Meerlieu have moved off the bottom of the Bairnsdale Cricket Association (BCA) “A” grade ladder, with an emphatic victory at home against St Mary’s Nagle in round eight action.
It was a vital match for both clubs, looking to build confidence and momentum, the Tussocks heading into the clash winless, while the Saints had registered just the single victory for the campaign.
Thankfully for the home side, their talented top order, which has threatened to come off all season, finally clicked, registering a score that Nagle were going to struggle to get, with trump card Brayden McCarrey on the sidelines injured.
The Tussocks got off to a great start, with openers Rohan Blandford (68) and Mehul Jirage (39) negotiating the first 25 overs, posting an impressive opening partnership of 102.
When Jirage fell in the second over of Nagle skipper, Ricky Tatnell’s (3/25) second spell, it brought reigning BCA cricketer of year Connor Mitchell to the crease, the game all set up for him to play his attacking brand of bravado and push the score over 200.
He added 45 in seven overs, with Blandford, before Randall Stewart picked up the classy left-hander’s wicket.
Mitchell’s innings blossomed in his 71-run unison partnership with veteran Reagan Kyle (27 from 25), in just eight overs.
Tatnell returned and picked up both Mitchell and Kyle but not before the score had ballooned to 4/242 from 45 overs.
Mitchell’s contribution was a sensational 76 from 64 balls, including four boundaries and a maximum, another indicator of the import’s vast talent with both bat and ball.
Despite not having the cavalier McCarrey, Nagle began positively and gave themselves every chance of success, Englishmen, Jacob Hurry (39 from 54) and Hywell Nicholls (53 from 67) putting on 94 in a spirited opening stand inside the first 20, at a better scoring rate than the Tussock’s openers.
But the introduction of giant spinner, Shrader Hicks, changed the game; he took wickets in his first three overs, finishing with 3/27 from just four overs, picking up both openers and Nathan Yarde (10).
When Tatnell (27 from 31) was caught off Jirage (3/30) in the 29th over, any hope of victory went as well, even though the score was 4/138.
The long Nagle tail hung around and put up a fight but they were unable to push the score on at anywhere near the required rate, the agony ending in the 42nd over with the Saints dismissed for 176, a promising run chase ending 66 runs short, much to the delight of the Tussocks who finally had something to smile about.
Nagle’s unlucky memory of almost reaching last year’s grand final now must seem an eternity away.
Nagle will face West Bairnsdale this week in a local derby at the Bairnsdale City Oval, with West looking to build on some much-needed momentum they found last week against Paynesville.
Meerlieu will venture to Bullumwaal Road to tackle the red-hot Tigers, who are in brutal nick in recent weeks.
