Adam Nunn’s 5-23 has gone a long way in putting the Blues within striking distance of a win over L-G. Photo: Bruce Povey.
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BrucePoveyPhotos.com 2022
Tongala is in the driver’s seat to overtake L-G, who is currently on a slide down the ladder after contending for a finals position earlier in the season.
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Playing at home, L-G decided to forgo batting in the worst of Saturday’s heat and sent itself in for the first innings.
It took just an over and a half for the Blues to draw first blood, with Josh O’Shea (0) edging behind to Mackenzie Cowley off Adam Nunn’s bowling.
Two overs later, Harry Wright (0) was also on his way, Nunn striking again through an Alex Williams catch.
Tongala was able to snag one more wicket inside 10 overs, when Tyler Jones (11) also edged through to Cowley, Nunn taking three to put his side in good stead.
Simon Tatt and Josh Hawken managed to steady the ship for L-G. The two batted for half of the side’s innings, surviving 20 overs.
It took a catch from behind the stumps by Cowley off Darin Ohlsen’s bowling to dismiss Tatt, who scored nine off 68 balls.
The floodgates opened from there. Hawken was soon back in the sheds, trapped lbw by Adam Nunn for 29.
Marcus Stubbs (6) and Jasper Hare (2) followed quickly after, caught off Ohlsen’s and Nunn’s bowling, respectively.
James Keath proved to be the last line of resistance for L-G, the number nine notching the second-highest score for his side, hitting 18 off 20 balls.
Tongala’s Jayden Tucker remains 13 not out with Mackenzie Cowley heading into day two with just 12 runs required to win. Photo: Matthew Kappos.
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Matthew Kappos
Nunn’s spell of 5-23 from 11 overs broke the back of L-G’s batting order, with Ohlsen’s economical 3-7 from 10 overs keeping the foot on the throat for the visitors.
L-G was ultimately rolled for 90, with the Blues having plenty of spare overs in the day to claim first innings points.
The pitches in round 13 seemed to be heavily benefiting the bowlers and Tonny’s innings only further cemented that idea.
Both Alex Williams (16) and Stephen Townsend (0) were dismissed by Tatt inside five overs, putting the Blues on the back foot almost immediately.
Keath made Nunn (0) follow his teammates back to the sheds in the seventh over, while Tatt claimed his third inside 10 overs, bowling Ohlsen (8).
The Blues couldn’t stop a leaking ship, with Matt Ohlsen (17) departing against Keath before Hudson Kellet (0) became Tatt’s fourth scalp, trapped lbw.
In desperate need of stability and in the midst of a batting collapse, Jayden Tucker (13 not out) and Cowley (20 not out) were able to dig their heels in when their team needed it the most.
The pair managed to bat out 22 overs without losing another wicket, facing a combined total of 135 balls for their 33 runs, with both showing true attrition in an attempt to get their side past L-G’s total.
Seeing their side home at stumps of day one, Tongala sits at 6-78, just 12 runs shy of L-G’s score. With two set batsmen in place, the Blues have avoided disaster and look to be in a commanding position to claim a win.
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