Centrals have recorded an emphatic five-run win over an undermanned Kinross on a tricky Wade Park pitch on Saturday.
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Missing a lot of batting power, including notable absences of Kyle Smith, Charlie Greer and Max Powell, Kinross were left reeling at 5-15, having been sent in after a few hours of rain in the morning.
Skipper Daryl Kennewell (3-9 off four), Dan Sanford (2-18 off eight) and Jye Barrow (3-21 off eight) made the most of sending Kinross in.
Openers Gus Cumming and Steve Geyer saw Kinross to 10, but they then lost an incredible 5-5, leaving number three bat Tom Geyer (48) with Cam Rasmussen (25).
The pair put on an 81-run stand which was the backbone of the Kinross innings, blunting the attack for more than 10 overs.
However, it couldn’t last, as Barrow burst through Geyer’s defences just before his milestone to rattle his stumps.
Rasmussen fell the next over, caught and bowled to Charlie Mortimer (2-9 off four), and the tail offered no resistance as Kinross lost their last five wickets for the addition of just the one run, leaving their final total at 97.
Centrals got off to a shaky start, losing Dean Turner first ball and Kurt Gander in the third over as Fletcher Rose did damage early.
Nick Dunlop and the returning Jack Dodds stuck it out until the bowling change, where life suddenly became much easier.
Dunlop made batting look easy on a deck that had troubled most during the day’s play, hitting drives and pull shots through the leg side with ease.
He was eventually dismissed for 48, popping a Tom Geyer long-hop to square leg, but by then the work was done and Centrals pulled past Kinross’ total in just the 19th over.
Centrals skipper Daryl Kennewell was happy with the win – “especially chasing it down in under 20 overs” – but was annoyed Rasmussen and Geyer’s partnership slipped away from them.
“We didn’t stick to the plan the whole time … we dropped off thinking we’d take the last few wickets pretty quickly,” he said.
“It was a good toss to win, there was a bit of rain on the deck and it was moving around off the seam.”