IN THE end, the run chase proved pretty straightforward for Swan Hill.
RSL had set the Swans a target of 125 on day one. The Blues never quite got going, but were able to hang around long enough to get what seemed a defendable total after being bowled out in the 72nd over.
Swan Hill had other ideas though. The loss of openers Bailey Codling and Brenton Foott — both were bowled out by Duane Bruton — for six runs between them didn’t have a significant impact on the Swans’ day.
A Kane Griffiths’ half-century and a match-high 80 to Daniel Cruickshank ensured the visitors would get home.
Swan Hill passed the Blues’ 125 and kept going, eventually stopping at 174 after 50 overs.
Bruton was crucial with the ball for the Blues, his 14 overs netting figures of 4-26 and including four maidens.
The Caldwell brothers, Pat and Brenton, and Jack Cook also claimed wickets for the home side.
Woorinen def Ultima TUF
TWO rising stars helped Woorinen finish Ultima TUF off on Saturday.
The Tigers went into the game knowing they needed just three TUF wickets to claim outright victory, and it was young guns Darren Rushton and Marcus Mangiameli who answered the call.
Rushton’s 2-7 and Mangiameli’s 1-6 saw the visitors comfortably home on day two.
Alistair Ward dug in for TUF, managing 29 not out — 22 on day two — but it wasn’t enough for the home side to prevent Woorinen winning outright.
The Tigers required a further 9.1 overs to get the job done, despite Ward’s efforts to remain unbeaten.
Woorinen captain Glenn Violi said he had been pleased his side got the outright win.
“They’re not easy to get so it was pretty important to us,” he said.
“It was good to see a couple of our younger guys get wickets.”
Violi said the outright win was an important confidence booster ahead of an expected tougher game against RSL.
“[The outright] wasn’t something we were thinking about but when the opportunity arose it was good to be able to get it and grab the full 10 points,” he said.
Violi said his side’s bowling had proved the difference across both days against UTUF, and that the batting would need to step up against RSL.
“We seem to be bowling well, we just need to ensure that our batting is up there too,” he said.
St Mary’s Tyntynder def Nyah District
NYAH District fell short of the St Mary’s Tyntynder target on Saturday.
The Saints had set a big total on day one, with Sam Grant’s 87 helping the visitors to 301 on a good batting pitch at Nyah.
The home side, led by captain Shane Fleming’s top score of 73, made a decent fist of the run chase but it ultimately proved a bridge too far as the Demons fell 87 runs short.
The Dees were unable to stop St Mary’s from steadily claiming wickets, with the Saints continually able to ease the pressure in the field thanks to the strong bowling of Corey Daniels (4-40 off 12 overs), Sam Grant (2-30 off 10 overs) and Matt Heffer (2-24 off 8.1 overs).
Matt Smith and Robin Sebastian also chimed in for wickets as the St Mary’s juggernaut continued on its way.
