By Lachlan Onions
RENDLESHAM 10/192 d LUCINDALE 8/167
RENDLESHAM started its Millicent/Naracoorte Cricket Association premiership defence in style with a 25-run win at home against Lucindale.
The hosts won the toss and elected to bat first in the season opener but opener Sam Telfer was bowed by Jesse Hazelman for just three runs.
Tyson Smith provided some stability at number 3 with 13 runs off 15 balls but he was the next to go and was also bowled by Hazelman.
Despite losing two teammates at the other end, Ayden Reid remained strong at the crease and made Lucindale work for his wicket.
Rendlesham captain Jake Wight took the ascendancy to increase the run-rate with 28 runs off 22 deliveries, in an inning which included six boundaries but was the next to go after being bowled by Michael McGurk in the 15th over.
Jacob Carger was then dismissed for just one run in the next over off Daniel McCarthy’s bowling.
Ethan Bowman joined Reid at the crease and looked to keep the runs flowing.
Their partnership was broken when Reid was finally dismissed in the 24th over by Stewart Hinze for 27 off 63 balls.
Hinze claimed another wicket when he found the better of Bowman for 21 to end the 26th over.
The seventh-wicket partnership of Hugh Armfield and Max Telfer helped keep the pressure on Lucindale, with the former scoring 34 runs at a strike rate of 161.9, and the latter 32 at 133.3.
After they were dismissed, Brad Wight added a handy 15 runs at number nine before the hosts were eventually bowled out in the 37th over.
Hazelman dealt the most damage with the ball but also conceded runs at an expensive economy rate as and ended with figures of 3/39 off five overs.
Michael McGurk put in a strong performance with the ball and took 2/13 off 6.2 overs.
Lucindale’s openers proved hard to crack early, with Shane McGurk and Will Graetz dealt with the new ball before adding runs of their own.
Reid eventually broke the opening stand when he bowled Shane McGurk in the 16th over for 31 runs off 45 deliveries.
Riley Redway dismissed Graetz in the 22nd over for 26 runs off 45 balls.
However, wickets continued to be difficult to find as Michael McGurk and Nathan James forged a solid partnership but the pair needed to increase their run-rate as they entered the final stages of the contest.
Redway continued to cause problems for Lucindale and a wicket-maiden in the 33rd where he dismissed McGurk put Rendlesham back on top.
As the pressure rose, McGurk’s dismissal sparked a late collapse for the visitors.
Daniel McCarthy was bowled for a duck the following over, before Redway grabbed the key wicket of James in the 35th over after he scored 56 runs off 60 balls in an inning which included seven 4’s and one maximum.
As the run-rate required began to climb, wickets fell in the 36th and 37th overs before an eighth wicket in the final over to put the icing on the cake for the reigning premiers.
Redway was dominant with the ball and took 4/34 off eight overs, while Reid also put in an impressive performance with 3/29.
This was the only Millicent/Naracoorte clash to take place on the weekend with the other games abandoned.
