Tongala celebrates its first wicket of the Leitchville-Gunbower innings.
Tongala snapped a five-match winless run to ensure it finished the McMahon Shield season with a comfortable 38-run victory over Leitchville-Gunbower.
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The Blues, batting first, got off to a shaky start, with Stephen Townsend (0) dismissed with the final ball of the first over and Ryan Smith (4) following in the fourth over, as Tongala was at one stage 2-5.
A third-wicket partnership of 72 between Adam Nunn and Jayden Tucker not only halted the early onslaught, but suddenly propelled Tongala into a healthy position.
Tongala’s Matt Ohlsen goes close to grabbing a wicket. Photos: Matthew Kappos
Photo by
Matthew Kappos
The duo recorded the two highest scores of the match, with Nunn notching a half-century with 50 off 88 balls, and Tucker going for 34 off 76 balls.
Blake Gibson broke up the partnership when he dismissed Tucker, and Simon Tatt later claimed the wicket of Mitchell Cornwall (8) to leave Tongala 4-105.
Despite having six wickets in hand with 15 overs to bat, the Blues’ middle order struggled, with the dismissals of Darin Ohlsen (3), Nunn, Matt Ohlsen (0), Mackenzie Cowley (6) and Ryley Cowley (0) all occurring within 29 balls and suddenly leaving Tongala 9-118.
Leitchville-Gunbower’s Scott Lucas cuts.
Photo by
Matthew Kappos
Jye Keath struck twice in the 38th over, finishing with figures of 3-32, which led the L-G attack.
But an unlikely 35-run partnership between tail-enders Lachlan Caldwell (17 not out) and Tom Holman (18) resurrected the innings, as the duo chipped away to set a total of 154 to chase.
Tongala broke through early, with Ryley Cowley striking in the second over with the dismissal of Tyler Jones (7), and the rest of the L-G wickets fell in stages.
Tongala’s Ryley Cowley is pumped up after dismissing Tyler Jones with a caught-and-bowled.
Photo by
Matthew Kappos
Scott Lucas (12), Luke Sanderson (10), and Nicholas Horman (3) were all dismissed between the 9th and 12th overs to leave the visitors 4-34.
After a promising fifth-wicket partnership between Jasper Hare (23) and Simon Tatt (15), a trio of wickets would fall in quick succession again, as the duo and James Keath (0) were all dismissed.
Matt Ohlsen resets at the top of his mark.
Photo by
Matthew Kappos
The 25th over, bowled by Darin Ohlsen, was a two-wicket maiden, and Hare and Keath were dismissed consecutively with the fourth and fifth deliveries.
By the time Jason (10) and Jye Keath (0) were dismissed, leaving L-G 9-91, it still required 63 runs to win with only one wicket in hand.
Tail-enders Dallas Price (9) and Blake Gibson (23 not out) did their best to pull off an improbable victory by combining for 24, but it only delayed the inevitable.
Leitchville-Gunbower’s Luke Sanderson turns for two.
Photo by
Matthew Kappos
Ryley Cowley struck again with the final ball of the 36th over to secure match-best figures of 5-36, as Tongala dismissed the visitors for 115 in one of its better bowling displays of the season.
The victory ensured the Blues finished seventh on the McMahon Shield table with four wins, above their opponents, who finished eighth with three wins.
Tyler Jones slashes to backward point.
Photo by
Matthew Kappos
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