Pointers complete double over Wanderers as Sportsmans break duck after stunning comeback

Bluff Point have climbed to the top of the Geraldton Cricket League standings after a comprehensive 59-run victory over Wanderers at GBSC Park.

After a big win in their T20 encounter on Friday night the Pointers would have been confident against a Wanderers side that has shown fragility with the bat in recent encounters.

They won the toss and elected to bat but lost Callum Joss early, who was perhaps stuck in T20 mode and played an ugly swipe across the line to Riley Jupp and was caught at mid-on.

Jay O’Brien fell for six and sparked a mini collapse as the Pointers lost 3-9 with Matt Russell trapped in front for a duck and Lousie Pepper caught for 19.

Sam Millet (19) and Jared Pinto put on 30 runs before Millet’s swipe went straight up in the air. Then Aaron Joss was slow out of the blocks and run out as Bluff Point teetered at 6-86.

Pinto was still there and found the support he needed from Matthew Reid as the pair put on 50.

Reid made just five of those runs as Pinto was particularly aggressive on the slow bowlers, whacking four sixes and five fours to topscore with 69 off 64 deliveries.

The partnership pushed the total to a competitive 157 and Wanderers would have been disappointed to not wrap up the tail and keep Pinto at the non-striker’s end.

Wanderers started poorly as Mitchell McAuliffe trapped Ian Oglesby in front before Matt Russell ripped through the lower middle order, posting career-best figures of 6-16.

He had Gus Herbele caught at slip after he flayed outside off stump, then he got one to move off the deck to draw an edge from Clayton Bruce-Cherry.

At the other end Antonio Paradella bowled Sam Johnson and when Jack Annison fell to Joss, Wanderers were struggling at 5-52.

It was again up to Kade Gillingham to lead his side with the bat and he looked a class above, topscoring with 39 including six fours, but the game was over once he become Russell’s third victim.

The last four wickets added 18 runs as the Wanderers folded for 98.

Pointers have moved to the top of the ladder but they have played two more games then Towns who are undefeated in second.

In the other match Sportsmans got off the canvas against Chapman Valley Northampton to post their first win of the season.

They looked dead and buried at 6-30 after pacers Zakary Williamson (2-16) and Cody Slootmans (3-10) ripped through the top order.

Jarrod Jupp played a defiant knock with his 62 saving the day as he added 25 with Shane Ford and 73 with Dan Welsh (26) to push them up to 133.

Sportsmans’ bowling has been their stronger suit this season and Ford scythed through CVN’s top-order with a career-best 4-25 as the Rams were left in dire straits at 6-56.

Jadyn Fitzsimmons (16), Bobby Gibson (31) and Mitch Marsh (16) rallied but Rams were all out for 116 with Gibson the last to fall, trying to find the boundary only to be bowled by Aaron McAuliffe.

In the South Midlands league Dandaragan picked up their first win of the season, beating Watheroo by three wickets thanks to 40s from Kaleb John-Furnance and Cameron Abbey.

Moora Knights had to forfeit for the second time this season while Gingin fell short by five runs failing to chase down Bindoon’s 203.