By Trevor Jackson
IT has become a tight race for a grand final berth in the Dycer Constructions Big Bash T20 cricket season after Round 4 of play.
Gambier 115 d Millel 9/73
East Gambier did its chances of playing off for a T20 title no harm after a strong victory over Mil Lel on Thursday night at Frew Park.
The Bulldogs won the toss and elected to bat, then set about making a solid total.
Dion Stratford was first to go, caught off the bowling of William Rowland for six runs.
Zach Jones and Emerson Marks then settled into their work and put on another 36 runs before Marks was caught off Logan Gibbs for an entertaining 20 off 19 balls.
Just 10 runs later Jones fell to Rowland for 22, with Leigh Von Duve (3) and Jake Wight (11) following soon after.
Alex Hill came and went for a solitary run, while Alex Hentschke bashed his way to 24 off just 13 deliveries and Travis Younghusband was equally as entertaining, with and unbeaten 23 off 17.
the Bulldogs were all out in the 19th over for 115, leaving Mil Lel a reachable total for victory.
Rowland and Gibbs claimed three wickets each.
The run chase did not start well for Mil Lel, with four wickets falling for just six runs – three of those ducks.
Rowland faced three balls for his duck, clean bowled by Hentschke, while Henry Smith fronted up to two deliveries, his stumps knocked over by Liam Turley, also for a duck.
Connor Little sent Mitchel Douglas back to the sidelines without offering a run and when Jack Miller was run out for one, Mil Lel was in real trouble.
Only two double-figure scores followed, with Brad Talbot out for 13 and Dale Bachman banging on 18 off 13 balls down the order.
In the end Mil Lel batted out the 20 overs but fell well short with just 73 runs.
Turley and Little claimed three wickets each.
South Gambier 116 d Penola 103
It was a tight contest between South Gambier and Penola, with the Demons home by 13 runs.
Top scores went to South’s Robbie Drenthen and Penola’s Michael Waters with 23 each.
South’s Jacob Opie and Jed Sims, along with Penola’s Zac Zema claimed three wickets each.
In the remaining game North defeated West by a solitary run.
Mil Lel and East currently sit with three wins, ahead of Penola and South on two.
Defending title holders West and North both out of contention.
