SHANNON Reddie and Heath Lang ripped through the Colts top order to help Lubeck-Murtoa successfully defend its B Grade Horsham Cricket Association one day title today.
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The seam bowlers were in fine form during their opening spells after Craig Wilson had helped the Mudlarks to a score of 166 batting first.
Prior to the game Lubeck-Murtoa captain Lachlan Patching said he expected about 180 to be par.
“Colts bowled really well for the first 15 overs and in the end 166 was probably about where we needed to be,” he said.
“Anything less than that and we would have been really worried.”
“We got a bit nervous at the end when Brad Millar was batting really well but a win is a win.”
Colts were on the front foot early in the contest when Drew Carmody had Graeme Reddie caught behind for four but the game slowly turned in favour of the defending champions.
A 75-run partnership between Wilson and Hamish Gawith took their side from 3-52 to 127.
Ross Frew removed Gawith for 38 in the 32nd over but Wilson continued to carry his bat for the remaining eight overs of play.
Some lusty hitting by Jordan Delahunty in the final over of the innings helped the side reach 166 while Wilson finished unbeaten on 61.
After the lunch break it did not take long for Shannon Reddie to break through with the new ball for Lubeck-Murtoa.
He claimed return catches to remove Liam Jakobi and Beau Purchase in successive overs.
Brad Millar and Dylan Arnott steadily worked Colts back into the contest until Heath Lang broke through to remove Arnott.
Lang then claimed the wicket of Nathan Koenig before he could trouble the scorers to ensure Lubeck-Murtoa were right back on top again.
Two wickets to Craig Wilson, one to Patching and another to Shannon Reddie had Colts eight down with a further 70 required to win.
A partnership between Millar and Kevin Purchase threatened to even the contest back up before Joe Gardy claimed two wickets in four balls to secure the 33-run win.
Millar finished unbeaten on 62.
Wilson was named man of the match.
“In the big games Craig is always there abouts,” Patching said.
“He batted extremely well again, and we’ve sort of come to expect that from him.”
He said the early wickets his side managed to pick up were crucial.
“The Colts top six is as good as any other getting around,” he said.
“To knock a few over early was massive and we knew we had the confidence to keep taking wickets from that point on.”