By JOE KELLEHER DELATITE hosted the Wangaratta Magpies at the stunning Lord’s oval. Having been prepared immaculately all season, nothing changed and neither teams was left disappointed in what turned out to be an evenly contested match between bat and ball. This was a very important match for both teams as a win guaranteed spot in the semi-final. Delatite left no stone unturned in preparation for the match and got off to an ideal start when captain Joe Kelleher won the toss and elected to bat first on what looked like a very good batting deck. The openers got themselves off to a flyer with Nick Ferguson making 43 runs off just 44 bowls along with his partner Mark O’Loughlan who has been in incredible form this whole year, boy did he keep his run of form going with an innings that finished 107 not out. It was an absolutely stunning performance and his range of shots to all over the ground was a batting clinic for anyone watching. With plenty of two and threes taken on a slow outfield, communication was key in this impressive display and Mark simply didn’t let up. Well done mate. The rest of the top order was similarly impressive with Nathan Goodes hitting a powerhouse 51 runs, Richy Philip came in early at four to have a bit of a hit out and move the score along nicely, making a rapid 18 off just 13 balls faced. This put Delatite into a commanding position having posted a mammoth total of 265 runs. The monumental task became exponentially more difficult with the loss of early wickets from Joe Kelleher and Nick Hoskin. Delatite remained in control for the entire of the run chase and the visitors never really looked like they would threaten such a large total. Nick Hoskin bowled well on his way to a further two wickets. Lochie Pymer came on and bowled incredibly taking four wickets for just twelve runs. Max O’Loughlan came on and finished the match by claiming the last wicket. The Magpies fell short by 156 runs and Delatite sent a message to the rest of the sides left in the competition. The match proved to be a huge win for the club and the players will be full of confidence going into the finals. Delatite will visit Yarrawonga next week in the semi-final.
