Towns dealt reality check after another batting collapse as Pointers ease home against Rams

For the first time this season Towns lost a one-day game after a 60-run defeat to the Wanderers to complete a harrowing weekend with the bat for the ladder leaders. On Saturday at GBSC Park, they were soundly beaten by Wanderers following a T20 loss to Bluff Point the night before. Wanderers’ Kade Gillingham won the toss and batted with the Wanderers hoping to build on their trouncing of Rams before their bye last round. They lost Gus Heberle for a golden duck in the second over before Ian Oglesby (19) and Jimmy Hyde (31) were steady with a 49-run partnership in 12 overs before Josua Delacey (3-40) pierced Hyde’s defences. He then trapped Clayton Bruce-Cherry and bowled Oglesby as Wanderers fell to 4-73 just past the halfway mark. Wanderers have at times folded quickly this season but captain Kade Gillingham (19) and Jason Partington (37) ensured there was to be no further damage with a counter-punching fifth-wicket partnership. A shrewd bit of captaincy from Sam Crouch broke the pair, bringing himself on and removing his counterpart Gillingham who played a nothing shot fencing to square leg. Partington continued on before he was caught off the bowling of Tom Forsyth as the tail fell away somewhat as they lost 4-19 in the closing overs as Wanderers finished with 155. Delacey had best figures with his 3-40 while Tom Forsyth was miserly with 1-23 off his 10 overs as Brady Collins 2-25 and Sam Crouch 2-15 cleaned up the tail. Towns have won their past two titles on the back of an outstanding bowling unit that has sometimes masked under-par performances with the bat. However, for the second day in a row, their batting unit wrote a cheque their bowling cartel couldn’t cash as they folded for 95 in a forgettable run chase. They were 4-39 after Callum Marquis (14) and Brady Collins fell in the space of three balls off Justin Clarkson (3-28) in the 13th over. Only Kodi Giltrow (22) and Jay Comben (18) made headway with a 28 run partnership for the fifth wicket before Comben was caught and bowled by Oglesby. Crouch (13) hung around with Giltrow for 23 more runs before he was caught and bowled off Partington with the tail falling in a heap as Towns lost 5-5 to close out their innings in the 31st over. Partington (4-6) wrapped it up with three wickets in 10 balls but Clarkson was probably the pick of the bowlers with his 3-28 cracking open the top order. The game at Mazzuchelli Oval was comfortably won by Bluff Point over Chapman Valley-Northampton. CVN’s Nigel Routledge sent the Pointers in and they made 174 despite losing Louis Pepper for a golden duck in the second over. Positive batting from Carl Shilling (50) and Jayden Pinto (32) plus a solid hand from stand-in captain Callum Joss (17) ensure they didn’t lose wickets in clumps as Aaron Joss (34) dominated a 38-run sixth wicket partnership with Ryan Forrester to push the score beyond 150. For Rams Jack Mickle (3-29) again impressed with help from Cody Slootmans (2-24), Axis Hutchinson (2-42) and Patrick Walsh (2-34). Rams lost wickets too often in the reply and finished with 94 which was made to look far better thanks to their biggest stand of 29 for the last wicket between Bobby Gibson (17) and Mickle (15 not out). Of the rest, only Routledge (15) had some joy before he was leg before to Mitch McAuliffe (2-8). Matt Russell (4-20) again starred and Shilling (2-28) did his bit, but Rams will reflect on some of their shot selections, particularly outside off stump which gave away some easy wickets.