A SUBLIME bowling performance from Brim-Kellelac-Sheep Hills bowler Ash Herron has left his side in a winnable position against St Arnaud heading into day two of its Wimmera-Mallee Cricket Association A Grade clash on Saturday.
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The spell included a magical hat-trick for Herron, who helped his side out of a slightly sticky situation mid-way through the Saints’ first innings.
After a slow start, St Arnaud had battled its way to 3-82, but Herron was able to stall its progress in an emphatic manner.
Harley Duward, 44, Carl Torney, 0, and Robert Elliot, 0, all departed quickly thanks to Herron’s heroics.
Herron – whose match figures totalled 5-35 on at the weekend – told the Mail-Times he used past experience to help him claim the third wicket.
“I’ve been on a hat-trick before but I’ve never had one,” he said.
“Not much was going through my head. I just tried to get it on the stumps and bowl how I normally bowl. It came off this time.”
Elliot was the victim of the hat-trick shenanigans, trapped leg before wicket.
Herron said both himself and Elliot would have been nervous.
He said it was an important moment for Brim-Kellelac-Sheep Hills, which was struggling to contain the Saints’ batsmen.
“They were starting to get away a bit so it was good to get a couple of wickets,” Herron said.
St Arnaud was eventually dismissed for 153 on Saturday, with Brim-Kellelac-Sheep Hills making solid inroads on day one.
At stumps, the Brim side was 4-108.
In other matches at the weekend, Hopetoun recovered from a poor batting performance to have Jeffcott on the ropes at stumps on day one.
Hopetoun – searching for a place in the finals – made 126 on Saturday, but stepped up the intensity to have Jeffcott at 6-35 in its pursuit of the win.
Clint Burdett was the dominant force with the ball, taking 4-7.
In the match between Donald and St Mary’s, Donald is 1-15 in reply to St Mary’s score of 128.
Early wickets will be vital on day two for St Mary’s, who are defending a weak batting score.
Donald’s Dion Hawkes, 4-18, was the key to his side’s Saturday success with the ball.
At stumps in the final match, a century from Nick Coles helped Wycheproof-Narraport pound its way to 7-235 from 74 overs against Birchip.