GREAT START: Hanwood’s Nick Vendrasco had an excellent all-round game against Leagues.
EXIEs have begun their Griffith and District second grade campaign with a bang after humbling Yenda Spitfires by 172 runs at Collina on Saturday.
The massive win can be put down largely to the contributions of just three players – Lyle Campbell and Adam Waide scored half-centuries while David Hennessey put in an early candidate for best bowling figures this season.
Campbell and Waide scored 86 and 52 respectively in quick-time during their time at the crease to help set up their massive score, which gave the Exies’ bowlers plenty of licence to attack.
And they did not need to be asked twice with Hennessey destroying the Spitfires’ top-order to claim the incredible figures of 8-18 off six overs and one maiden.
However, the size of the win did not always look so promising. Yenda started well with the ball as they dismissed Glen Bock (1) and Hennessey (1) to see the score fall to 2-4.
But a steady innings from Manjoi Beri (26) with Campbell’s knock put the side back in the hunt with a 93-run partnership being developed for the third wicket.
Despite picking up cheap wickets through the middle and lower order, the damage was largely done by Exies as they set the Spitfires 204 for victory.
However, Hennessey’s stunning spell saw Yenda have little chance of victory as the score quickly became 8-21 in just the ninth over.
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Wayward bowling has cost Hanwood its first chance of victory this season, as the Leagues Club Panthers secured their first win in club history by four wickets at Showground No. 1.
An amazing 42 extras were added to the Panthers’ total as they snuck home for the important early victory.
Winning the toss, Leagues put Hanwood in to bat and the decision looked to have paid dividends early as Hanwood slumped to be 3-4.
But a solid knock of 19 from Trevor Cowie, combined with some lower-order hitting from Nick Vendrasco with 49, and Hanwood scrambled a competitive total of 142.
Panthers also lost early wickets before steadying partnerships through the middle-order helped to put them in the box-seat with Ben Boland’s 29 well-played.
Vendrasco backed up his effort on the bat to secure 4-10 off eight with two maidens with the ball to easily be the pick of the bowlers and a candidate for player of the game in a losing side.
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Coleambally have proved again they will be a tough opponent in second grade this year, after easily disposing of the Yenda Jets by eight wickets at their home ground.
The strong Nomads’ bowling line-up strangled the Jets out of the game, with extras being the top-scorer at 17.
Three Yenda players did make it into double figures but the Jets still finished at 73 all out.
The wickets were largely shared between the eight bowlers used by Nomads, with Andre Noack (2-5) and Sam Casey (2-13) the multiples.
Despite needing just under two runs an over for the win, Coleambally set about ending the game early with Bernie Cullen (35) and Jacob Breed (18) putting on 59 for the first wicket to all-but-seal the win for their side.