By Trevor Jackson
West Gambier 8/220 d Mil Lel 10/93
WEST Gambier made short work of its Hoggies Wines Barber Shield cricket clash on Saturday, comfortably accounting for Mil Lel in the one-day clash.
The victory was set up with a pair of half-centuries from Justin DeJong and Jake Blackwell.
West claimed the first victory of the season, winning the toss and sent Mil Lel into bat on the fresh Malseed Park wicket.
The decision paid dividends almost immediately, with both openers out within four overs.
William Rowland was first to depart, caught off the bowling of Kyal Chapman for a duck.
Early in the fourth over Craig Lock became Chapman’s second scalp and Mil Lel was on shaky ground.
They were the only two wickets Chapman would claim, but set West up for an onslaught with the ball.
Runs proved hard to find and with just eight to his name, Darcy Williamson fell victim to Ned Wilke, caught by Chapman.
Jarrod Sanders and Jack Miller then dug in, playing a slow game to ensure wickets in hand towards the end of the innings.
The pair pushed through to the 16th over before Sanders gave up his wicket, lbw to Trent Badman for a slow 10 runs off 50 balls.
Miller continued to hold up his end, while Logan Gibbs looked for runs, but the latter fell after a promising start, with 25 runs off 39 deliveries, caught off the bowling of Robert Case.
When Miller departed, clean bowled by Badman for 18, it was all-but the end for Mil Lel.
Few runs came from then on, with Mil Lel bowled out in the 39th over for just 93.
For West, Badman did much of the damage, with figures of 4/19 off eight overs.
When West took the crease all did not go to plan, despite the strong position after the afternoon in the field.
New signing Nuwan Gunawardana was run out in the third over with just eight runs to his name off a sharp chance from Darcy Williamson.
DeJong and Niall Easterbrook then appeared to settle at the crease, with the latter scoring at a run a ball before he was caught by Sanders off the bowling of Miller.
From there the partnership between DeJong and Blackwell became dangerous for Mil Lel, as the pair set about building the foundations of a solid innings.
DeJong fell for 69 off 80 balls in the 24th over, bowled by Dale Bachman, but the game was well in hand by then.
Badman was next to go, caught off the bowling of Gibbs for 24.
Blackwell went a few overs later and Mil Lel began to tighten the clamps.
Ned Wilke stood tall down the order, smashing 16 runs off just four deliveries, before Mitchell Little claimed his scalp.
However, it was too little, too late as West claimed a strong victory.
Mitchell Little was best with the ball for Mil Lel, with figures of 4/25 off just four overs.
More cricket inside
