UPDATE: Corowa’s cricket team has secured a vital victory in the Cricket Albury-Wodonga Provincial league, with Nick Grant delivering an outstanding performance that included the dismissal of Belvoir’s star Lachie McMillan for a golden duck. This crucial win comes as both teams fought fiercely for their first win of the season.
In a tense match held on Saturday, Corowa posted a total of 145 runs, setting the stage for a challenging chase for Belvoir. Grant’s exceptional bowling spell, which saw him claim figures of 2-23 from eight overs, proved pivotal. Grant’s delivery to McMillan was particularly impressive, described as an “absolute peach” by wicketkeeper Ben Fulford. “He hit the spot and was decking it both ways,” Fulford stated after the match.
This early breakthrough left Belvoir struggling at 3-26. Despite their efforts to stabilize, they only managed to reach 128 runs in the end. Fulford praised the team’s performance, emphasizing their strategic pressure on the opposition, which forced Belvoir into a defensive playstyle: “We held most of our catches, and that’s the difference between taking the 10 wickets and perhaps needing to take 14 in the end.”
Earlier in the match, Fulford showcased his batting skills with a solid score of 78 runs off just 80 deliveries, including four sixes and four fours. Notably, No. 9 batsman Blake Elliott contributed significantly with an unbeaten 16 runs, underscoring the importance of each run in a low-scoring game.
This victory marks a turnaround for Corowa, who had recently signed four players from the North Albury premiership team but faced a heavy defeat in their previous match against North. Meanwhile, in other matches, Tallangatta maintained its unbeaten streak with a decisive six-wicket win over Lavington, thanks to impressive performances from Hunter Hall and John Oswell.
In an exciting finish in the CAW Hume, Osborne clinched a thrilling one-wicket victory against Henty, with standout performances from Shannon Terlich who scored 90 runs, and Darren Howard who secured the winning runs with a flick to the boundary.
As the league standings after round three reveal, Wodonga, Albury, and Tallangatta are all tied at the top with 18 points each, while Corowa and Belvoir sit at zero points, desperately needing to improve.
This weekend’s matches set the stage for the next round of competition, with teams looking to capitalize on their momentum or bounce back from losses. Keep an eye on Corowa as they aim to build on this crucial victory and climb the ranks in the league.
