By Lachlan Onions
PENOLA 10/135 d WEST GAMBIER 10/132 and 3/41
PENOLA claimed a nail-biting first-innings victory at Malseed Park in Round 10 of the Barber Shield on Saturday.
The clash saw two heavyweights in the competition go head-to-head and the game lived up to the expectation and more.
The visitors were in a spot of bother when play resumed on Day 2, with the Eagles in trouble at 4/44 – 88 runs shy of West Gambier’s first innings total.
However, Mark Smith and Lachy Jones fought back and made it to 4/80 before the former was bowled by Trent Badman after he added 22 runs to his team’s total.
This brought Penola captain Drew Clayfield out to the middle.
After leading the way for his side with the bat on countless occasions already this season, Clayfield again stood tall and formed a 24-run stand with Jones.
With just 29 runs needed for victory, West’s Ned Wilke thwarted the visitors’ momentum with two quick wickets to dismiss Jones and Clayfield.
In a see-sawing contest, the Roos were back on top as Penola found itself at 7/109 and still trailed by 23 runs.
However, Michael Waters and Eli Hunter added valuable runs and the win was within touching distance for the Eagles as they were 7/130.
The clash looked almost certain to end in a victory for Penola but there was still room for another twist in the tale.
Sam Willis dismissed Waters for 15 to make it 8/130 before Eli Hunter was run-out to make it 9/131.
The clash was balanced on a knife’s edge as Penola needed one run to tie the clash and two to win, while West needed to claim just one wicket to claim victory.
Up stepped Brad Maney who scored four runs batting at number 10 to claim a thrilling win for his side before he was dismissed by Bray Stephenson.
Clayfield and Jones top-scored for the clash with 25 and 24 runs, while Wilke, Willis and Stephenson all ended with two wickets each.
Day 1 saw Jack Mullan take a five-fa for Penola and Nuwan Gunawardana led the way with the bat for West with 73 runs.
After Penola was bowled out for 135, the Roos went back into bat and Mullan found himself amongst the wickets again as he took 1/3 off five overs.
Tom Clayfield was the standout performer as he took 2/15 off his five overs in the second innings.
Yet again, Gunawardana led the way as opener with the bat and top scored with 20-runs before he was dismissed.
The clash came to an end 20 overs into the Roos’ second innings with the score at 3/41.
Penola’s win means it moves back into third on the ladder, while West now holds a narrow lead over East Gambier at the top of the ladder with both sides sitting on five wins.
