Crusaders clinch tight win

Sean Aylett mid swing, with Sam Jones waiting with bated breath for the ball. Image: The Riverine Grazier/Margie McClelland.

By Mick Cattanach

Saturday saw two contrasting games played on Hay Park in the Hay Senior Cricket competition.

The first game saw the South Hay Crusaders choose to bat first against the Riverina Hotel.

However, they were in immediate trouble as Liam Whitbourne trapped Nick Milliken LBW before bowling Simon Bunyan to leave the Crusaders two for three.

Tom McGufficke and Pat Jubb combined to see off the early bowlers, but change bowlers Jesse Thomson and Jason Aylett kept the pressure on.

They removed both Pat and Tom before keeping it tight and not allowing the Crusaders to build momentum.

Shaun Aylett and David Caldow combined in the middle order, both reaching double figures.

However, the Riv bowlers were not to be denied with disciplined bowling seeing the Crusaders all bowled out for 76 in over 24.

In reply, Brad Pocock picked up Liam Whitbourne to a good catch by Nick Milliken in the first over.

Jason Aylett joined Dean Aylett and the two of them battled against some good bowling from Simon Bunyan and David Caldow.

Eventually the pressure told and Simon got a glove from Dean to see him caught at short fine leg.

Daniel Stewart was trapped LBW two balls later to leave the Riv 3 for 17.

Jacob Headon-Doidge joined Jason and the two of them batted sensibly rebuilding the innings and getting the score to 56 in over 20.

At that point Archie Houston got Jason caught off his off spinners and from there the Riv offered little resistance losing seven wickets for only 11 runs, as Archie with four wickets, along with Pat Jubb and Justin Brown saw the Riv batsman capitulate, being all out for 67.

Crusaders running out winners by nine runs, in a low scoring exciting match.

South Hay Crusaders 76 all out (D Caldow 15, S Aylett 14, L Whitbourne 3/10, J Aylett 2/10, J Thomson 2/13) defeated Riverina Hotel 67 all out (J Aylett 24, J Headon-Doidge 16, A Houston 4/3, S Bunyan 2/8).

The second game was very different.

South Hay Colts batted first against the Hay Titans, but lost Jensen Hargreaves early, caught by Pragnesh Patel off the clever swing bowling of Pintu Goswami in the third over.

Jack Cattanach was then joined by Monte Barnes.

The two of them were watchful early, particularly against Pintu's bowling but gradually as they got more comfortable, they scored quickly, with Jack in particular taking advantage of anything short or over pitched.

Despite Titans fielding well they were unable to stem the tide and the two Colts batsman dominated, with Jack bringing up a century, the third in a row for the South Hay Colts, in over 24.

They continued to bat through to the end of the innings as Colts finished on 194 for the loss of only one wicket.

In response, Titans were rocked early with Josh Gardiner picking up a hattrick in his over four, in the midst of a good spell of bowling from the young left armer.

Titans’ innings struggled to gain any momentum until Ajay Patel arrived at the crease and with some big hitting propelled Titans innings past 100 but he was eventually bowled as the last man out, falling for 49 with the score on 114.

South Hay Colts 1/194 (J Cattanach 116 not out, M Barnes 53 not out) defeated Hay Titans 114 all out (Ajay Patel 49, J Gardiner 3/5, I Gardiner 2/13).