By Lachlan Onions
WEST GAMBIER 7/58 d MIL LEL 10/51
IT was a bowler’s paradise at Frew Park on Saturday as 17 wickets fell in the Barber Shield clash between Mil Lel and West Gambier.
The Roos bowled first and gave the home side a taste of what was to come when Brad Talbot was bowled by Bray Stephenson for a duck in the second over.
William Rowland was then dismissed in the next over and Mil Lel was in all sorts at 2/3.
Jarrod Sanders and Brodie Pfitzner provided some resistance but the duo were sent packing in the ninth and 10th overs to make it 4/19.
Kyal Chapman then claimed the key wicket of Jack Miller and the clash went from bad to worse for Mil Lel.
Archer Virtanen and Ty Dinnison put up a fight in the lower order and were the only two batters to reach double figures for the home side.
After a 17-run seventh-wicket partnership, the hosts lost their final four wickets for six runs as Stephenson and Willis cleaned up the tail.
Dinnison top-scored for his side 11 runs off 19 balls, while Stephenson was the best of the bowlers with 4/10 off 5.3 overs.
Stephenson was supported by Willis, Chapman and Nuwan Gunawardana who all claimed two scalps each.
With 40 overs needed to score 52 runs for victory, it was going to take something special from Mil Lel to prevent West claiming victory.
The hosts broke through with the fifth ball of the inning when Logan Gibbs sent Nuwan Gunawardana back to the pavilion for just two runs.
Despite the setback, the Roos were still in a comfortable position and a win was still more than likely as Justin de Jong and Sam Willis looked to build on.
However, there was carnage at the crease when de Jong was given out LBW off Logan Gibbs’ bowling to end the fifth over.
The clash took another twist five balls later when Miller dismissed Willis for eight.
The with his first ball of the seventh over, Gibbs struck again in the same fashion to dismiss the in-form Jake Blackwell for a golden duck.
This then brought Niall Easterbrook out to the middle to face the hat-trick ball from Gibbs.
Easterbrook survived the hat-trick ball but the pressure was still on as in the space of eight balls, the Roos went from 1/16 to 4/16.
A few overs later, Miller bowled Easterbrook and the game was in the balance at 5/21.
However, Bray Stephenson and Shane de Jong resisted the Mil Lel bowling attack and made it to the total with plenty of time to spare.
Harrison Hicks claimed two late wickets as consolation before the rain brought the game to an early ending with the Roos at 7/58.
