“We made sure we concentrated on getting the first-innings runs first and then anything from there we would work on after that.”
The Eagles’ patience proved well founded, with Dovaston’s opening partner Jeremy Preston made to work patiently for his match-winning innings of 76 not out from 166 balls.
“Jeremy had a couple of chances on the first day, but it was chanceless there on Saturday. He batted really well, and it was pretty hard batting so he just had to knuckle in there,” Dovaston said.
“We were able to get a little bit of support around him and got the job done.”
Brim-Kellalac-Sheep Hills ended the day 6-136, securing a first-innings win and maintaining second place on the A Grade ladder, with a match against Laharum to come this weekend before the Christmas-New Year break.
“Hopefully we can go alright again this weekend, but either way we’re very comfortable with where we’re sitting at the moment,” Dovaston said.
“Batting has been our main thing we’ve had to work on over the year, and that’s probably what we’ll focus on against Laharum.
“As long as we can put on a competitive score we’re pretty confident in our bowling.
“We’ve got a fair mixture of bowlers that we can use to try to restrict our opposition to a lower total.”
The round’s other matches yielded few day-two surprises, with Homers converting its strong day-one total of 246 into a 75-run win against Laharum.
The versatility of the Pigeons’ bowling attack was on display as Chaminda Gamage, 3-39, Adam Atwood, 2-45, and Baxter Perry, 1-33, shared in the wickets, while Gibson Perry starred with 4-27 in 12.3 overs.
Laharum opener Dayan Wilfred was brought undone by Gibson Perry after a promising start of 29, and thereafter only Demons skipper Josh Mahoney was able to do significant damage, reaching 42 from 58 balls before falling to Atwood.
Harrison Hoffmann, 24, and Spencer Weir, 20, contributed in the lower middle order, but it was too little, too late for Laharum, which was bowled out for 171.
A high-scoring contest at Horsham City Oval ended as many matches have this season – with a win for West Wimmera.
The Warriors batted superbly on day one to reach a first-innings total of 277, and while the opposing Horsham Tigers also made plenty of a flat wicket, they were bowled out 48 runs short of their target.
Angus Adams gave the Tigers hope with 63 runs batting fourth, but a masterful display from Warrior bowlers Xavier Bone, 5-81, and Nathan Alexander, 3-42, managed to curtail the home side’s momentum.
Contributions of 41 from Martyn Knight and 40 not out from David Puls further down the order were valuable, but Knight’s dismissal by Bone all but ended the Tigers’ chances.
Lubeck-Murtoa held on against Noradjuha-Toolondo in the closest match of the round, with the Bullants all out for 156 – 20 runs short of victory.
An 88-run third-wicket partnership gave the Bullants life, but Blake Turner struck with the first of his four wickets to remove Noradjuha-Toolondo’s Matt Combe, 41, and the visitors struggled thereafter.
Turner, 4-34, and Cameron Newell, 4-25, were standouts for the Mudlarks, who remain within striking distance of Laharum for fourth place on the ladder.
In the final round before the break, Bullants will host West Wimmera at Horsham City Oval, Brim-Kellalac-Sheep Hills is at home to Laharum, Lubeck-Murtoa
travels to Sunnyside Recreation Reserve to play Homers and Horsham Saints return from a bye to welcome Colts to Coughlin Park.
The entire December 18, 2024 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!
The entire December 18, 2024 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!