Sport
30 January, 2023
Laane take points, but Crows hold steady
LAANECOORIE DUNOLLY 4/225 def BEAUFORT 101 and 5/103 While Laanecoorie Dunolly took first innings points as expected against Beaufort on Saturday, the Crows’ fight ensured that they wouldn’t suffer an outright defeat for the second game in...
LAANECOORIE DUNOLLY 4/225 def BEAUFORT 101 and 5/103
While Laanecoorie Dunolly took first innings points as expected against Beaufort on Saturday, the Crows’ fight ensured that they wouldn’t suffer an outright defeat for the second game in succession.
All results were on the agenda as day two began with Laane sitting just nine runs behind Beaufort’s 101 with six wickets in hand, with Samit Gohil on 17 and Matt Smith scoreless.
But in a devastating display to open the afternoon, both Gohil and Smith threw caution to the wind, swinging at everything the Crows’ bowlers were throwing at them.
On an incredible day of run-scoring, Gohil scored his second century of the season, finishing not out on 101, while Smith also brought up his first 50 of the season, with Laane declaring shortly afterwards on 4/225.
The incredible display of shot-making meant that Beaufort’s bowling attack had returned some expensive numbers, with Blake Jantzen finishing as their best bowler with figures of 2/36 off five overs.
It meant that Laane had sent Beaufort back in with 60 overs remaining in the day, with the Crows needing 124 to make Laane bat again.
Realistically, however, their innings was all about preventing Laane from taking all 10 wickets, and the Crows were able to make the perfect start through Kriss Ellis and Nicholas Cushing, who would put on 33 runs for the first wicket in their most encouraging top-order performance of the season so far.
Ellis was the first to fall on 23 when he holed out to Daniel Romeo, with Gohil adding to his batting masterclass with the opening wicket.
Gohil’s bowling would soon reignite the Laane challenge, getting his second wicket when Jantzen was caught by Tom Hannett for two, leaving Beaufort precariously placed on 2/35.
However, as has been the case for much of the season, Lachlan Oddie stood up for the Crows when they needed him most. He would soon join Cushing at the crease, with both batsmen putting on 25 for the third wicket.
It was Gohil again who made a discernable impact when he was tasked with breaking up the partnership, doing so to Cushing for 25 in what was a carbon copy of Jantzen’s wicket, with Hannett taking his second catch.
When Benjamin Gunn got in on the act and trapped Charlie Dyer LBW for a duck, the game was on again with the Crows sitting on 4/62.
Gohil’s fourth wicket saw Romeo catch Ben Woolidge out, with the Crows 5/66.
However, that was the end of the Laane challenge, with Oddie (25 not out) and Benjamin Grant (16 not out) seeing out the remaining overs in what was a brave, but importantly, competitive, outing for the Crows.
Beaufort will now sit out the next two weeks with the bye, while Laane will now look to add to their undefeated run when they take on Clunes at Bull Millgate Oval.