MIL Lel Cricket Club shot up to fourth place on the Barber Shield ladder after an impressive victory over East Gambier on Saturday.
Mil Lel reached the required total in the 35th over of the 40-over competition and much of that came from a half-century partnership from openers Justin Lamont and Todd Carpenter, with the pair banging on 54 runs before the latter was sent back to the dressing rooms.
That came in the 14th over, setting up the run chase for the victors.
But first up, East won the toss and elected to bat, with a side depleted from the Australian Country Championships.
Missing were Dion Stratford and Alex Hentschke, forcing the Bulldogs to dig deep.
The decision to bat backfired immediately, with Tom O’Connor bowled by Ben Thiel for naught in the opening over.
Darren Whitehorn was left to shoulder much of the responsibility from there on, with no others in the top order reaching double figures.
However, they did rotate the strike and allow the in-form batsman to find runs.
Patrick Glynn could only offer one to the total, caught off a Jack Miller delivery, while Ash Dumigan managed nine, clean bowled by Miller.
By that stage the half-century had been reached, with Whitehorn finding the fence regularly.
It was not until Simon Golebiowski headed to the middle that East found some extra firepower.
Whitehorn eventually succumbed to Justin Taylor after compiling a solid 59 runs, with Golebiowski finding a quick-fire 31 to take the total to 141.
Taylor topped the bowling with three wickets.
While it took a few overs for the Mil Lel batsmen to find their feet, the runs soon began to flow, with openers Lamont and Carpenter finding – and clearing – the fence on their way to a half-century opening stand.
Even when Carpenter was stumped by Lynch off the bowling of Glynn, Mil Lel continued on, with the incoming Carey Megaw also among the runs.
He joined Lamont for a 22-run partnership before being clean bowled by Nathan Gore for 15.
Lamont continued to push, but just three runs short of his half-century he was caught off a Gore delivery.
However, with 95 runs on the board, Mil Lel was in the hot seat to claim the win, with Caleb Backman and Craig Lock ensuring that came.
The pair added 21 and 29 runs respectively, taking the total past what was required for the win.
Luke Allen and Gore claimed two wickets each, but it was not enough to stop Mil Lel reaching 175 in total.
