Last weekend's cricket

Southern Cricket Association
Round 16
Derwent Valley matches

FIFTH GRADE - Sunday
With some great individual efforts from its players, Molesworth II continued on its merry way with an excellent 148-run win over Bagdad at Bagdad. The visitors won the toss and had first hit, making the good score of 10 for 227 off 41 overs. This was due to some very good batting from Jack Evans who knocked up a very good 54 including eight well-struck fours. Batting at number nine, Chris Slater showed his experience making an even 50. He found the boundary three times and hit over it with four sixes. Jye County hit four 4s on his way to 39 while captain Jackson Mann made 29 with three 4s. In reply Bagdad had no answer to the excellent bowling from  Jye County who sent down eight overs to finish with 6-30. County continues to shine with both bat and ball looks to be the x- factor come finals time in a few weeks. Aaron Triffitt chipped in with 2-22 off 6 while Jack Evans capped off a great day getting 1-0 off just two balls. Molesworth is now outright second on the Fifth Grade ladder and just three points off top spot. A win over third-placed Knights this weekend could well see them take that spot.

FOURTH GRADE - Sunday
In a very close affair, New Norfolk II went down to Montagu Bay by two wickets in a 48-over match. The Red Caps had first hit, making 10 for 133. Captain Josh Walsh led the way with a patient 31. Opener and birthday boy Aaron Drew made a solid 25 and Trent Mayne scored a confident 18.
With just five balls remaining and two wickets in hand (technically one wicket as one player had left for work) Montagu Bay secured the win.  The Red Cap bowlers did very well in the bid to defend their total. Spinner Nathon Heron landed the ball well, picking up 2-23 from his 10 overs while Aaron Drew swung the ball claiming 2-30 from 10. Josh Walsh picked up two early wickets finishing with 2-34 from 10 overs. Mitchell Rice took 1-20 off 6 overs. A highlight of the match was the debut of Under 15 players Jye Bearman who got an awesome direct hit run-out which really pumped up the team. Nice work!

THIRD GRADE - Saturday

The Bushy Park v St Annes at Cadburys match and the Gretna v DOSA game at Shoobridge Park were both washed out. 

SECOND GRADE - Saturday
Molesworth I climbed onto second spot on the ladder on percentage by defeating St Aidans by 51 runs at Boyer Oval. In a reduced 37-over match due to rain, the visitors won the toss and sent Molesworth into bat for the good score of 3 for 172. This was due to a great captain's knock of 88 from Brad Coppleman. This talented cricketer has an average of nearly 50 runs and has scored 696 runs so far this season. Jake King made 30 with two good sixes while Nathan Eiszele remained 19 not out and Jamie Adams made 17. In reply St Aidans just couldn't take it up to the home team and was bowled out for 121 off 32 overs. Youngster Josh Ransley bowled extremely well taking 4-13 off 6 overs in a great spell of bowling. After his match high 88 with the bat, Brad Coppleman took 3-16 from 4 overs to cap off a great day. Brayden Hodge 1-13 (7) and Dean King 1-26 (7) also did very well with the ball.

In a reduced 43-over match and the only other Second Grade match played last weekend, Gretna I went down to Old Beach by 66 runs at Gretna. The visitors won the toss and had first hit making the very good score of 8 for 232. Gretna used eight bowlers with youngster Daniel Browning taking 3-33 from three overs while a wicket each went to Tom Gregson 1-22 (1), Mathew Burns 1-25 (9), Craig Cunningham 1-27 (9), Ben Rainbird 1-27 (3) and Aaron Maddox 1-29 (7). In reply Gretna just couldn't find the knockout blow and was bowled out for 166 off 38.5 overs. Captain Ben Rainbird got his team off to a good start with a well made 42 (3x4s, 3x6s). Rainbird was well supported by Rhys Browning with 30 (1x6, 1x4). Todd Jarvis made 23 and Craig Cunningham 10 but it just wasn't to be. Gretna has slipped out of the top 5 on the ladder by just three points with the winning side Old Beach taking its place.

FIRST GRADE - Saturday
The match between New Norfolk I and St Aidan's at North Warrane was a washout.