Sport
23 October, 2023
Brilliant Beaufort end losing streak off the back of superb weekend from Lachlan Oddie
Not since February 19, 2022, had Beaufort enjoyed the sensation of winning in the Maryborough District Cricket Association (MDCA) A grade competition. However, after a stunning weekend of cricket, the Crows were able to enjoy a double dose of...
Not since February 19, 2022, had Beaufort enjoyed the sensation of winning in the Maryborough District Cricket Association (MDCA) A grade competition.
However, after a stunning weekend of cricket, the Crows were able to enjoy a double dose of victories against Colts Phelans, both in the longer one-day format on Saturday, as well as the shorter T20 format on Sunday.
It was a weekend, in particular, that belonged to Beaufort’s talisman, Lachlan Oddie, who tallied up 176 runs, including an incredible Sunday century — the first ever in the T20 competition — helping the Crows break through.
Beaufort’s Saturday success wasn’t any pushover, either, chasing down a total of 181 to get the job done.
Captain Ben Woolidge was relieved to be able to enjoy the winning feeling again.
“It’s unreal. It was an awesome weekend for the club and for us as a group to come together and see things finally starting to click. It’s been a long time — February 2022 was the last time we ended up winning a game in A grade, so it means a lot to us,” he said.
Being at the other end when Oddie made his century is something that Woolidge will cherish for a long time, with the knock Beaufort’s first MDCA A grade 100 since 2010, with Matthew Johnson achieving the feat — also, incidentally, against Colts Phelans.
“Everything came together. Lachlan Oddie was a standout this weekend, scoring 75 on Saturday and then 101 in a T20, you couldn’t ask much more of him, and it makes it a lot easier when you have players. Shannon Brown and Jack Smith also chipped in heavily this weekend, and they got around one another,” he said.
“I had the privilege of being out there with Oddie to keep him on strike and help him get to 100. I won’t forget that for a long time. When you understand the effort he puts in, he’s so deserving of it.
“He’s Beaufort’s heart and soul — it’s great to see him make runs and people will notice it. I feel he is a bit underrated.”
Smith and fellow English recruit Joe Kingsbury have added to Beaufort’s mix, particularly with the ball, as well as the Crows’ middle order, according to Woolidge.
“Having Jack Smith and Joe Kingsbury in gives us a lot more flexibility,” he said.
“Jack was meant to be here as a bowler, but he’s going well with the bat, so I gave him a bit of a challenge and he stood up by giving us runs where it was needed, as well as tying up an end.
“He looked great with Oddie, putting together a big partnership. It was crucial to getting the job done.”
Woolidge admitted that he always felt the chase of 182 on Saturday was a feasible exercise, and was thrilled to be proven right.
“To be honest, we knew we had the chase of 182 in us if everything clicked. We do have the batters to do it,” he said.
“You can’t take anything away from Colts either — they bowled really well. We just managed to get on top and put away some loose balls, which is something we’ve struggled with a bit in the past, and we were able to capitalise and put some runs on the board.”
“We were fortunate enough to win the toss on Sunday and I wanted to bat first to try keep the momentum going. Everything went our way. Colts aren’t an easy team to beat by all means, they’re a quality club. You look at someone like Rhys Wagstaff who made 100 on Saturday, he’s a great player.”
Sunday also gave Woolidge the opportunity to give the Grant family a special moment, with wicketkeeper Craig joined by sons Ben and Thomas on the field to make it a special day all-round for the club.
“Young Ben and Tommy are awesome cricketers. Ben is not out of place for a 15-year-old as someone bowling to grown men. If you give him a couple of years, he will get quicker and cause some real problems for a lot of batsmen. It’s very exciting for the club in the future,” he said.
For now though, Woolidge won’t dwell on the result, saying there’s still plenty of work to be done, starting with a home game against Maryborough next week.
“At the end of the day, you still have to win games. To get the job done and get it done convincingly on both days is where we want to be. We’re excited, and looking forward to the rest of the season,” he said.