GMC | Beard spearheads Echuca’s throttling of Cooma
Cut that out: Dylan Cuttriss sends one down for Rochester.
On Saturday, Taylor Beard showed Goulburn Murray Cricket’s A-grade coterie the true meaning of a captain’s showing in the two-day format.
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After engineering a half-century and five-wicket haul on day one, Beard baffled the Cooma batters once more at the weekend to walk away with a 10-wicket match to see his side collect 12 points.
It was always going to be an uphill battle for Cooma.
Digging in: Leitchville-Gunbower’s Kurt Brereton whips off his pads.
The host lost its final wicket at the start of day two for a first innings defeat and, though Echuca’s opening duo Brendan Moyle and Adam Jones departed for not many, Matt Hinks’ quick-fire 53 powered the Murray Bombers to 3-107 before declaring.
Cue Beard.
Echuca’s jack-of-all-trades ripped through the Two Blues’ bats to have an outright win seemingly sewn up — but thanks to Jacob Kelly, it never arrived.
Cooma’s first drop crafted a stubborn 75 not out to deny Echuca maximum points as the home side held on at the death at 8-155.
Full tilt: Rochester’s Joe Hamilton arches the back.
Rochester was at its rampaging best as it pillaged Leitchville-Gunbower for a routine, albeit monstrous, victory.
Posting 9-291 with the bat, Rochester was equally dominant with the Kookaburra as it folded a hapless L-G order for 87 runs.
Corey Jacobs got the party started as he removed Liam Keath for a globe and the wickets continued to fall at regular intervals as Sean Williams (2-9) and Kyle Waters (2-1) showed out in force.
Kurt Brereton (40) provided some resistance, but castles fell around him too quickly, too often.
On the back foot: Mitchell McEwen cuts through point.
With Sam Colvin exiting thanks to Fraser Cleary — who claimed his third wicket of the day — it was all she wrote for L-G for Rochester go atop the ladder.
At the other end of the spectrum, Echuca South remains the only side without points after being blitzed by Bamawm-Lockington United.
Get around him: Rochester celebrates a Corey Jacobs wicket.
With 115 runs to defend, the Swans got off to a dream start after removing Greg Pearse for a duck, but were unable to sustain the pressure as BLU reached the total for the loss of five wickets.
Run that: Tyler Jones goes leg side.
And over the border, Jack Russell earned man-of-the-match rights as he backed up his knock of 42 on day one with figures of 4-47 to help Moama topple Nondies Cohuna.
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