West Gambier 1/52 d Kalangadoo 50
IT was difficult to mount a case for Kalangadoo when it clashed with a strong West Gambier outfit at Malseed Park in Round 3 of the Mount Gambier and District Cricket Association’s Twenty20 Cup competition on Friday night.
The Magpies were no match for the Roos, reaching just 50 runs as a team, a total the Roos conquered in 5.5 overs.
Richard Crute’s impressive bowling statistics of 5/14 off four overs was a big contributor to the Roos’ dominant display of cricket.
West won the toss and chose to take to the field.
The Magpies started slow with openers Dylan Barlow and Sam Casey finding it difficult to connect with the quick deliveries of Shane Dycer.
It was not until the final ball of the over where Barlow hit one over the boundary for six and Kalangadoo looked as though it could be competitive.
Casey soon joined in and managed two fours while facing Crute, but his confidence got the better of him.
Casey lasted just two more overs and reached nine runs before Sam Willis caught a high ball in the field off a Crute delivery.
With the first wicket down and 16 runs on the scoreboard the game was still up in the air.
Incoming batsmen Mitch Lowe joined Barlow and the two went to work in hope to give Kalangadoo the upper-hand.
They increased the tally to 33 before Crute sent Lowe walking on seven runs.
From there West took control.
Crute claimed the wickets of David Dowdell (0) and Jacob Opie (0), before Dycer forced Barlow to return to the sidelines on 19.
Kalangadoo was 5/35 and the likelihood of a victory looked slim.
Matters only worsened for the the Magpies after Andrew Stone lost his wicket for one run.
Sam Triffitt then entered the clash in hope to make a difference, but his time was cut short when he was caught by Willis and bowled by Ben Hentschke on three runs.
With plenty of overs still in hand Matthew Davies entered the clash and steadied the ship, making a few quick singles.
He had found his feet, but his team mates struggled to face the West bowlers.
It was not long before Kalangadoo was all out, while Davies was wondering what could have been on an unbeaten four.
The Magpies reached a disappointing 50 runs and knew it would be a tough task in the field against a now confident Roos outfit.
West’s Crute was unstoppable, claiming five wickets, while Willis also had a big impact, taking three scalps from just 2.3 overs.
It took just 5.5 overs for the Roos to pass Kalangadoo’s total of 50.
Skipper Niall Easterbrook and Bowen Hosking opened the batting and started well.
They found their feet and Easterbrook then went to work.
Scoring a single, followed by two fours, he had reached a total of nine runs and was feeling confident.
However, a swing and a miss cut his time short at the crease after a Lowe delivery knocked the stumps over.
From there, Willis joined Hosking at the crease.
The duo looked unstoppable, finding the boundary on the occasion, but also running hard between the wickets.
It was not long before they had passed the Magpies score of 50.
Willis made a quick 23, while Hosking contributed 12.
West finished on 52 runs from just 5.5 overs in what was a dominant display.
