BENDING HIS BACK: Yenda’s Scott Wade looks to get some shape on the ball at Ted Scobie Oval.
A STUNNING all-round display by Diggers' Mark Favell has propelled his side to a commanding 149-run win against Leagues Club Panthers at Beelbangera on Saturday.
Favell all but won the game for his side on his own after notching up a better than run a ball century before taking 5-29 in one of the best individual performances seen in Griffith cricket for many years.
Batting first, Favell with Graeme Lyons (32) set up their side with an excellent 88-run opening stand, signalling a long afternoon in the field for the Panthers.
While Favell, who scored 122 off 107 balls with 13 boundaries and four sixes, was the spine of Diggers' innings he received help from Mick Duncan (37) and Brian Corner (32) as the run-rate continue to rattle along at better than a run a ball.
Panthers fought back late through Ben Boland (3-26) but by then the damage had been done as Diggers set their opponents the nearly impossible total of 284 for victory.
Batting with a young top-order, Don Hassan attempted to give his side a stable platform to launch from, and while his 35 off 34 was impressive, Diggers' showed little mercy with the ball.
Brian Corner (2-16) started the rot, but the Panthers' middle-order did well to take their team's total to 7-126, but the introduction of Favell saw Diggers run out deserving winners.
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A four-wicket haul by Cameron Harrison has helped set up Exies for victory in their low-scoring match against Coleambally on Saturday.
Harrison's effort with the ball saw only two Nomad batsmen make it into double figures, with only Michael Hodgson (27) and Bernie Cullen (28) able to make any inroads with the bat.
As a result of Exies' disciplined bowling effort, with AJ Tull also excelling with 3-21 off eight with three maidens, the Griffith side only needed 90 for the victory.
However, Coleambally planned to not make it easy for Exies and Andrew Noack claimed the first wicket in just the second over.
But steady innings from Glen Bock (21) and others at the top of the order was enough to see them home by three wickets, with Craig Mark the pick of the Coleambally bowlers with 3-11.
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Ball ruled the day in Hanwood's 49-run win against Yenda on Saturday, with neither side possessing a batsmen with a score of more than 20, with extras being the top score in each innings.
Despite the men with the willow failing to fire, the tight contest featured plenty of twists as Hanwood batted first and looked set for a handy score at 2-43 but a fightback by Yenda through the middle order saw them restricted to 123 from 38 overs work.
In their run-chase, Yenda got off to a shocking start with the side falling to 2-2 by the end of the third over and they failed to recover as Hanwood's bowlers turned the screws to earn their side the win.
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In the final game of the round, Coro shot down the Yenda Spitfires to the tune of 110 runs, with a consistent effort with the bat by the Cougars proving the difference.
Winning the toss and batting first, Coro soon found itself in trouble as Yenda's Gary Argus (4-16) began his excellent individual day as he reduced the Cougars to 3-39.
But handy runs from Garry Henderson (20), Jamie Bennett (25), Dion Pascoe (30) and Scott Smith (45) put their side back track as they finished with the very healthy 194.
Coro's John Witherspoon and Kieran Hume made sure the Spitfires run-chase never got out of first gear as the pair combined to take 6-45 off 14 overs, with only Argus' 33 and John Ritorto's 18, proving stumbling blocks for the Cougars as Yenda was bowled out for 84.