Far South Coast cricketers have starred in the South East’s Burns Cup triumph, securing back to back titles for the first time.
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After claiming their maiden Burns Cup last year, the South East side dominated the two-day carnival.
Held in Cooma for the first time, the carnival saw the best cricketers in southern NSW converge on the Snowy Mountains town.
Six Far South Coast players combined with Monaro cricketers as part of the South East side who knocked over South Coast in a hard-fought final.
South East posted 227 batting first with wicket keeper/batsman James Heafield the best of the Far South Coast players compiling 33.
South Coast would have fancied their chances in the decider after cheaply dismissing star Tathra batsman Adam Blacka. Monaro opening bat, Dale Cook, played a match-defining innings of 61.
South East bowlers struck at regular intervals as Nick Mason from South Eurobodalla and Merimbula’s Dylan Jordan took three wickets apiece.
With the match in the balance come drinks, South East struck quickly to leave South Coast facing the difficult proposition of hitting 60 runs in the final 10 overs with only two wickets in hand.
Some late hitting from South Coast’s number 10 had the game on a knife’s edge until Jordan claimed the last wicket. A scintillating catch by Berridale’s Laurence Redmond sealed successive titles for the South East.
Local cricketers played a leading role in the opening game of the carnival. Blacka, captain of the side, smacked 156 in the first up victory against Goulburn. After sitting precariously at 5/80, Blacka’s rear-guard innings helped South East post a mammoth 296.
The huge total proved too much for Goulburn with Mason bowling exceptionally well to claim 2/26. Regular wickets stifled the Goulburn run-chase as Merimbula recruit, James Haefield, impressed behind the stumps.
The Far South Coast was represented by Liam Cooper, Matt and James Heafield, Dylan Jordan, Blacka and Mason.
In regular competition play, Tathra’s second side went down to Bermagui last weekend.
This week will see the first true showing of the combined draw with a full five-game draw to run over the weekend.
Tathra’s one side will get a taste of the reforged Merimbula Knights line-up that boasts the Heafield brothers and the return of Jordan at Berrambool Oval.
Meanwhile, their second side will be heading south to the play the Mallacoota team with both games to run from 1pm on Saturday.