Corowa A Grade side was hungry to make a statement against a Wodonga Raiders side that were arguably playing for their season.
After winning the toss, captain Ben Mitchell asked Wodonga to bat first and after a few lovely shots by Raiders opener Kane Hawkins the dynamic skipper was starting to question the game plan.
The score had moved to 35 without loss when Jarryd Hatton stamped his authority on the game with a short ball that was too quick for Hawkins who could only manage to hit it straight up in the air for a simple catch to Matthew Wilson.
That wicket got the ball rolling for the visitors who took wickets at regular intervals to break the back of the Raiders.
Sixteen-year-old Chiltern product Chad Brookes showed fight with only he and Kane Hawkins reaching double figures.
Wodonga Raiders were eventually being bowled out for 99 in the 32nd over.
The fast-bowling cartel did the damage for Corowa with Nick Grant taking 3/24 and Jarryd Hatton taking 3/13 respectively.
They were supported well by the work horses Mark Athanitis (1/20) and Ben Mitchell (2/19).
After a few pizza shapes and egg and lettuce sandwiches it was Corowa openers and new best friends Matt Wilson and Shaun Smith's turn to bat at the Barranaduda Sporting Complex.
After being left stranded on 8 not out with the bat Dhanuska Chanaka Ranaweera took the new ball for the home side and got the ball to swing into the right handers early.
It didn't take long though for the Corowa openers to take control of the run chase, if you had ducked off to the toilet to refresh yourself after the lunch interval you would have missed the fireworks that were on display.
Both Smith and Wilson dispatched the quicks to all parts of the ground and when the Raiders’ skipper turned to the spin the run rate only increased with established cricketer Alistair Burge bowling two overs 0/31 and English import James Hodkinson bowling 1.1 overs 0/20 which was a far cry from the four wickets he took against Corowa earlier in the season.
Birthday boy Shaun Smith was the only batsman dismissed for an explosive 43 off 25 including 6 boundaries and a six.
Matthew Wilson finished unbeaten on 42 not out also off 25 balls proving the boys not only share the keeping responsibilities but also the strike.
A massive three weeks for the Corowa boys coming up with the first of those against a desperate Albury side this Saturday at Ball Park, first ball will be bowled at 11:30am and the beers will be ice cold for our spectators.
B Grade
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C Grade Div 1
On Saturday, January 18, Corowa C1 travelled to Lavington to play them on for their first turf game this season.
After captain Blayre Smith losing the toss, the Corowa side were sent into bat.
The innings got off to a terrible start, losing both openers Baxter Macfarlane (0) and Ollie Collins (0), they were reduced to 2/0, the ever-experienced Greg Burgess came in and made a short partnership with Karvan Silva to tick the score to 6 before Burgess was out the score then 3/6.
Then came injury-prone Dan Osborne who put on 12 for the fourth wicket with Silva who then fell with the score 4/18.
Captain Smith came in at 6 and put on the highest partnership of the day (39) with Osborne before he looked wrongfully given out LBW for a well-made 20.
A partnership between Matt Goodall and Osborne got the score to 91 before Goodall was bowled.
The side didn’t last much longer and was all out for 111.
Osborne made his highest ever score with a well timed 60 which in the end would prove to be a match winning knock.
Set 112 to win Lavington came out and Cody Kuschert got an early breakthrough score 1/2.
From then on it was just a display of great bowling from the Corowa side, given Lavington absolutely nothing and taking wicket after wicket.
Lavington would end up being all out for 72.
Kuschert taking 2, Burgess very economical 1/9 off 8, Smith 1/10 off 8, Silva taking 3 and Goodall taking 2 and then final wicket being our wicketkeeper Ollie Collins being thrown the ball to get the last wicket in which he did (we’re not sure how).
A great display of bowling and somewhat fielding secured our second straight win after the Christmas break.
C Grade Div 2
Saturday, January 18th would see the C2 team host Wodonga Raiders with perfect conditions for a game of cricket where the Raiders won the toss and would elect to bat.
Jordan Wilson and Nathan Rhodes were given the new rock and it would be Rhodes who would strike first this week with a nice caught and bowled to remove one of their opening batters and have Wodonga Raiders 1/9.
The score would be pushed along to 40 before Pat Mitchell would take one of the catches of the summer, off the bowling of Burdon.
Then soon after Rhylee Barber striked twice in the following over to have the Raiders in trouble at 4/40.
The Raiders would then get another small partnership going before Rhylee Barber would strike again with the score on 78.
Jordan Wilson would then tear through the Raiders lower order with a sharp spell which would see him finish the innings with 3/16 from his 8 overs.
Rhylee Barber would finish with his season best figures of 4/18 which is super impressive for the 14-year-old and younger brother Jacko Barber in his first official game in C2 after helping out as a sub fielder for a few weeks now finished the game with 1/7 as Wodonga Raiders were all out for 110 off 33.2 overs.
With a small total of 111 to chase down Lachie Raggett and Pat Mitchell would start the run chase for the Corowa team and looked to be aggressive from the start with both boys playing their shots.
Both openers would fall with the score on 10 which would see Mick Drew and Nathan Rhodes stroll out to the middle. Drew and Rhodes were not troubled once as they showed their class with some cracking shot selections on their way to chasing down the target of 111.
Mick Drew would be unbeaten for the second week in a row making 38 which would see his season tally up to 230 runs at an average of 76.67 and Nathan Rhodes also unbeaten on 61 which included 7 boundaries and 2 sixes got some quality time in the middle as Corowa picked up their seventh win for the season with a bye next weekend due to the Australia Day long weekend.
A special thankyou to young Seb Drew and Levi Burdon (pictured) who helped the C2 team in the field as some of the old boys are starting to break down.
The club would like to acknowledge our sponsors for this season, A & A Auto, Davidson White Accountants, John Rhodes Bricklaying, Waldrons Fresh on River, Kilara Group, Rivalea, Terry White Chemist, O’Connors, Balldale Hotel, Federation Steel, Collins Transport, BJ Hanrahan Family Trust, Thrifty, Corowa Furnishing and Floors, Wiesners, VK Logic, Wodonga Pneumatics, Corowa Meats, TH Kitchens Joinery & Corowa RSL Club.