Big boilover: Rochester captain Dylan Cuttriss plays a pull shot in the big win over reigning premier Echuca. Photos: Bruce Povey
Rochester has delivered a shock result in the second round of the McMahon Shield, comfortably chasing down the total set by reigning premier Echuca to claim a four-wicket win.
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Playing at home, Rochy won the toss and elected to bowl, but it was Echuca that made the faster of the two starts in their Goulburn Murray Cricket clash.
Curtis Townrow blasted 33 off 23 balls before he fell to Sean Williams, who claimed Brendan Moyle (10) shortly after to have Echuca 2-48 and bring Rochester back into the contest.
Matthew Hinks (30) and Kobyn James (25) steadied for the reigning premier, but a mini collapse had it lose four wickets for six runs to sit 7-117.
Late contributions from Charlie Hinks (21) and Simon Maddox (22 not out) helped Echuca post a total of 8-169, with Adam Ward (3-21) and Sean Williams (2-15) instrumental in Rochester’s attack with the ball.
With 170 set for victory, the in-form Williams, who posted 112 against Tongala in round one, strode out to open alongside Joel Bunce, although it was a shaky start for the home side.
Send it down: Charlie Hinks was Echuca's best with the ball, claiming three wickets in the loss to Rochester.
Bunce departed for one run and while Williams (23) and captain Dylan Cuttriss (28) were able to dig in and keep the scoreboard ticking over, they were dismissed with Rochester sitting on 62 runs, leaving the side three down.
And when Charlie Hinks dismissed Ward (9) to have the home side in trouble at 4-71, it looked as though Echuca was beginning to get on top.
But Jesse Cuttriss put paid to that with a swashbuckling 46 runs off 47 deliveries, combining well with coach Jake Wright (26 off 20) to ensure Rochester would make it two from two to open the season.
Charlie Hinks was the pick of Echuca’s bowlers, claiming 3-29, while Aidan Young took 1-27 from his seven overs.
While many may not have expected the result, the win will not have come as a shock to first-year Rochester coach Wright, who predicted before the season that his side would be a contender.
“We’ll definitely be trying to push for finals, definitely,” Wright said prior to round one.
“When we have our full side in, I think we are probably the strongest in the league. That’s just if everyone plays in that one week.”
In other matches, Tongala was trounced by Cooma as Jack Norris sliced through the Blues’ order like a hot knife through butter.
Cooma’s spearhead left with ludicrous figures of 6-3 as Tongala slumped to 43 all out, the visiting side chasing the total down with seven wickets remaining.
A flawless showing with the bat handed Moama a commanding victory over Kyabram Fire Brigade at Northern Oval.
After posting 5-298, Moama bowled out Fire Brigade in the 39th over for a 135-run win.
And in other games, Echuca South sailed to an eight-wicket victory over Leitchville-Gunbower, while Bamawm-Lockington United beat Nondies Cohuna by five wickets.
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