Young Motors T20 Series Cup: Towns retain their glory with 50-run win over Wanderers

Towns retained the Young Motors T20 Series Cup with an impressive 50-run win over Wanderers at Wonthella on Friday night.

Ringo McKenna batted after he won the toss and Towns made 5-129. Even allowing for the quickest outfield at Wonthella in years, it was a daunting tally.

Jeremy Bedford (11) and Darcy Giltrow (38 off 35 balls) got the innings away for Towns with 29 runs inside the first four overs, their partnership ending when Bedford was leg before to Jason Partington.

Runs kept coming with Jai Russell striking three fours in seven balls before he was out to a sharp caught and bowled from Zane Marwick (2-5 off four overs).

After eight overs, Towns was 2-65 but after Giltrow was well held by Gus Heberle off Marwick, only 15 runs came in the next six overs as the run rate went from 8.12 an over to 5.71.

Towns was 4-80 after Kodi Giltrow was caught by Hudson Kelly off Digby Williams. Kelly was in a tangle and unlikely to even get a hand on the chance but stretched out and reeled it in.

It was 5-86 after Austyn Moulds removed McKenna with another fine Heberle catch, but Towns rallied through Sam Crouch (23 not out) and Austin Breen (21 not out) who added 44 in the last five overs.

Wanderers made a great start in the chase thanks to Shayne Bidwell (29 off 18 balls) who struck two sixes off McKenna and after two costly overs, McKenna was done.

Crouch (3-16), who was later named player of the match, made breakthroughs Towns needed in his first over.

He had Bidwell well caught in the deep, square of the wicket by Callum Marquis, and two balls later bowled Marwick who played around one.

Kade Gillingham was run out by a Josh DeLacy throw to Bedford and though Partington (11) battled, wickets kept falling.

Tom Forsyth (3-8) and Seth Farmer (2-0) shared the last five wickets and Wanderers was out for 79. Bedford ended with three catches, a stumping and his part in a run out.

Two 50-over Geraldton Bendigo Bank Cricket League games were played on Saturday.

Sportsmans were six-wicket winners over Bluff Point at Wonthella who batted after Callum Joss won the toss.

While runs came slowly, the Pointers reached 2-74 thanks to Jayden Rafferty (33) and Joss (43 not out). Then Rafferty was bowled by Dan Welsh (2-26) and the Pointers fell apart to end at 9-135.

Riley Barham (4-44) enjoyed career-best figures and a direct hit run out and Gus Spalding (2-17) also did well.

Sportsmans needed only 23.4 overs to win with runs from Ryan Dixon (51), Zak Williamson (17) and Spalding (15). James Morrison (2-22) was best of the bowlers.

At Mazzuchelli Oval, Towns ended Chapman Valley-Northampton’s season with a 136-run win.

McKenna won the toss and batted and Darcy Giltrow (76), a career high, and Bedford (54) slapped 123 for first wicket.

Though McKenna toyed with his batting order, CVN did dismiss them for 234 despite runs from Tom Witt (15), Breen (23 not out) and McKenna (16) who came in at number 11.

CVN’s James Billing (5-40) and Trey Horobin (4-58) had career best bowling stats.

CVN made 98 in the reply with only Axis Hutchinson (27) and Billing (16) having any joy. Kody Giltrow (3-12) shone and Bedford (2-2) who normally wears the gloves, had a rewarding spell.