By Trevor Jackson
SCORING proved tough in Round 10 of the Hoggies Wines Barber Shield cricket fixture at Malseed Park on Saturday, with both West Gambier and North Sportsman’s finding runs hard to come by.
The home side could only manage 126 from 65 overs, while the visitors struggled in their 11 overs before stumps, with just 27 runs on the board.
West won the toss and elected to bat, with 14 runs registered before Kale Wrightson was run out with a slow three next to his name.
Opener Jack Geddes was joined by youngster Connor Prior and the pair settled but again runs proved elusive.
After facing 71 deliveries, Geddes was bowled by Tim Young for just 19, which brought Jake Blackwell to the crease.
A 32-run partnership provided some hope of a decent total, before Blackwell was sent back to the sheds for 18, caught off the bowling of Nick McInerney.
Prior was next to go for a steady 26 and the Roos struggled from there.
Richard Crute hung around for a handy 27 but no other West batsman could reach double figures.
In the 66th over the innings was done, with Declan Kenny the best of the North bowlers with figures of 4/33.
Young finished with 3/39.
West needed a contribution from its bowlers to remain in with a chance of first-innings points and that came through Sam Willis and Josh Cornolo, who claimed two scalps each before stumps.
Brad Robinson fell to Cornolo for a duck, while Brad Stafford became Willis’s first victim for just four runs.
Jake Schutz was then judged lbw to Willis, before the final wicket of Elliott Fisher went to Cornolo, with just seven runs next to his name.
It left McInerney and Michael Johnstone at the crease, with plenty of work to do on day two to chase down the meagre total.
