A Grade and B Grade didn’t get a start after all games were called off in the district competition due to the fires. Both teams take on Baranduda this Saturday with A Grade away and B Grade at home in important games for ladder positions.
C Grade – Div 1
Corowa hosted North Albury to open their account for the New Year and the boys wasted little time switching back on.
The boundaries flowed as heavily as the holiday season drinks and after 10 overs Raggett and Kuschert had pushed the score to 0/72. Kuschert fell and then a few overs before drinks father son pair Jase and Lachie Raggett were removed in successive balls, leaving the home side an imposing 3/114 at drinks. Smith fell after drinks which brought Minogue to the crease to join Conroy and the pair expertly picked holes in the North Albury field to put another 50 runs in 10 overs with minimal fuss.
With seven overs remaining and the score at 4/173 it was time to put the foot down, and put the foot down they did as the boys took turns listening the arms and dispatching the leather to all parts of Morris Park before both falling in the last two overs to set a monstrous 6/233.
The target always looked a little large as the bowling unit went to work.
Experienced pair Osbourne and Wallis teaming up with young guns Blain and Kuschert to have the hosts 2/72 at drinks. North Albury refused to throw away their wickets however and the boys had to bowl their full 40 overs, restricting the visitors to 7/171, 62 runs short.
The win sits Corowa in fourth position on the ladder as they prepare an assault on the finals in five weeks’ time, but first they take on Belvoir away as they welcome the return of Closter who looks to correct a post-Christmas form slump.
C Grade – Div 2
A Ryan Beveridge century wasn’t enough as C Grade Division 2 went down off the second last ball in a high scoring clash with Tallangatta at North Street Oval in Albury.
Batting first, Corowa lost two early wickets to be 2 for 21, but some good batting by Will Seymour and Beveridge put Corowa on course for a big total. Seymour raced to 63 hitting 7 boundaries and 3 sixes before he went with the score at 110.
Corowa reached 3 for 128 off 20 overs, but after the drinks break four wickets fell before Beveridge found a willing partner in Scott Wilson and these two took the score to 235 before Wilson was out on the last ball of the innings. Beveridge was superb batting the whole 40 overs and bringing his first senior century in the last over. He hit 7 boundaries and 3 sixes and continues a great season where he has already hit 2 Under 16’s centuries.
In reply Tallangatta made a great start racing to 3 for 137 by the 20 over mark. Joe Hansen was good in his first bowl of the season taking 2 wickets, but Tallangatta appeared to have the chase in hand.
Scott Wilson was able to slow the scoring down and collected 4 wickets to bring Corowa back in the game and when the ninth wicket fell, Tallangatta needed 20 runs with 4 overs to go.
But Corowa couldn’t get the final breakthrough as Tallangatta hit the winning runs on the fifth ball of the last over. This week the side takes on North Albury Gold in Albury.
The club would like to acknowledge our sponsors for this season: A & A Auto, Davidson White Accountants, Waldrons Fresh on River, TH Kitchens & Joinery, Hotel Australia, Dunn’s Twin City Cranes, Kilara Group, Nutrimax, Royal Hotel, Goode Electrical, Corowa Truck & Trailer, Hetherington Plumbing, GenTech Seeds, Landmark, O’Connors, BJ Hanrahan Family Trust, Saunders Spraying, Federation Steel & Corowa RSL Club.