Tumut Plains showed why they are the reigning Elders Cup premiers with a five-wicket win over Wyangle at the Bull Paddock on Saturday.
Wyangle batted first and Ryan Bulger, a standout for the club this season, compiled 71 runs before being trapped in front by Luke Armstrong.
Bulger didn’t get enough support, with Billy Cribb-Kelly (25), Jason Bulger (20) and John Breed (13 not out) the other batsmen to make double figures. Wyangle finished their 40 overs with 9/151.
Myles Henman had a great day with the ball, taking 5/24 from his 10 overs, which included three maidens.
Dusty Hood was very miserly with his bowling, only conceding 18 runs from his seven overs and taking a wicket.
The Tumut Plains innings got off to a wobbly start, until Luke Armstrong steadied the ship with 36 runs, aided by Richard Nilleson (15). Stephen Gill hit a brilliant unbeaten 76 from 108 balls, including seven fours and the only six of the match. This set up the win for his team.
Tahir Mukadum was effective with the ball for Wyangle, taking 3/30 from 8.3 overs including two maidens, but Tumut Plains won with 4/153 from 36.3 overs.
Luke Armstrong said it was a “good, hard-fought win.”
“We bowled well in the first 20, but let it slip in the second 20,” he said.
“It was a pretty tough pitch but Wyangle bowled really well.”
Meanwhile, Coolac showed why they are on the top of the ladder with an 86-run win over Adelong Donkeys at Adelong.
Joe Scott batted brilliantly for the visitors, smashing 57 off 42 balls, including three fours and for sixes.
For Adelong , Corey Wilson took 2/27 from 10 overs, including two maidens.
David Turnbull top scored for the Donkeys with 25, including three fours.
Jordy Maher was the next top scorer with 20, and the home team were all out for 103 from 26.3 overs.
The Coolac bowling was superb and Brad Gorman was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3/19 from six overs.
Gundagai scored their second win of the season, an 81-run triumph over the Murrumbidgee Mankadders, who had played and won the Hogan Cup final the day before, at Gundagai.
Despite only two of their batsmen get double-figure scores, they were all out for 160 in the 36th over.
Jared Elphick had done much to set up the win with his 70 from 70 balls, which included seven fours. Tim Ryan backed up with 18.
Timothy Kross got 3/25 from his 10 overs for the Mankadders.
The visitors never really got going with the bat, with three batmen getting ducks and only three getting double figures.
However, Luke Piltz top scored with 38, with six fours and a six.
Tim Myers was devastating with the ball for the victors, taking 5/27 from eight overs including four maidens.
Gundagai’s Caleb Lindley-Kell said it was a great win.
“For the first time everything clicked,” he said.
“Everyone worked well together and special mentions to Jared Elphick the big show for his 70 off 70 balls and Timmy Myers with his five wickets really set the win up for us, but it was a very good team performance all round.”
For the Mankadders, it was simply a matter of taking the bad with the good.
“Yeah it was beyond us to back up from the Hogan Cup final the night before,” Michael Hargreaves said.
“That was a great achievement and enjoying the glow of winning a flag. Eight of us played the night before and so the team was incredibly dusty when Caleb sent us in to field in the heat. Gundagai played really well and they had heaps of partnerships to get a great score on a tough pitch.
“We dropped a fair few catches and so gifted them an extra 50 runs doing so and they cashed in. Jarred Elphick played a great knock that took the game away from us.
Possibly could have gone another way if we had a few more players not play the two games in two days; Josh Marshman and James Bunter both carried foot injuries from the Hogan Cup. But in absence of the counter factual, Gundagai were just so much better in every department on the day. Tim Meyers bowled beautifully and got his dues.
“We need to develop depth in both our batting and bowling as the Elders Cup is incredibly competitive.”
