Berrigan have closed the gap on the Murray Valley Cricket Association Division One top four with an impressive 74 run win against Barooga on Saturday.
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The win sees the Saints hot on the heels of fourth placed Finley, sitting fifth and just one game outside of the top four.
In a change of fortunes for the Saints they finally won a toss, electing to bat first in the steamy conditions at Barooga Recreation Reserve.
Andrew Parr and Tom Beams opened the batting for the Saints against the Hawks’ bowling of Andrew Jones and Dave Stevens (0/16).
Beams started quickly cracking some early boundaries but Barooga struck when Jones (2/31 off eight) bowled Parr (one) with the score on 15.
Simon Packer was next in and thrived with the shortish balls from the Barooga bowlers.
Packer and Beams took the score past 50 for Berrigan and then as Richard Lavery came into the attack the run rate started to go up.
Barooga’s Stephen Marshall (1/35 off seven) struck with his fourth delivery, trapping Packer (27) in front.
Beams (34) followed four runs later, claimed LBW by Lavery (2/40 off eight) and the Saints were now 3/70 after 19 overs.
Lachie Pyle and Fraser Haintz were the two fresh men in for Berrigan and settled quickly to see the run rate start moving up again for the Saints.
Pyle took a liking to the boundary and the running between the wickets took the Saints’ score past the 100 mark in the 31st over.
The fourth wicket partnership came to an end soon after when Pyle (29) was caught off Peter O’Kane (1/23 off seven).
Haintz (eight) followed just three runs later, caught off Riley Sampson (2/8 off two), and the Saints were now 5/115.
Cody Heazlewood and a promoted Harley Middleton were next in, but Barooga struck quickly with Middleton (0) trapped LBW off Sampson.
With seven overs to bat, Brad Loats was next in and it was Heazlewood who took it upon himself to control the scoring for the Saints.
The big man smashed the boundaries and Loats batted to keep him on strike adding another 26 runs to the score in four overs before Jones (2/31) struck again, with Loats (four) caught and bowled.
The score was now 7/143 in the 37th over, with Tom Isedale joining Heazlewood in the middle.
The pair kept the scoring rate going for the Saints, taking the score past 160, before Heazlewood’s innings came to an end on 38, bowled by Lavery.
Luke Neely was next in and hit and run was the aim of the game now with three balls to go, but it was Lavery to have the last laugh, running him out for a duck.
Vidura Gunaratne (0 not out) was the last man in and with Isedale (four not out) they took the Saints’ score to 9/165 after their 40 overs.
With a big score on the board the Saints were up and about going into the field.
Beams (2/32 off eight) struck early for the Saints, having O’Kane (four) caught at first slip and Barooga were 1/9.
Middleton (0/13 off five) bowled without luck, but with his bowling pressure the Saints could see Barooga’s required run rate keep rising.
Once through the Saints’ opening spell, Lavery and Marshall settled.
A short rain delay had Berrigan back out in wet conditions and some luck started to go Barooga’s way as dropped catches start to play havoc for the Saints.
The second wicket partnership got Barooga’s score to 40 before Pyle (3/16 off eight) cleaned bowled Marshall (six).
Haintz struck soon after, with Lavery (26) caught and the Hawks were now 3/50 after 18 overs.
Jon O’Dwyer and Jones were the two fresh batters in before Pyle trapped Jones (one) in front and shortly after the new batsman Nicholas Gash (two) was caught at slip to have the Saints on top with the score now 5/55.
Lachlan Sutton took the aerial option against the Saints bowling, and along with O’Dwyer added a further 36 runs to the score before Beams broke their partnership.
O’Dwyer (eight) was the man removed after Loats took a screamer of a catch and the score now 6/91 after 30 overs.
This started a huge collapse by the Hawks with Heazlewood (1/5 off two) striking next over to remove Sutton (20), caught and bowled.
Loats came into the attack and made light work of the remaining Barooga batsmen claiming the last two wickets off three balls to finish with 2/0 and the Hawks all out on 9/91, with Stevens unable to bat due to injury.
Beams again claimed the Tim Harris Transport Award.
Division One has a general bye for the Australia Day weekend before the fifth placed Saints travel to Finley in a battle for fourth spot against the Cats on Saturday, February 1.