Andrew Evelyn and Patrick Kearney laid the foundation for Eden Cricket Club’s premier division win on Saturday.
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Taking on the Bega-Angledale Bulls at the Eden Cricket Ground, the visitors put Eden on the back foot early when opener Drew Mudaliar was returned to the sheds for a duck.
However, Evelyn and Kearney both notched up half-centuries, laying down a 100-run partnership that catapulted the hosts to a 220 run innings.
However, a strong middle-order stand by Cody Hazelgrove-Danvers saw the Bulls come within just 13 runs of pinching the result as the batsman clocked nearly 80 runs for the visitors.
The Bulls had coughed up some costly fielding errors early on that allowed Evelyn and Kearney to smash out 101 runs between them when Evelyn was dismissed off a keeper Rob Stevenson catch on 58.
Kearney continued building with Toby Timms stepping to the crease in an unshaken showing on 43 not-out.
After the cheap early wicket, the host team were suddenly looking lethal as it they were already bordering on 150 runs when Kearney was dismissed – stumped by Stevenson – for 53.
Mark Spink batted at four and added 17, but was returned to the sheds by Evan Gray catch before he could extend the score further.
However, the overs were nearing a finish and a quietly-capable 29 not-out from Matt Creswick provided the closing not as Eden batted out their 40 overs for 220.
The Bulls were also able to bat out their full innings, but finished 13 runs shy on 9/207.
Keeper Rob Stevenson said Hazelgrove-Danvers had been able to “get us right to the brink of winning”.
Richard Arbon got into the 40s before his dismissal and Stevenson said “a couple of us got into the 20s”, but it was not enough.
Mounting bowling pressure saw the run rate slow from the Bulls in the dying five overs to finish short of the target.
The Eden side are now sitting third on the competition table behind the Merimbula Knights and the leading Tathra Sea Eagles.
The Eden club will host Kameruka this weekend at the Eden Cricket Ground with the Kameruka club currently trailing them in fourth place on the table.
However, the Black Cockatoos have given up few runs – almost 150 less than Eden – so it will be a good test for the batsmen to overcome the Kameruka bowling attack.
Play is from 1pm.
In other cricket news, the Eden Public School team has advanced to the final eight in the PSSA competition.
The young cricketers scored a narrow 127-125 against Woonoona East.
A social media post by the school said this was a tremendous result as the EPS team were now in the final 8 of the 310 teams that started in the competition.