IN what turned out to be the closest contest in Round 2 of Mount Gambier and District Barber Shield cricket, South Gambier managed to sneak home after a solid battle with Mil Lel at Frew Park on Saturday.
The game was in the balance until the 38th over, when South hit the winning runs in the 40-over contest.
The tight battle was set up on the back of a half-century from Mil Lel middle-order batsman Caleb Bachmann, along with a similar effort from South’s Luke Zadow down the order, who fell just one run short of his milestone.
With the bat, South chased down the 168 required for victory much due to a timely 74-run partnership between Liam Neshoda and Zadow in a defiant sixth-wicket stand.
Mil Lel’s Bachmann and Todd Carpenter managed a similar feat for 65 runs, but in the end the host bowlers were unable to suitably contain the back end of the South innings as the game tightened up.
The game began with South winning the toss and sending Mil Lel in to bat.
With just 19 runs on the board Josh Jantosh was judged lbw off the bowling of Camron Joergenson for just four.
Just two runs later fellow opener Justin Taylor was sent on his way, caught by Neshoda off the bowling of Robbie Drenthen for 11.
Mil Lel then settled through Jarryd Burston and Jack Miller, but the latter fell victim to Neshoda, who had him caught by Sam Phelan for nine runs with the total at 38.
Again Mil Lel looked to settle with Daniel Justin at the crease, but before he could amass too much of a total his partner Burston was sent walking, caught Dane Pople, bowled Adam Kuhl.
At 4/52 Mil Lel needed a settling partnership, but that did not come, as Justin fell victim to an accurate delivery from Kuhl, which disrupted his woodwork after adding just four runs to the total.
But from there Carpenter and Bachmann began to find the runs, working the ball around in a partnership that was timely and needed.
Neshoda eventually broke the pair up, dismissing Carpenter for 15, but not before the total had reached 122.
Carpenter’s anchor role had allowed Bachmann to push on, finding the boundary at will and clearing the fence on occasion, until he fell to Jorgenson for a well-crafted 57.
From there Tom Nieuwerkerk and Carey Megaw held on, with a 35-run stand to take the score to 167 and provide Mil Lel with a real chance at victory.
Jorgenson, Neshoda and Kuhl managed two wickets each, while Drenthen chipped in with one.
South took to the crease with confidence, through the batting of Drenthen and Dylan Clough.
The pair banged on 33 runs for the opening stand, before the latter was caught by Jantosh off the bowling of Ben Thiel after offering eight runs.
Phelan came and went without bothering the scorers, a victim of Miller after facing just three balls and only six runs later Drenthen was clean bowled by Thiel.
All of a sudden the good work was unravelling and Mil Lel was in with a sniff.
Jacob Parham and Pople then settled the innings again, with the former finding the boundary regularly, with a further 20 runs added before Taylor bowled him for 17.
Neshoda then joined Pople and began to amass a partnership, but the latter fell for nine runs, lbw to Bachmann with the total at 5/72.
Zadow and Neshoda then came together at the crease and the pair began to find runs, with the latter knocking the ball around to rotate the strike, finding 29 runs before Taylor struck again.
Zadow cleared the fence three times on his way to 49, but was judged short of his crease pushing the run rate along just one short of a half-century.
But it was too little too late for Mil Lel, with the total at 7/161 with three overs remaining and chance of a victory fast evaporating.
Matt Bowering strode to the crease and with his first ball cleared the fence, then succumbed to Taylor, but the win had already been secured, with South going on to make 179 for eight wickets.
Taylor was the best of the Mil Lel bowlers, claiming three wickets, Thiel managed two, while Miller and Bachmann shared the remaining two.
This weekend sees South take on East Gambier, while Mil Lel faces an improved West Gambier.
