All-round Collins leads Towns to opening victory as Gillingham saves the day for Wanderers

Defending Geraldton Bendigo Bank Cricket League premiers Towns were tested by Bluff Point in Saturday’s opening round.

Towns won by nine runs on a good, if soft, Muir Park pitch after batting first and making 183.

They were in trouble with the bat early as Jai Russell was unlucky to see the ball played on to his stumps off the bowling of Aaron McAuliffe.

McaAuliffe then struck again, removing Jay Comben with a sharp return catch.

Callum Marquis was then surprised by some sharp bounce off Matthew Russell lobbing a catch to slip to leave them struggling at 3-14.

This brought Brady Collins to the crease, who took the fight back to the bowlers dispatching anything short and unleashing some lovely cover drives.

Simon Evans, who was witness to the early carnage, was there in support but he fell for 18 after Antonio Paradella was brought into the attack

Collins continued to attack from the other end, bringing up his 50 but the wickets kept tumbling.

Captain Sam Crouch edged to slip off Callum Joss while Daniel Lennard, who came out and hit two cracking fours his first two balls, tried one too many to be caught at mid-on to leave Towns teetering on 6-85.

Collins finally found some able support in Dan Brimson (28) as the pair added a crucial 76 for the seventh wicket before McAuliffe removed Collins for 85 with Josh DeLacy (17) making handy runs to push the total to 183.

McAuliffe bowled beautifully, not afraid to pitch the ball up, to get some swing to finish with 3-38. Paradella cleaned up the final two wickets to finish with 3-23 off his 6.1 overs.

Joss (23) helped the Pointers to a promising start in the chase and at 3-91 they were well-placed, the only caveat being a slow run rate.

It looked as if Jay O’Brien (51) had all but got his team home with help from Jayden Pinto (33) but Collins (4-27) was again on hand to turn the match Towns’ way, and after removing both openers got O’Brien as Bluff Point fell just short at 8-174

Darcy Giltrow, just 14, took the gloves on his A-grade debut and held two catches and made a superb stumping to dismiss O’Brien.

“Brady’s innings was great and a couple of partnerships got us to a defendable target,” Crouch said.

“Bluff Point started well but more Collins’ magic reined them in and it wasn’t comfortable but we were aware of the (required) run rate.”

Wanderers beat Sportsmans at GBSC Park after being sent in.

They made 141 - better than it might have been after being 6-71 with Clayton Bruce-Cherry, Jason Partington and Shayne Bidwell out.

Kade Gillingham (59) saved the day with a match-winning stand of 59 with Jim Hyde (15).

Tia Hatch (2-27), a quality female cricketer, did well and Jarrod Jupp (4-29) and Aaron McAuliffe (3-42) also shone.

Sportsmans lost an early wicket in reply with Jupp caught by Bidwell off Ian Oglesby (3-37) but McAuliffe (28) and Riley Barham (16) kept them alive until they lost wickets to be 5-69.

Clint Yeates (28) and a new player, Andrew Korol (28), added 45 to rally Sportsmans but when they fell in quick succession the end was near and they were out soon after for 131.

Justin Clarkson (2-12) and Partington (3-24) impressed as Sporties fell away.

“Good win to start the season – Jimmy batted maturely and played a great part in our partnership,” Gillingham said.

“Breaking the stand between Yeates and Korol was key or they might have run away it – after that we thought we were a good chance if we finished it off.”

In the B-Grade Sportsmans 171 beat Dongara 107 thanks to a five-wicket haul from Michael Renwick (5-12) while Towns won a low scorer at the Recreation Ground defending 128 thanks to Theo Curtis’ (5-12) to bowl Bluff Point out for 95.

Wanderers posted a huge score of 7-290 off their 40 overs thanks to Jack Annison (71) and Jeremy Heberle (53no), both going better than a run a ball to defeat Chapman Valley Northampton, who were never in the chase, finishing at 6-176.