Despite Combe’s brilliance, he continued to lose batting partners as Troy Dumesny, Justtin Combe, Jack Combe and Jordan McDonald all fell cheaply in the middle order and tailenders Tim Crick and Angus Slatter were both out for ducks.
Noradjuha-Toolondo was all out for 149 in the 41st over, setting Homers a target of 150 for victory.
Homers’ Paddy Mills said the side felt confident as it came out to bat.
“We were pretty happy keeping them to 150. Obviously ‘Melons’ (Matt Combe) got hold of us a bit, but other than that we thought we did a reasonable job,” he said.
“Everyone chipped in, did their bit and bowled reasonably tight.
“Coming out to bat, we just wanted to get through the first 10 overs with no wickets down.
“They have a few good bowlers up front, so we wanted to try to get through their first spell and cash in at the back end.”
Despite the losses of Luke Miller and Monty Wynne, the Pigeons’ innings went largely to script early.
Opener Adam Attwood reached 38 before falling leg before wicket to Justtin Combe, and Mills blasted a team-high 41 runs from only 34 deliveries.
But when Mills was caught, also off the bowling of Justtin Combe, it triggered a middle-order collapse.
Perry came to the crease with the Pigeons at 5-122 and quickly became the team’s sole hope as Homers lost three wickets for only five additional runs.
When Ben Williamson was run out for one, the Pigeons were down to their final wicket and still 11 runs short of victory.
Over the next 15 balls Perry protected the strike, allowing number 11 batsman Aiden Van to face only two balls deliveries.
Fittingly, it was Perry who ended the game with a four in the 41st over to deliver the Pigeons a victory at 9-151. Perry finished unbeaten on 36.
“Baxter was really good and pretty much won the game off his own bat,” Mills said.
“He hogged the strike really well. He did it perfectly – he did what he had to do.”
In addition to excelling with bat in hand, Matt Combe was the pick of the Noradjuha-Toolondo bowlers with 4-29 from nine overs.
The round’s other matches were comparatively drama-free, with Horsham Tigers defeating Horsham Saints by 80 runs, Brim-Kellalac-Sheep Hills recording a nine-wicket victory against Lubeck-Murtoa and West Wimmera requiring less than 11 overs to chase Colts’ total of 32, with all 10 wickets still in hand.
At Coughlin Park, the Tigers batted out their 45 overs at 8-159, with Angus Adams top scoring on 36.
In reply the Saints could muster only 79 runs before being all out, with six ducks on the scorecard and only Josh Carrol, 31 runs, making a serious impact with the bat.
Brim-Kellalac-Sheep Hills bowler Dale Stephan had a day out in his side’s rout of Lubeck-Murtoa, taking 4-5 as the Mudlarks were all out for 65 in 41 overs.
The Eagles chased the total without breaking a sweat, with Connor McGinniss’ diamond duck run out the only blemish on their scorecard as Leigh Dovaston, 38 not out, and Jeremy Preston, 23 not out, hit the winning runs inside 21 overs.
West Wimmera was even more dominant against the Colts, with every bowler taking at least one wicket as the home side was all out for 32.
West Wimmera needed only 63 balls in reply, as openers Bradley Alexander and Jobe Dickinson reached the target without loss.
Round four on Saturday will see Homers host Horsham Saints, Brim-Kellalac-Sheep Hills visit Horsham Tigers, West Wimmera at Murtoa to take on the Mudlarks and Laharum returning from a bye to face the Colts.
The entire October 30, 2024 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!
The entire October, 30, 2024 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!