Orange CYMS has sent off Kelly’s Rugby Hotel in style with a first-innings win at Wade Park thanks to some Eddie Wright magic, but ran out of time to claim an outright victory as Centrals’ last two wickets hung on.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
CYMS took first innings points quickly on day of the clash,as Centrals only added four more runs to their day one score of 7-76 as Chris Novak and Jarrod Urza cleaned up the tail before being sent in again.
Only one batter – Adam Smith – hit more than 20 in their second dig, with his 38 the bedrock for their innings and the highest score of the game as CYMS scratched their way to 121 from 51 overs, with Mitch Harvey taking a brilliant 6-44 from 16.4 overs.
Skipper Chris Novak said Smith batted “really well” to form a large part of their lead.
We knew we just needed those one or two breakthroughs and we were right back in it.
- CYMS skipper Chris Novak
Centrals gave their target of 152 from 32 overs a red-hot crack as Wes Roweth and Matt Tedeschi put on 57 for the first wicket before Roweth was dismissed in the 11th over for 27.
Tedeschi continued the rage alongside Jack Dodds, and it looked like they were a real chance to chase down the runs.
Well, until Eddie Wright happened.
Wright dismissed Dodds in his fourth over, and then in his fifth dismissed Tedeschi before the fun really started.
In the off-spinner’s sixth over, he had Mitch Harvey LBW for three and Ben Windslade caught next ball. Mitch Stanley kept out the hat-trick ball, only to have his castle knocked over the very next delivery to be on his way as Centrals fell from 1-77 to 6-86.
Chris Novak took two more wickets, but Centrals had dug in as they swung from a position to look for an outright win to staring down an outright loss and skipper Daryl Kennewell and Ed Dodds hung around to see the close of play with the score at 8-114, 38 runs behind the target.
Novak said there was a bit of worry about Roweth and Tedeschi hitting out against CYMS’ aggressive fields, but said he knew control of the game was never far away.
“We knew we just needed those one or two breakthroughs and we were right back in it,” he said.
“[Wright] bowled really, really well and he put us right back in the game.”
Novak gave credit to the Centrals for going out and chasing the target and taking the game on, but said he was proud of his charges – especially the younger ones – for being able to keep their heads up and stay in the game.
DO YOU WANT MORE ORANGE SPORT?
- Receive our free newsletters delivered to your inbox, as well as breaking news alerts. Sign up below …