WEST Gambier scored its opening win of the 2019-20 Barber Shield season after a close one-day cricket encounter with East Gambier at Scott Park on Saturday.
Inspired by captain Richard Crute’s aggressive innings, the Roos’ bowling attack defended a low score on a day when runs proved hard to come by.
The Bulldogs appeared rusty at times during their season-opening fixture, as West’s match experience last week proved to be a decisive factor.
The home side wrestled the early advantage after it sent the Roos in on a damp pitch.
West’s opening combination of Niall Easterbrook and Josh Cornolo took their time adjusting to the conditions against the ball.
After eight tight overs, East captain Alex Hentschke clean-bowled Easterbrook for nine, while Liam Turley dismissed Cornollo just four balls later.
When Connor Prior was caught behind for five from Connor Little, the Roos slumped to 3/31 and were in desperate need of a special performance.
The inspirational effort came from Crute, who put the pressure back on the bowlers with a series of attacking shots.
In the windy conditions, he targeted the mid-wicket boundary against the spin of Ben Hentschke and Emerson Marks with devastating effect.
It did not take long for Crute to reach his half-century, which included six fours and two sixes.
Watching on from the other end was Sam Willis, who played a strong support with a handy contribution of 22.
The pair built a game-changing 78-run partnership before Crute was found short of his ground searching for quick runs after a pivotal 63.
The departure of West’s captain saw its lower order crumble and lose 6/12 to finish the innings.
Crute and Willis were the only men to reach double figures, while three players walked back to the pavilion with a duck during West’s 9/122.
In his first match as the Bulldogs’ skipper, Alex Hentschke topped the bowling figures with an impressive 3/12.
To begin the run chase Hentschke would have hoped to see his top order settle in and ease the nerves against the new ball, but a nightmare occurred.
Willis and Cornollo attacked the stumps to knock over East’s experienced trio of Darren Whitehorn, Dion Stratford and Hentscke in quick succession and leave the home side reeling at 3/9.
The stunning collapse saw young pair Marks and Matthew Hastings embark on a recovery mission.
But the pair did not last long as Easterbrook dismissed them both during two wicket maidens to put the Bulldogs in disarray once again.
With the score at 5/36, Little and Nathan Gore had a mountain to climb.
The pair had just started to look set before Gore was caught by a diving Oliver Miles on debut.
Little fell a short time later to Prior, who turned the match back in the Roos’ favour after two wickets in as many overs.
The required run rate was not an issue for the experienced pair of Ben Hentschke and Ben Clark, but with just three wickets in hand, they both needed to step up if the home side was to prevail.
Clark looked dangerous with a series of fours, while luck seemed to be with Hentschke after he survived a catching opportunity.
The duo pushed the score up to 98, but the return of Cornolo into West’s bowling attack proved too much for Hentschke, who lost his defences for three runs.
Suddenly the Roos were jumping for joy after tail-enders Alec Roberts and Turley were both out for ducks and East was bowled out for 100.
Easterbrook finished with the remarkable figures of 3/7 with three maiden overs, while Willis, Cornolo and Prior picked up two wickets each.
