Wagin cricket
WAGIN had two polarising results in their double-header that saw the home-and-away season come to a close, with a thumping win on Saturday over Pingelly followed by a deflating loss to Wickepin on Sunday.
The team was on a high after an emphatic nine-wicket victory against Pingelly at Matera Oval and looked to be keeping their undefeated season intact, before Wickepin handed them a timely wake-up call away from home with a 10-wicket loss, Wagin’s first for the season.
In Saturday’s match, captain Brenden Hall lost the toss and Wagin were sent into the field on a warm afternoon at Matera Oval.
Shane Bliss and Dwight Kellow opened the bowling and while they bowled some good deliveries, both were ultimately unsuccessful in picking up wickets as the Pingelly openers stuck well to their tasks.
Both bowlers were taken out of the attack in favour of Aaron Painter and Jordan Scardetta, and the change reaped immediate dividends with Scardetta taking a sharp caught-and-bowled chance in his second over to remove Winmar for 32 with the score at 60.
Scardetta’s good fortune continued in his next over when Gerard Hegarty took a good catch at mid-off to dismiss J Hall for four, but the next partnership between Hughes and Kirk consolidated the Pingelly innings to carry them to drinks in a solid position at 2/80 after 21 overs.
However Scardetta took the vital wicket of Hughes just four balls after the break when Kim Davidson took a classic catch in slip to remove Hughes for 34 and hand Scardetta his third wicket.
Andrew Gath picked up what Scardetta started, when in the next over he took the wickets of Kirk and M Hall in the one over to have Pingelly struggling at 5/82, having lost 3/2 post-drinks.
Gath picked up another wicket, that of Jennings, to continue the rot for Pingelly, but the batsmen continued to stick to their task and frustrate the Wagin bowlers.
Gerard Hegarty, Kevin Foale and Kim Davidson all bowled well to pick up one wicket each, but Wagin couldn’t dismiss Pingelly, who reached 9/128 after their 45 overs.
Scardetta and Gath were the pick of the bowlers with three wickets each, while Hegarty, Foale and Davidson each picked up one in a solid all-round bowling performance.
Openers Scardetta and Mark Haverkort then set about chasing down the modest target and after scoring two consecutive ducks, Scardetta got off to a flier when he smashed his third ball faced to the boundary.
He continued his rollicking start but his innings ceased on 23 when he skied a ball straight to mid-off to end his 14-ball innings.
Haverkort and Kim Davidson took a more cautious approach to the run chase, building a solid partnership and ticking the scoreboard along nicely.
The pair took the score to 1/82 at drinks before Davidson set about knocking off the runs as quickly as possible, moving from 23 to 60 not out in quick time to see Wagin move to a nine-wicket win, with Davidson and Haverkort sharing a 91-run partnership to win the match for Wagin.
Kim Davidson was awarded the West Arthur Ice play of the day for his 60 not out, while Mark Haverkort batted well with 26 not out. After the emphatic win on Saturday, Wagin headed to Wickepin with an air of confidence that they could complete an undefeated home-and-away season with a win over the second-placed side.
The day got off to a good start when Brenden Hall won the toss and elected to bat on a good day for cricket at Wickepin oval.
The innings got off to a poor start from which it would never recover, when Jordan Scardetta played a good ball onto his stumps to be dismissed in the third over for two.
Kim Davidson looked to back-up his superb innings from the day before, but fell soon after commencing his innings to a good catch in the slips for one.
Kevin Foale got off to a good start in his innings when he smashed a ball to the midwicket boundary before he played all around a full-toss from Astbury to be bowled for 10.
Andrew Gath then fell after a mix-up with Haverkort to be run out without scoring and when Brenden Hall (zero) and Dwight Kellow (one) fell quickly, Wagin were in massive trouble at 6/23.
Greg Stephens looked good at the crease but his stay was also brief when Astbury picked up his fourth wicket, with Stephens bowled for five and when Reece Taylor, Gerard Hegarty and Shane Bliss followed soon after, Wagin had been dismissed for a meagre 48, with the only shining light being Mark Haverkort who carried the bat and was left at 17 not out.
Wagin knew they had to bowl well to have any chance of defending the small total, but Shane Bliss started in a wayward fashion and was unable to land the ball where he wanted it, with the Wickepin openers capitalising and cashing in early.
Both openers went for runs early and the change was made with Jordan Scardetta and Kevin Foale coming into the attack to attempt to slow the rate.
Foale created the only wicket chance when Sands top edged a ball to gully, only to see Andrew Gath put down a simple chance at a catch that summed up Wagin’s day.
Foale and Scardetta bowled tightly, but the damage had already been done a Wickepin passed the target after 11 overs to record a 10-wicket win and post Wagin’s first loss of the season.
Mark Haverkort was awarded the West Arthur Ice play of the day for his 17 not out after a grim final match for Wagin that provided a timely wake-up call with the grand final being their next official match.
The Wagin team now has a four-week break before the UGSCA Grand Final, which is being held at Matera Oval on Saturday, March 20 with the match beginning at Midday.
Supporters are urged to come along and support the team in their quest for another premiership.
There are some scratch matches being organised for the weekends between now and the grand final, with more details to follow.
All qualified players are urged to play in these matches as a warm-up before the big game.
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