Bluff Point dismantle Chapman Valley to close in on top spot after Towns batting falls apart

Bluff Point are hot on the heels of defending champions Towns after a resounding win over Chapman Valley-Northampton saw them move to within half a point of the ladder leaders. The Pointers lost the toss and were sent into bat by Nigel Routledge on a green-looking pitch. They lost Louis Pepper for a golden duck in the second over, with Cody Slootmans catching his outside edge to be caught at second slip. From there the Rams struck regularly to have Bluff Point at 5-105 with the prospect of keeping them under 150. However, a counterattacking 32 from Jayden Pinto and a 38-run sixth wicket partnership between Aaron Joss (34) and Ryan Forrester pushed the score beyond 150, ending on 174 from 48 overs. For Rams, Jack Mickle (3-29) again impressed with help from Cody Slootmans (2-24), Axis Hutchinson (2-42) and Patrick Walsh (2-34). Batting has been Rams’ Achilles heel this season and it proved so once again as they collapsed thanks to four wickets from quick Matt Russell. They were shot out for 94 which was inflated by a final wicket stand between Mickle (15 not out) and Bobby Gibson (17), who added 29 for the last wicket. 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. Pointers’ success was compounded after Towns put in their own poor display with the bat to suffer their first one day defeat this year. 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. Ian Oglesby (19) and Jimmy Hyde (31) were steady with a 49-run partnership in 12 overs before Joshua 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. Captain Kade Gillingham (19) and Jason Partington (37) ensured there was to be no further damage with a counter-punching fifth-wicket partnership. Sam Crouch broke the pair, bringing himself on and removing his counterpart Gillingham, while Partington continued on before he was caught off the bowling of Tom Forsyth as the tail fell away, losing 4-19 in the closing overs as Wanderers finished with 155. In reply, the Towns never got going after falling to 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. In the South Midlands League, the Dandaragan Bears crushed Moora Knights, passing their paltry total of 89 with just one wicket down finishing on 192. Gingin Reds led a masterful chase of Watheroo’s 154 to win by five wickets as Lower Chittering smashed Bindoon Rangers, rolling them for 74 before posting 4-201 in reply off just 27.4 overs.