Corowa delivered a complete performance at Ball Park on Saturday, dismantling Tallangatta to secure a comprehensive five-wicket victory in their A Grade clash.
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After winning the toss and electing to bat, Tallangatta found themselves under immediate pressure against a disciplined Corowa attack, ultimately being bowled out for 165 in 47.5 overs.
Opening bowlers Eli Lavis and Blake Elliott applied the clamps from the opening over.
Lavis struck the first major blow in the eighth over, bowling Tallangatta’s dangerous opener Isaac Willett (17) just as he was beginning to find the boundary.
While Phil Neville fought hard for the visitors with a patient top-order contribution, Corowa’s bowling unit refused to yield control.
Joe Lavis provided the breakthrough in the 18th over, cleaning up Kyle Winter-Irving (0), before spinner Nick Oliver struck in the very next over, stumping Neville off captain Ben Fulford’s slick glovework.
Corowa’s spin ensemble of Oliver, Callum Langlands and Tyler Abley continued to turn the screw through the middle overs, restricting boundaries and picking up timely wickets.
Langlands removed John Dove (11), caught by Fulford, while Abley dismissed Beau Nicklin (19) to break a key partnership and keep Tallangatta on the back foot.
When Tallangatta threatened a late lower-order fightback through Zac Winter-Irving (27), Blake Elliott returned to break the stand, claiming two vital dismissals.
Eli Lavis returned to polish off the tail in dramatic fashion in the 48th over, taking three wickets in four balls to have Tallangatta all out for 165.
Chasing 166 for victory, Corowa endured a rocky start as Tallangatta paceman Bailey Wyatt struck twice early, removing Blake Keenes (1) and running out Jarred Lane (1).
Joe Lavis quickly counter-attacked, smashing seven boundaries in a lively 36 off 37 balls to wrest back momentum before falling to John Dove.
His departure brought Reid McNamara to the crease alongside skipper Ben Fulford, sparking a match-defining partnership.
McNamara’s strokeplay was the highlight of the afternoon, featuring five crisp boundaries and two colossal sixes, as he registered his maiden half-century for the club.
At the other end, captain Ben Fulford delivered a masterclass in pacing a run chase, holding the innings together with a composed unbeaten 58 off 82 balls, including six boundaries.
By the time McNamara departed in the 34th over, the damage was done, and Corowa officially sealed the win on a wide in the 35th over, finishing with 5/167.
B Grade
A masterpiece with the bat from opener Jeremy Carr propelled Corowa B Grade to a crushing victory over Tallangatta at Rowen Park, cementing a dominant day out on the road.
Winning the toss on a promising surface, Corowa captain Kade Wilson had no hesitation in opting to bat first and the team piled on 4/261 from their 45 overs.
The backbone of the visitors’ record total was a 183-run partnership between Carr and middle-order anchor Michal Drew, taking the match away from the home side.
Carr was the star of the afternoon, carving 132 off 141 deliveries, featuring 19 boundaries and a towering six that had the Rowen Park faithful searching for the ball.
Faced with a daunting chase of nearly six runs an over, Tallangatta’s response sputtered from the start against a disciplined Corowa attack.
Jay Lavis tore through the upper order in a lethal opening spell, finishing with match-winning figures of 3/17 from six tight overs.
Harry Norman led the mid-innings squeeze with an economical 2/15 off seven overs, while Nick Grant (2/29 off nine overs) and all-rounder Nathan Rhodes (2/30 off six overs) ensured the pressure never relented.
Tallangatta was ultimately bundled out for 121 in the 35th over, handing Corowa a resounding 140-run victory.
C Grade (Division 1)
Corowa C Grade (Division 1) cruised to victory away against Wodonga Raiders.
Coming together at 2/17, opener Silva (55 not out off 58 balls) and Shipard (50 not out off 47 balls) powered the side to its second big win from two starts.
Silva was ruthless through the covers, hitting the ball low and fast to give the fielders no chance, while Shipard went aerial through mid-off and mid-wicket, hitting 11 and eight fours respectively.
The target of 127 was reached before the halfway point of the 20-over mark, giving the side an early finish after an earlier tidy bowling performance.
The unbeaten innings sees vice-captain Silva averaging 79 after two innings, while Shipard remains unbeaten for the season.
Danny Osborne backed up his three-wicket haul in the opening round with another three wickets for three runs (3/3), while junior leg-spinner Archie Rhodes (3/0) was even more ruthless.
Shipard put his hand up for the all-rounder’s yellow jersey with 2/4 from three overs of bouncy off-spin, and also claimed the catch of the day, picking up a pull shot off the grass at mid-wicket to give Osborne and the side their first wicket.
It was a big eight-wicket win, with the side back at South Corowa this week.
C Grade (Division 2)
C2’s premiership heroes returned to Morris Park for their first training run just five minutes before the first game, with Closter again running the show.
Raggett took the toss and the boys were sent in to bowl by North Albury.
Ty brought his cousin along to open the bowling, while Big G Cork was back in C Grade after a 15-year hiatus.
Raggett bowled decently in a rusty-looking outfit, and the Barber boys bowled well at the death, but 225 in 40 overs was always going to be a difficult chase.
Closter made the bold decision to let young gun Rhylee Barber open the batting, and it proved to be a masterstroke as the young superstar brought up his maiden century in the 30th over, carrying his bat for a brilliant 105 not out off just 94 balls.
Bringing up the milestone with younger brother Jacko at the non-striker’s end made it all the more special as a proud mum and dad watched on.
He was supported well by Jono Perry (41) and Jacko Barber (29), before Alex Lavis smacked a quick 38 off 12 balls to finish the game.
Under 16s Black
A Friday night blockbuster at Ball Park saw Corowa Under 16s Black pull off a nail-biting victory over Albury.
Harry Norman and his side were sent into the field, and the Corowa bowling attack produced a disciplined, team-wide effort to restrict Albury to 7/90 from 20 overs.
Gus Marek set the tone early, picking up 1/11 off his three overs, and Jagger Doody matched it with 1/11.
Baxter McLeod chimed in late overs, taking 1/10 off two overs, backed up by wicketkeeper Abe Spencer, who claimed two stumpings, and Norman returned figures of 2/10 off three overs.
Chasing 91 for victory, Darcy Hargreaves provided early stability with a gritty 11 off 19 balls, before skipper Harry Norman and Callan Corcoran anchored the middle order with crucial, high-quality knocks.
Norman struck a fluent 33 off 31 balls, including four boundaries, while Corcoran showed patience to compile 31 off 41 balls, with two boundaries.
Albury fought back late, snatching key wickets to set up a tense finish and Corowa needed cool heads under pressure for the final over.
Jake Witherden emerged as the match-winner, striking a three off the second-last ball and guiding Corowa to 7/91 in a heart-stopping victory with just one ball to spare.
Under 16s Blue
Under 16s Blue travelled to Thurgoona to kick-start their season with a win over North Albury on Friday night.
Winning the toss, captain Lachie chose to field first, looking to exploit a patchy synthetic wicket.
Opening spells from Ollie Matthews and Lachie Douglas had the ball exploding off the seam in all directions, Lachie finishing his spell with a tidy 2/11.
Excellent bowling from Tyler Mullavey (1/3), Ollie McLellan (1/13) and Nathias Price (2/3), combined with superb fielding restricted North Albury to 8/70 from 20 overs.
Tyler Mullavey took the tough option of facing North Albury’s quick opener and managed to hold out for the first six overs, allowing the boys coming in to pick up the pace.
A patient 34-run stand between Jacko Barber and Lachie ended with Jacko unlucky to be run out for 21.
Early patience had left the boys below the required run rate, and attempts by Archie and Finley to pick up the pace fell short.
Nathias and his monster bat creamed three fours to bring the team back into the game, only to be cut short by an ugly full toss.
Jake Rhodes and Ollie Matthews took on the task of guiding the team towards the target, and Ollie hit the winning runs with a beautiful cut shot and 1.5 overs to spare.
Under 14s
The Under 14 Division 1 side opened its season at home at Morris Park against East Albury.
Captain Tyler Mullavey and vice-captain Jake Rhodes opened the batting, with Jake producing an impressive innings of 32 runs from 47 balls to finish unbeaten as the team’s highest scorer.
With the ball, Hugh Hicks and Jake each claimed two wickets, while Oliver Williams and Jack Timms contributed one wicket apiece as the side worked hard to put pressure on the opposition.
The boys continued to battle in the field, refusing to make the contest an easy win for East Albury.
While they were unable to secure the win, the performance provided plenty of positives to build on.
Under 12s Division 1
The season opener delivered drama and determination as the team successfully chased down Wodonga’s 33 runs to begin the year on a strong note.
Bowling first, Corowa produced an excellent collective effort, keeping Wodonga under pressure from the outset.
Tasley Peper delivered a superb spell to claim three wickets, with the fielders backing her brilliantly to restrict the opposition’s run tally.
The run chase didn’t begin smoothly, with early wickets falling, however, Tex Rhodas played a crucial anchoring role, batting with patience and composure.
Tas Peper continued her outstanding day, helping push the score towards their target, and Tumma Murray added valuable runs before being controversially given out in what appeared to be a no-ball incident.
The match showcased the team’s resilience, leadership and ability to stay composed under pressure.