EAST Gambier has bounced back from an ordinary first-innings effort against West Gambier, with an impressive 6/196 on Saturday at Scott Park.
After recording just 46 runs on day one of play last week, the Bulldogs were up against it, with West sitting on 4/75 overnight.
The Roos went on to declare at 161, but in a surprise turnaround, East was was up to the task, with Patrick Glynn falling agonisingly short of a century, run out for 97, while Alex Hentschke faced a similar scenario, caught just shy of his half-century on 47.
The pair did the bulk of the East scoring, with the first three wickets falling for just 30 runs.
The century stand produced 109 runs, with both batsmen running hard between the wickets for singles and twos, then finding the boundary when the odd loose delivery arrived.
For West it was the one that got away, with a certain outright victory going on first-innings form from the Bulldogs.
Tye McManus – 39 overnight – went on to reach his half century, caught behind on 61 off the bowling of Thomas Miles.
Sam Willis was another to fall short of a milestone, caught off Alex Hentschke for 49 after 10 runs on the opening day.
Niall Easterbrook took to the crease, offering a quick-fire 20 runs before Miles took care of him, while Sam Coxon failed to score, run out trying to advance the score.
Hentschke managed three wickets, while Miles and Simon Golebiowski shared the remaining four.
For West it was then a formality – knock East over cheaply and head home.
However, despite a couple of early wickets, the day could not have panned out any differently.
Openers Tom O’Connor and captain Dion Stratford were gone within 30 runs, while Connor Little added just 12 before he was run out.
However, the remainder of the day belonged to Glynn and Hentschke.
The pair simply dissected the West bowling attack, pushing the hard runs before opening up and finding the boundary.
Just one six was recorded – from Hentschke – with both showing restraint and valuing their wickets despite losing first-innings points last week.
In the end Hentschke would have been disappointed not to reach his half-century, after finally hitting some from with the bat this season.
Similarly for Glynn, after such a big effort running between the wickets, a century would have been fitting, but it was not to be.
The competition breaks now until January 6.
