Echuca was looking to bounce back after suffering their first defeat of the season the weekend prior at the hands of Bamawm-Lockington United, but the league leader was unable to capitalise on a blistering start on Saturday.
Moama elected to bat first after winning the toss and made its way to 8/211 after its allotted 80 overs.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Moama, however, which found itself in strife early at 3/3.
Echuca’s Taylor Beard ripped through the Moama top order, picking up all three early wickets.
Billy Gallagher and Moama skipper Jack Russel were dismissed for ducks, while opener Fraser Buchanan made just one before being caught.
Opener Brad Jones and Kirk Teasdale led a mini revival for Moama with 27 and 25 runs each, but the visitors were still in a precarious position at 7/77.
But Moama was able to turn things around from there, losing just one more wicket as it piled on another 134 runs.
Will Devlin was Moama’s highest scorer with 80*, while Duane Johns made 29 and Clay McGregor was 29 not out at stumps.
Beard was the pick of the Echuca bowlers, taking 3/46 with 11 maidens from 24 overs.
Brendan Moyle picked up two wickets for 22 runs, while Rylea Jones, Simon Maddox and Charlie Hinks all claimed one wicket each.
Heading into day two next weekend, Echuca will be hoping for a strong performance with the bat as it faces pressure to maintain top spot on the ladder.
In the weekend’s other top-four clash, second-place Rochester claimed the spoils on day one against third-placed Bamawm-Lockington United.
BLU won the toss and elected to bat but was dismissed for just 74 after 43 overs.
Liam Hamilton was United’s top run scorer with 19, while Declan Pearse was the next best with 12.
Rochester’s Sean Williams took an impressive 3/12 with the ball, while Angus Martin and Richard Tibbett took 2/15 and 2/27 respectively, as Rochy’s bowlers made light work of United.
Rochester was 7/104 at stumps in reply, with Angus Martin at the crease on 26* with Joe Hamilton on 0*.
Cory Jacobs was Rochester’s highest scorer of the innings so far with 30, while Charlie Ryan made 20.
Sandun Ranathunga has been United’s best bowler so far, taking 2/13 with four maidens in his nine overs.
Amila Gunathilaka is next best with 2/23, while Cody Thompson has figures of 2/29 from his eight overs.
BLU had been in good form heading into the round, coming off two wins on the trot including a win against previously undefeated Echuca.
An outright victory could see Rochester move into top spot on the ladder ahead of Echuca, which faces a tough ask in claiming an outright victory of its own against Moama.
Echuca has been the team to beat all season, but it could finally be removed from top spot on the ladder if Rochester can carry its good form on to day two.
Kyabram Fire Brigade has made a good start in its first two-day clash of the season, reaching 249 on day one against Leitchville/Gunbower.
The Flames won the toss and elected to bat first, but they were in a spot of bother early on when opener Scott Morris was dismissed for a duck.
The visitors made their way to 3/46, before a 125-run partnership between Daniel Kent and skipper Brenton Campbell steadied the ship for Fire Brigade.
Kent led his team with an impressive century, smashing 17 boundaries on his way to 106 from 184 deliveries before finally being dismissed.
It was Kent’s highest score of the season, and it came at a vital time for the Flames as they look to keep their finals chances alive.
Campbell had a solid knock of 50, while wicketkeeper Jake Gascoyne made 41.
Kent, Campbell, and Gascoyne combined for 197 of Fire Brigade’s 249 runs, with Ky’s other batters failing to fire.
Only one other batter, Robert Salter, managed to reach double digits.
For Leitchville/Gunbower, James Keath was the best of the bowlers, taking 3/56 with eight maidens.
Blake Gelletly and Liam Keath claimed two wickets each, while Simon Tatt and Jaspar Wilson-Keir each took one.
There will be plenty at stake for both sides when play resumes next Saturday.
The winner will keep its hopes of a top-four finish alive, while the loser will almost certainly be destined to miss the finals.
Fire Brigade and Leitchville/Gunbower sit on 36 points, but they are 12 points behind fourth-placed Moama.
Elsewhere, bottom-of-the-table Echuca South was obliterated on day one of its clash against Cooma, getting skittled for just 35.
Echuca South openers Ben Eade and Cameron McMullan were dismissed for just one run each, while the rest of their line-up also failed to get anything going.
Clayton Watson was South’s top scorer with 11, and he was the only Echuca batter to reach double figures.
Cooma’s bowlers had a field day against the South attack, with Samuel Langley taking 4/10 with six maidens and Mitch Barrett claiming three wickets for just seven runs with four maidens.
Brad Power, Ben Napier and Ethan Palma-Ludeman all picked up one wicket each.
In reply with the bat, Cooma were 4/124 at stumps.
Mason Scopelliti and Jacob Kelly were Cooma’s top scorers with 58 and 35 respectively, steering their side to 1/100.
But things took a bit of a downhill turn from there as they lost 3/13, before reaching 124 at the end of the day.
The day’s play is another bitter blow for Echuca South, which has really struggled this season.
South is yet to win a game and is firmly rooted to the bottom of the ladder.
It might have fancied its chances against a Cooma side which is directly above it on the ladder and which itself only has two wins this season, but a first-innings collapse means South’s winless run looks set to continue.
Samuel Langley (11*) and Darcy Backway (1*) will be at the crease for Cooma when play resumes next Saturday.
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