Tathra will hold first place heading into division one cricket finals after an outstanding weekend result.
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The Sea Eagles pummeled a weakened Bermagui side for 358 runs at Dickinson Oval on Saturday, dropping just five wickets in the process.
Openers Pete Bennett and Chris Dwyer dominated the run-rate with the visitors passing 240 when Dwyer was caught out for 116 runs.
However, Bennett stayed on at the crease for almost the duration, building to a remarkable 146 run-haul.
Ben O’Reilly was caught out cheaply with just eight runs to his name, while Adam Blacka and Jory Taylor proved handy as batting partners to Bennett, scoring 15 and 32 respectively.
Club president Adam Blacka said he didn’t think the scoreline was a record, but said in the one-day series “there wouldn’t be too many bigger scores posted” in the association’s history.
Rhys Cunningham and Adam Check finished out the 40 overs, scoring five and four respectively as the visitors clocked in 5/358.
Blacka commended Dwyer on breaking through for his first century for the Sea Eagles, falling on his 99th game with the club.
“Chris hit a few good sixes nice and straight early and it just set us up an incredible start,” he said.
“The Bermagui spinners Ben Tett and Liam Cooper really pinned the run rate right back down, but because we were none-down for over 200, we had plenty of men in the shed to go for the fence.”
Despite the Bermagui outfit playing understrength, it stands that the visitors claimed a total run average of 8.95 runs an over.
Nicholas Hoskins was the bowler providing the most resistance against the Tathra onslaught, claiming three wickets for the hosts in a bruising match.
Despite an enormous target to chase, the Bermagui side went in to bat valiantly with John Dedman opening the innings with 22 runs.
Ben Tett and Casey Jack scored eight and four respectively, but the hosts quickly regathered with John Stanford making a good middle order stand.
Stanford scored 40 runs, but unfortunately the tail order provided little resistance against the Tathra bowling attack.
Gavin Stanford scored 11 runs and Jarrod Moore knocked 10-not-out, but the hosts couldn’t hope to close the scoring gap.
The hosts finished all-out for 128 in the 28th over.
Adam Blacka, Adam Check and Braiden McIntosh shared the bowling honours, each claiming two wickets.
The president said his goal now would be to consolidate his first division side for a strong run into the finals.
“We're hoping to get our main team together for the last three weeks, we’ve been struggling a little with our B grade side numbers in their draw.”
“I’ve had to share a few of my younger A graders so they can get a game together, but we want to shore up our A side into the finals and know our roles.”
Blacka said in spite of the result he had a lot of praise for the Bermagui and Pambula rosters.
“The competition has been getting quieter, but teams like Bermagui and Pambula aren’t giving up, they stick it out to the end,” he said.
“These guys in these clubs are the ones that should be getting more support.”
He said some teams were running riot in the division two competition at the moment and encouraged them to step into the top grade and have a go.
Bermagui made the shift up from the B grade competition and stunned many last year, holding the top spot for almost half a season, but cricket pundits said the squad had unfortunately lost a number of players this year.
“We should recognise these teams that maybe don’t have the X factor players who can turn around and win a game, but they’re sticking in at the top level,” he said.
He said first division play wasn’t as daunting as some would lead you to believe, particularly noting the competition didn’t have as quick a bowlers as it used to.
“Some people say they don’t want to face that A grade pace, but we don’t have the quicks we used to.”
Blacka urged some of the front-running second division sides to step into the top grade next year and grow the competition.
Saturday, the Sea Eagles will host the Eden first division cricket side at Lawrence Park, while Bermagui will head to Merimbula to meet the Knights