Ladder leader Lindenow South Glenaladale batted steadily and determinedly in its round five fixture of the Bairnsdale Cricket Association against Lucknow at Lindenow South last Saturday.
At the end of 80 overs the Bulls had reached 8/233, as the sides battled hard all day for supremacy.
Despite being successful only once in its four matches this season, the Magpies have been competitive and around the mark, their win-loss ratio not a true indicator of form.
After Scott Dare was run out early, the Bulls got an outstanding contribution from Luke Schumann (77 from 201 deliveries) who batted superbly in at times tricky conditions.
He received great support from Seth Smith (18) and Haydn Erfurth (30 from 92), as the Bulls kept a watchful eye on spinners, Lucknow skipper Jarryd Floyd (4/66) and Isaac Love (2/103), who operated most of the day, bowling 62 overs between them.
A score of more than 200 looked unlikely, but an unbroken unison between Kobe Smith (52 from 54) and Griffin Sherritt (17 from 20), saw the Bulls again post a competitive total, which they hope will be able to keep their 2024/25 campaign unbeaten.
Lucknow captain Jarryd Floyd is quietly confident that his side that chase down the imposing target.
“They batted well and we believe if we can use a similar approach, we can get the runs,” Floyd said.
With a well-rounded bowling attack, the odds are in favour of the Bulls, but if Lucknow is to be a serious finals contender, it needs to start winning games like this.
