CTPL WEEKEND WRAP
Elliot Stevenson
An exceptional team bowling performance has given New Town its first win of the two-day season in a home win over Lindisfarne.
At the start of the days play, Lindisfarne required 178 with 10 wickets in hand, and two set batsman at the crease.
When Mac Wright fell for 38, Peter Di Venuto’s side smelled blood in the water.
The Lightning were unable to withstand the bowling onslaught from their opponents, falling 105 runs short of the target after being dismissed for just 130.
Di Venuto was glowing in his praise of reliable off-spinner Joe Graham.
“Joe Graham, I believe, is currently the best off-spin bowler in the competition,” he said.
“He bowled brilliantly, without necessarily reward for his efforts by the amount of wickets that he took.
“But the pressure that he built created a run-out and wickets at the other end.
“The work that he did was instrumental in us performing well.”
The Bucks chased what would have been a remarkable outright victory but were dispelled by the impressive Tom McGann [75 not out off 117 balls].
The victory is made even more notable due to the players that New Town was missing on the day.
Jack Montgomery, Jesse Willmott and Caelan Maladay were all unavailable due to their involvement in the Australian Country Cricket Championships, while Mitch Owen remains on Hobart Hurricanes duty.
“The fact that we had four players out, plus Mitch Owen which is five, of our best side is really impressive,” Di Venuto said.
“The whole club performed well, every single team won, so it was a terrific day all round.
“We’re looking forward to getting into this part of the season and the two-day games.”
Clarence has soundly defeated North Hobart, narrowly missing out on an outright victory by four wickets.
The Roos protected their score of 361 by dismissing their opponents for just 149, with lethal pace duo Kieran Elliott [3/40 off 16 overs] and Lawrence Neil-Smith [5/41 off 10 overs] doing the brunt of the damage.
North Hobart was then sent back in to save an outright defeat with around 50 overs left in the day.
An inspired 86 not out off 164 balls from opener Kade Applebee ensured the Demons saved face on their home turf, ending at 6-188.
A 7-wicket performance from South Hobart-Sandy Bay seamer Archie Banks-Smith was not enough to avoid a loss to Greater Northern at Queenborough.
Banks-Smith [7/44 off 16 overs] was the only highlight for the Sharks on a day where they were well-beaten.
Aidan O’Connor [72 off 95 balls] played a strong role with the bat for the Raiders, who posted 265, 67 runs ahead of their opponents.
South Hobart-Sandy Bay comfortably avoided an outright loss, navigating its way to 5-131 at the conclusion of the day.
Kingborough has backed up its performance against Glenorchy from the first day that saw Alex Vincent take 9/40 with a convincing batting performance.
An opening stand of 115 between Nivethan Radhakrishnan [53 off 95 balls] and Zak Honeybrook [74 off 97 balls] gave the Knights their platform to launch their innings, in the end being bowled out for 291.
Vincent [4/44 off 13 overs] was in the wicket again as Glenorchy struggled to avoid an outright loss, surviving with just two wickets in hand at the end of play.
The Magpies are yet to win a point in the red-ball format this season, sitting last in the table, while Kingborough have won two from two.
In the women’s competition, a rain-affected Sunday game between Greater Northern and North Hobart ended in the Demons’ favour.
With the game shortened to 29 overs apiece, the Raiders posted 6-172 off the back of captain Ava Curtis [115 not out off 85 balls], who hit 15 boundaries.
Curtis had scored three half-centuries this season before making the incredible century at UTAS Stadium.
However, Curtis’ individual brilliance was not enough to secure the win for the home side, as North Hobart chased down a lowered target of 166.
Melodie Armstrong [66 not out off 57 balls] and Josephine Nkomo [35 not out off 50 balls] piloted the chase.
North Hobart are now a singular point ahead of Clarence at the apex of the one-day ladder, with all teams having played two games each.
Clarence’s Michaela Kirk has made a brilliant century in just her second game of cricket this season, blasting 101 not out off 79 balls in a shortened 25-over matchup against New Town.
The Roos posted 2-170, a total which New Town fell nine agonising runs short of.
Vanessa Dobson [63 off 49 balls] was crucially dismissed by Sophia Di Venuto when the Bucks needed 20 runs to win, a wicket which eventually led to the collapse of the visitors bottom order.
New Town remain winless in the one-day season, alongside fellow T20 grand finalists Greater Northern.