The Tyrrell Cricket Swans have begun the 2022-23 McDonald’s T20 season in style, claiming a tight six-wicket win against the Phones R Us Blues.
It was the Swans’ first victory since early December last year after they endured the season from hell in 2021-22.
In a game where both innings took eerily similar routes, Swans stalwart Alan Hatcher would prove to be the difference between the two sides.
Hatcher top scored with 38 as the Blues’ target of 103 was chased down with five balls to spare.
Earlier, he also recorded the match’s best bowling figures, finishing with 2/12 from his four overs.
Runs dried up in both innings once the ball had softened.
The Blues elected to bat after winning the toss and started well with star batsman Ryan Hinton top scoring for his side with a composed 37 off 35 balls.
He was joined at the top of the order by skipper Ben Hallam (11 off 35), with the Swans able to tie down his end and ensure the opening partnership didn’t get out of hand.
Halfway through the innings, it looked like the Blues would be ready to launch, but some quality spells from spinner Ian Schodde and tearaway Andrew Clark (1/17) turned the contest on its head.
Schodde got the crucial wicket of Hinton, finding his outside edge before getting another big prize in Stuart Patterson, who holed out at deep mid-wicket.
The Blues were 0/56 at one stage but lost all momentum in the back end of their innings, limping their way to 6/102.
Schodde would finish with figures of 2/15 – if he can continue this form, the Swans might have found the last piece of the puzzle in their bowling attack with a strong pace battery already at their disposal.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Lachie Edwards (33 off 30) and Hatcher got the Swans’ innings off to a blistering start, the pair combining for a 61-run opening partnership.
Edwards produced the highlight of the day, depositing a six into the car park at deep long on in a return to form after a poor season last summer.
It appeared the Swans would ease their way to victory, but the departure of Edwards was quickly followed by all-rounder Cal Noonan.
New head coach Nathan Spicer was run out shortly after, before Hatcher was dismissed as well to leave the Swans at 4/89 and needing a run a ball in the final two overs.
Clark and Sebastian Linssen quashed the Swans’ nerves, guiding them home with five balls to spare to perhaps signal a new dawn for the club.
The other games saw the WDEA Works Saints start their premiership defence in style, with a crushing nine-wicket victory over the Beverford Tavern Demons.
Batting first, the Demons quickly found themselves in trouble, with their top four batsman of Charlie Boulton, Mitch Grinham, Joel Walsh and Dean Harrop all contributing just 12 runs between them – with Josh Domaille (20), Tristan Dalbon (23) and Justin Toomey (12) the only Demons to register double figures.
Robin Sebastian – in his first game back for a number of seasons – returned the game high figures of 4/17 to be the chief destroyer and help hold the Demons to just 9/79.
The Saints then made light work of the run chase, losing just one wicket and passing the Demons meagre total in just the 14th over.
Jake Foster top scored for the Saints with 45 not out and was ably supported by former captain Austin McKerrow, who compiled a well-made 28 not out.
The final game of the round was a win to the other grand finalist from last season, with the Pizza Kitchen Tigers chasing down the Stihl Shop Roodogs’ total with six overs and seven wickets to spare.
Batting first, the Roodogs compiled a patient 6/95, with Mitch Seton-Stewart top scoring with 38.
Kyle Symons (21) was the only other Roodog to register double figures, leaving the home side well short of a competitive target.
The Tigers took immediate control with the bat, with skipper Jason Mangiameli the only batsman who failed to reach double figures in the run chase as the Tigers got home just three wickets down.
