AN ASTONISHING collapse of 7-1 saw Bridgewater manage only 88 in search of an unlikely 361 to beat Arnold in their two-day Upper Loddon cricket match.
A lone hand by Bulls opener Tom McKinley, who made 60 from 102 balls, helped his side to 2-87 before the wheels fell off.
It was a day when the bails frequently were blown from the stumps, when caps went flying, and medium pacers bowling with the wind behind them from the scoreboard looked as quick as Jeff Thomson.
Bridgewater’s ambitious quest to overtake Arnold’s massive score from day one began well enough, with Tom and Harry McKinley putting on 32 for the first wicket, and Tony Naughton joining Tom McKinley to push the total to 66 before Naughton fell for 14.
Another handy partnership of 21 between McKinley and Sam Harrison ended when Harrison was spectacularly caught by Adam Davies off Flynn Lock.
And that was about it.
Next in was Andrew Duguid, who unwisely called for a quick single and was run out by a direct hit at the bowler’s end for a duck.
McKinley’s fine innings then ended when he was given out LBW, throwing back his head in frustration as he left the field.
Three ducks followed – including Seth Hewett-Scull bowled first ball by his brother Kale Hewett – while Hunter Daldy finished not out on nought.
There were no spectacular bowling figures: Hewett took 2-7 from two overs, Michael Dale claimed 2-14 and Campbell Hancock’s seven overs saw him collect 2-32.
Boort Yando won its third match for the season when it successfully defended its day-one total of 195 against Wedderburn Band.
Wedderburn was missing key players including captain Will Holt, and only veteran Adam Postle, with 56, was able to really get going with the bat.
Postle smacked five fours and three sixes in his innings, with last-man-in Bradley Holt the next best with 27.
Remarkably, Postle was the only Band batsman to reach the boundary.
Harry Weaver took 4-41 off 23.5 overs for the Magpies, and Jarrod Hodoras took 3-30.
This week Arnold faces the improving Boort Yando in the final round, a one-day clash that will decide third place on the ladder.
Top side Kingower plays Bridgewater, while Wedderburn Band, which will finish second on the table, has the bye after a couple of tough weeks where they have been missing key players.
- GARY WALSH
LADDER
Kingower     57
Wedderburn     48
Arnold    30
Boort    28
Bridgewater     9