Riding high after moving into second spot on the ladder last week, Delatite were keen to consolidate that position with a win over fourth-placed Ovens. Sent into bat, Delatite made a solid start, scoring freely on yet another excellent wicket at Lords. The top order all contributed runs, however opener and skipper Nathan Goodes was the only one to convert a start into a good score. Goodes top scored with 77, controlling the innings and playing a supporting role for his teammates. When Goodes finally fell with a couple of overs to go, the run rate slowed somewhat, but the team felt like 174 was a more than competitive total. The defence started poorly due to a combination of some loose bowling, a crucial dropped catch and some good batting and after just eight overs the score was already on 52 without loss. Lochie Pymer then came into the attack and struck immediately. Pymer and Sam Bell bowling from the other end were able to put the brakes on the Ovens innings for a while, but the damage was done. Delatite were unable to make further inroads into the Ovens batting order, despite their best efforts. Oven’s president Tom Chettleburgh made a classy unbeaten hundred to guide his side to victory with three overs to spare. It was a very disappointing loss, which shows that Delatite cannot afford to be performing at anything below their best, given the evenness of the competition. Delatite takes on ladder leaders Yarrawonga next week on their home deck, in a must-win game with only two fixture to go until the finals.
