GMC | Runs rain down as two-day competition returns

Dec 15, 2021

Scoring at Will: Sean Williams’ swashbuckling 84 helped Rochester near 300 on Saturday.

The grand spectacle of two-day cricket graced the Goulburn Murray region on Saturday — and making the scoreboard work overtime like no other was Rochester.

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Electing to bat after winning the toss, Rochester lost opener Cory Jacobs for cheap but soon dug in as Brandon Byrne and Sean Williams began to hit their straps against Leitchville/Gunbower’s attack.

The latter near-on leased the middle for the day, amassing 84 runs in close to three hours at the crease to hand his side the ascendancy.

Whiz: Liam Keath sends down a rocket for Leitchville/Gunbower.

Following his departure, the going got tougher for Leitchville/Gunbower when Dylan Cuttriss decided he’d post a casual 75 to well and truly put Rochester in the driving seat.

Luckily for the travellers, James Keath (5-75) took Rochester’s free-scoring personally and tore through the tail to restrict the hosts to 9-291 from its allotted overs.

At Cooma Recreation Reserve, Taylor Beard took ‘leading by example’ to a different level as the Echuca skipper quarterbacked the Murray Bombers’ destruction of the Two Blues.

What a shot: Rochester’s Dylan Cuttriss pulls over square leg.

Echuca waned with bat in hand, and if not for Beard’s knock of 63 at six the side would not have ventured close to its final total of 144.

Sam Langley starred for Cooma with a five-for.

Assigned the task of defending a below-par score, Beard shouldered the bowling load as he dragged Echuca back into contention with a fizzing five-wicket haul and leaves his side with one scalp to collect next week for victory as Cooma slumped to 9-72 at the end of the day’s play.

Star of the show: James Keath rallied with five wickets for Leitchville/Gunbower.

Conversely, Echuca South has a mountain of work to do with ball in hand this Saturday if it is to take home the points following a miserly first innings effort.

Sent into bat by Bamawm-Lockington United, the Swans’ tepid start was temporarily saved by Mitchell McMullan (36), but a middle-order flop sealed South’s fate as it was bowled out for 115.

BLU was best served by Cody Thompson, who collected 3-25 off his 15 overs.

And across the border, the match between Moama and Nondies Cohuna is held in the balance with the former sitting at 1-51.

To win, the combine must chase down a target of 197 set by Moama as first drop Jack Russell (42) put in a dogged effort to have his side within touching distance of the 200 mark.