adam Barber and Anthony Molloy claimed three apiece.
The Mountain Men lost an early wicket in reply when Mal Adams was bowled by Mohan Bandara for two runs.
Opener Daniel Griffiths, five not out, and Ben Peucker, nine not out, will resume with more than 200 runs still between them and victory.