By Trevor Jackson
THE final round of Barber Shield cricket before the Christmas break was completed on Saturday, with Penola, Mil Lel and North Sportsman’s all claiming first-innings victories.
EAST GAMBIER v NORTH SPORTSMAN’S
IN what turned out to be the match of the round, East Gambier succumbed to North Sportsman’s at Scott Park.
Chasing a target of 212 for victory, East was off to a solid start with a half-century opening stand.
Leigh Von Duve and Kevin Thomson appeared comfortable at the crease, picking off the loose balls and steadily building a handy foundation.
Von Duve was first to go, lbw to Elliott Fisher with the total at 62.
Thomson was joined by Steven Cameron and the pair immediately settled in for the long haul.
Thomson was next to go with a steady 55 off 176 deliveries, but the incoming Dion Stratford could only offer 10 runs to the cause, bowled by Isaac Mulraney.
With a strong foundation laid, East was in the box seat, but from there it all went pear-shaped.
Emerson Marks was the only other Bulldog to reach double figures with his 11 runs as an East victory looked more doubtful with each passing over.
In the end the Bulldogs were all out in the final over just eight runs short of the first-innings points.
For North, Nick McInerney was best with the ball with figures of 3/27 off eight overs.
PENOLA v WEST GAMBIER
Up at McCorquindale Park, Penola was simply too strong for West Gambier, with a solid victory on the back of a strong first-innings score.
With the bat Penola set West a target of 246 for victory, but the visitors were never in the hunt.
Wickets tumbled with regularity, with no West batsman passing 23 runs.
With just nine runs on the board Jack Geddes was back on the sideline for just one run, while the incoming Alex Hill could only muster two.
Five runs later opener Justin DeJong was bowled by Lachy Jones for 16 and the run chase was on shaky ground.
Jake Blackwell hung around for 42 balls for his 12 runs, but Sam Willis could only offer five from 29 deliveries.
From there Sam Coxon dug in with captain Richard Crute but after a partnership yielding 27 runs, Crute was out for 22.
Coxon went onto reach West’s highest total with 23 to his name off a steady 104 balls.
West was out for just 103 runs with plenty of overs to spare, with Jones best of the Penola bowlers with figures of 3/8 off 19 overs.
Michael Waters and Josh Doyle snared two scalps each.
SOUTH GAMBIER v MIL LEL
SOUTH Gambier almost pulled off a victory over Mil Lel at Blue Lake Sports Park, but four batsmen ensured the visitors reached the required target with relative ease in the end.
South was defending just 146 runs from the opening day and needed wickets fast.
That came in the form of Josh Smith, who was dismissed for just seven runs with the total at 12.
the incoming Carey Megaw was run out for six, but stayed at the crease long enough to allow opener William Rowland to find a few quick runs, with the team total then at 37.
Todd Carpenter came and went for just one, while Rowland eventually fell just shy of his half-century with 46.
When Darcy Williamson departed just five runs later, at 5/69 Mil Lel looked anything but confident.
Nick Walters and Craig Lock pushed the score along, with a timely 47-run partnership which turned the game around.
Walters departed for 17 but his work holding up and end and rotating the strike had Mil Lel up and about, with a chance of victory now in sight.
Henry Smith joined Lock in the middle and the runs continued to flow, as the pair reached the target and compiled a 48-run partnership and the victory.
Smith eventually succumbed for 32, while Lock reached his half-century with 50 runs to his name.
Jakob Opie was best with the ball for South with figures of 3/50 off 21 overs.
The Barber Shield will now have a short break, with play to return on January 8, 2022 with a one-day fixture.
