WEST Gambier stunned North Sportsman’s on a surprising opening day of their round three Mount Gambier and District Cricket Association match at Marist Park on Saturday.
The Roos’ bowling attack tore through the Tigers to hold the upper hand after ball dominated bat, with 12 wickets falling in just 76 overs.
The fancied home side was bowled out for a meagre 117, while West finished the day’s play at 2/30.
All results are still possible, but the Tigers will have to bowl at their best on day two with just 87 runs to defend against an inspired West outfit.
North’s nightmare with the bat began in the eighth over when Richard Crute found the edge of Mitch Lewis.
Shortly after Sam Willis changed the game with two quality overs to leave the home side in trouble at 3/14.
Aidan Thatcher was caught for a duck and Kayne Badman was clean bowled first ball.
Tigers’ captain Nick McInerey went about steadying the ship, but he also fell cheaply for nine on the stroke of drinks to Josh Cornolo.
Jake Schutz could only watch at the other end as his side’s top order crumbled to a disastrous 5/49 when Daniel Brown became Cornolo’s second victim.
After battling for 99 balls and 34 runs, Schutz’s resistance came to an end after he nicked a Niall Easterbrook delivery.
North was desperate for someone to stand up as it faced the embarrassing possibility of being knocked over for a double-figure total.
It was Declan Kenny and Elliott Fisher who fought hard and stopped the flow of wickets.
However, after 15 overs, the pair’s defiant partnership came to an end after Kenny was caught for 13.
But Fisher remained and stood tall to compile his highest A Grade score.
His important knock of 24 ensured his team scraped into triple figures and remain in the contest.
Easterbrook was the man who finished the youngster’s innings, while Willis and Cornolo returned to clean up the tail.
In that time, Tom Edwards was able to score 18 fighting runs and push the Tigers’ total up to 117.
During the 60.4 overs, the Roos’ bowlers were clinical and gave nothing away to the opposition.
Willis and Cornolo were the chief destroyers with three dismissals each, while Crute, Easterbrook and Connor Prior were the other wicket takers.
Their fine performance ensured West’s batsmen were forced to see off a tricky period of 16 overs before stumps against a fired up North attack with the new ball in hand.
The Tigers threw everything at the Roos during a tense finish to the day, with Young, Kenny, McInerney and Badman all used to find an inroad.
It took just four overs until Kenny dismissed Easterbrook for seven.
Jack Geddes was the remaining opener and his defence appeared strong until Badman found a way through to bowl him for three off 36 balls.
At the other end, Prior was proactive at the crease to keep the scoreboard ticking, while Crute knew his side could not afford to lose another wicket and was a wall to see out the remaining overs.
Prior will resume his innings with 18 runs to his name and Crute is yet to get off the mark.
