Carps show form in bid for finals

The Narrandera Carpheads A Grade team finished Day 1 of their Two Day Match at home against the Phantoms Cricket Club at the Marie Bashir Park Oval in a commanding position to claim outright victory.

After winning the toss, A Grade captain Brent Lawrence had no hesitation in sending the Phantoms into bat first.

This decision proved to be a very good one as the Carpheads bowlers all delivered the goods in a major way bowling out the Phantoms for just 49 inside 30 overs.

Chief destroyers in the first innings were Brent Lawrence who took four wickets along with Jacob Anderson, Mick Foster and Mark Tilyard who all took two wickets each.

With just under three hours left in the day’s play, the Carpheads were eager to knock off the Phantoms’ small first innings total and build a lead with an eye on sending the Phantoms back into bat again later in the day.

After a shaky start to the chase losing opening batsmen Jono Doyle and Ryan Argus cheaply, Jacob Anderson and vice-captain James Sullivan put the first innings win beyond doubt with a quick fire century stand both notching half centuries in the process.

Anderson was eventually stumped for 51 and Sullivan run out for 57 in what was his first A grade half century.

The declaration was then made after just 20 overs of batting from the home side with the Carpheads 68 runs in front and the Phantoms left with 17 overs to negotiate before the day’s play ended.

The pain continued in the second innings for the Phantoms as the Carpheads’ bowlers continued an outstanding display to leave the Phantoms reeling at 6 for 40 with only four wickets in hand and still requiring a further 28 runs to make the Carpheads bat again.

Opening bowler Mark Tilyard, who bowled with superb consistency and toiled hard all day, capped off a top day of new ball bowling finishing with five wickets across the two innings.

Day two of the match will get underway this Saturday March 3 at 1pm at the Marie Bashir Park.

Narrandera B Grade Carpheads had a great win against Leeton and District Yellow in what was a very good way to finish the regular season and clinch the minor premiership for the fifth consecutive time.

Jono Schofield and Brodie Perram both bowled really well for Narrandera early. Perram got the first two wickets then Schofiled took the next four to leave L&D Yellow at 6-10.

Their young opener Matt Axtill batted well as the rest of his team fell around him, but he got some support from his number 10 and 11 to get them to 77.

Captain Dave Kroek said the team failed to start well, slipping to 3-26, but Jarrod O’Brien steadied the ship and when he fell Tom Butterfield took over and with Connor Vearing they led the Carps home.

Narrandera faced some tough bowling with L&D’s A grade captain and opening bowler Ben Elwin at one end and Rhett MacGregor bowling very fast swing from the other.

Kroek said it was good to see the middle order looking so solid after it had been the top three that haddominated all year for the Carps.

“Hopefully we’re getting everyone into a bit of form and we’ll all be ready for the major semi against Yanco in a couple of weeks,” he said.