By Trevor Jackson
EAST Gambier played out an up-and-down innings in Round 10 of the Hoggies Wines Barber Shield cricket season, struggling at times before the runs began to flow.
The Bulldogs hosted Mil Lel at Scott Park and in the end produced a defendable total with the bat.
However, it did not go all to plan, with the classy Dion Stratford caught off Logan Gibbs for just two runs, which put the Bulldogs on the back foot.
Emerson Marks and Leigh Von Duve then settled at the crease and advanced the score to 49, before the former became Gibbs’ second victim, caught by Carey Megaw for 19.
Kevin Thomson came and went for a duck, which brought Alex Hentschke to the crease, who lit up the scoresheets but not before Von Duve was sent back to the sidelines after a steady 22.
Hentschke was joined by Connor Little and the pair dug in for a 35-run stand, before the latter was caught-and-bowled by Mitchell Little for 21.
Travis Younghusband then joined Hentschke and the pair set about righting the ship, with half-centuries each to put the Bulldogs back on track.
The partnership produced 81 runs as the boundary was found at will.
Hentschke was next to go with 71 runs off 92 deliveries but along the way he found the fence on six occasions and cleared it five times.
Younghusband was somewhat more sedate, with 54 off 103 balls but he found the boundary seven times.
The result saw East reach a strong 225 runs in the 74th over to provide a real challenge for Mil Lel with the bat.
Nick Walters and Gibbs claimed three wickets each.
After three overs in the middle with the bat Mil Lel finished at 0/4 at stumps.
