PENOLA chalked up its first win of the 2018-19 Barber Shield cricket season on Saturday with a comfortable victory over West Gambier at Malseed Park.
After a tie in the opening round with East Gambier, the reigning premiers were under pressure to claim the win in Round 2 and made no mistake, defeating the Roos by 51 runs after bowling them out in the 35th over.
A half-century to Jack Schulz at number three anchored the innings after a shaky start with the bat.
From there a solid top order performance edged its way to 159 runs, all out after 37 overs to set West and reachable target.
But the Roos were not up to the task, with only a flurry down the batting order allowing the score to reach a century.
The pressure was on Penola from the start after West won the toss and elected to bowl.
The decision paid dividends early when Mark Smith was caught by Niall Easterbrook off a Richard Crute delivery for just six runs with the total at 11.
The Eagles seemed to settle somewhat, but with the total at just 31 Jack Mullan was also back on the sidelines after contributing just 11 runs.
However, Schulz and Dave Somerfield took the task in hand and began to find runs.
A half-century partnership resulted, but both were out with the score at 94.
Somerfield was first to go, clean bowled by Ben Hentschke for 25, while Schulz soon followed, caught by Sam Willis off Josh Cornolo for 51.
Captain Jase Bateman and George Kidman then settled the innings again, creating a handy 38-run partnership before the former was sent on his way for 24 runs.
Kidman was the last of the double-figure scorers, ending his time at the crease with 29 runs.
Crute was the best of the West bowlers with figures of 4/23 off seven overs.
In the end the 159 total was enough to apply scoreboard pressure and force the Roos to push hard with the bat.
The West run chase did not go to plan, with the first seven wickets falling for just 17 runs.
Opener Bray Stephenson was out for just two runs with the total at six and five runs later it all fell apart.
With the total at 12 Crute departed for no score, Easterbrook went for six and Blackwell went for two.
And things did not improve with the incoming Hentschke and Willis.
Hentschke managed just three, while Willis went for no score and when Jack Geddes was clean bowled by Somerfield for just one, West was in real trouble.
The Roos were well short of the target and with no top-order batsmen left, there was little hope of even reaching the century mark.
However, Cornolo and Dylan Walsh combined to add a timely half-century partnership and steer the ship back on course.
The pair took the total from 17 to 90 before Cornola fell victim to Bateman.
Five runs later Walsh was bowled by Mullan and all hope was then gone.
The Roos reached just 108 runs in the 35th over in an innings they would surely rather forget.
Waters and Kidman were damaging with the ball, with both claiming three wickets.
Waters returned figures of 3/7, while Kidman managed 3/11.
Somerfield finished with 2/17, while Bateman and Mullan snared one wicket each.
