SOUTH Australia’s Outbacks cricket side suffered a blow to its Australian Country Cricket championships with a defeat at the hands of East Asia Pacific on Wednesday, despite reaching a formidable 229 runs in the 50-over competition.
EAP was able to reach the target for victory in the 46th over, thanks largely to a big half century from Dogodo Bau.
His 74 runs helped steady the innings after a shaky start to the run chase.
But for the Outbacks, Limestone Coast players were prominent, with North Sportsman’s Matt McInerney bouncing back from last round’s poor performance with the bat, finding 30 runs from 42 balls faced.
He was caught just short of the team half-century, but fellow opener Brodie O’Dea went on to make 42 and set the innings up.
Peter Wilson came in at number three and reached his half-century, but further down the order East Gambier’s Dion Stratford pushed the total, with a timely 42 off 60 balls.
The 229 total was certainly defendable, and when Stratford played a part in the run-out of Joshua Rasu with the EAP score at just 21, all was on track.
North’s Josh Fidler then stepped up to the plate, clean bowling the dangerous EAP captain Parick Matautaava for 21.
Just seven runs later Fidler and Stratford combined to have opener Jason Kila caught behind, with Stratford claiming another wicket, with Nalin Nipiko stumped soon after off the bowling of David Golder.
But from there EAP dug in, with an 80-run partnership proving tough to break.
In the end Bau was unbeaten for his half-century, while Damien Ravu joined him at the crease, not out at the end of the day for 33 runs.
