Gutsy showing from blue and gold

By ANDREW COOK AFTER missing the previous round due to a league-wide washout, Mansfield’s Blue and Gold U12 teams nervously waited for the 7am pitch report in Benalla on Saturday to determine if they would be playing side-by-side against Yarrawonga Mulwala’s Rams and Lakers. Fortunately, the forecasted overnight rain never eventuated and both games got underway at the scheduled time. Blue lost the toss against the Rams and were sent in, brothers Noah and Xavier Heaysman stepping up to face the best of the Rams’ pace attack. After both were caught off mis-timed shots and Number four Alex Craddock was run-out by a bad call from his partner, Ethan Jones and Molly O’Meara stuck it out and helped Blue reach drinks at 3/30. After their retirements scoring remained slow against a bowling attack with few weaknesses. When Jones returned to the crease with a handful of overs to go his frenetic calling and running between the wickets powered Blue to make 15 off the last two overs, reaching a creditable 7/65. Despite Blue’s bowlers delivering some of their tightest bowling for the season, they were unable to break through the top order of the Rams, who defended every good ball while punishing any bad ones. At Drinks the result was beyond doubt, with the Rams reaching 58 with three retirements. A late wicket to Levi Tojner meant Blue’s bowling efforts were not totally unrewarded, and slower scoring in the second half of the innings meant the Rams failed to reach three figures, ending on 1/99. On the adjacent oval Gold won the toss and sent in the Lakers, a good decision on a wet outfield that helped to reduce the scoring impact of the Laker’s in-form top order. Gold took three wickets in the first 10 overs, but the Lakers still reached drinks with more than 60 runs on the board. While Gold continued to bowl well in the second half of the innings, they went unrewarded, and the Lakers finished on 3/90. Wayward bowling by the Lakers helped keep Gold’s score ticking over, however all but opener Alex Manning struggled to score off the bat. While three of Gold’s top order lost their wickets early, the excellent defense of the lower order ensured that Gold saw out their twenty overs and reached a total of 5/52. Gold and Blue play in the second Delatite Derby next Saturday, for many in both teams this will be an early Christmas present as they get their first ever chance to play on a turf wicket.

Gutsy showing from blue and gold

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