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SPRING Gully unleashed the Emu Valley Cricket Association’s latest star attraction - Nigerian speedster Saheed Akolade - in Saturday’s clash with United.
Akolade will play the last three games of the EVCA season with the Crows after travelling to Australia to watch the ICC World Cup.
Plenty packed into Ewing Park to watch 21-year-old Akolade - the opening bowler for the Nigerian national team - let rip his thunderbolts against the Tigers.
Coming off a run-up that extended almost all the way back to the boundary, Akolade bowled 18 overs, taking 1-64.
“He’s the quickest bowler that I’ve seen around Bendigo cricket,” Crows skipper Alex Sutton said.
“He bowled really well and had a few catches dropped off his bowling, so he was a bit stiff not to get another couple of wickets.
“He’s a fantastic guy who loves his cricket and we’re excited to have him with us for the last three games.”
Having won the toss and batted, the Tigers recovered from a precarious 7-125 to score 268.
Opener Josh White scored 51, but was left battered and bruised after being struck on the body and helmet several times by Akolade.
The Tigers’ rescue mission was led by Jakob Van Dalen and Jarrod Findlay, both playing their first games in division one for the season.
Van Dalen scored 61, while No.9 Findlay added 52.
Kieran Nihill (14) and Lachlan Shawyer (13 n.o.) also chipped in with valuable runs for the Tigers as their last three wickets combined to add 143.
Earlier, the first wicket to fall was that of Andrew Collins, who after making 211 in his previous innings a fortnight earlier was dismissed by Sutton (3-48) for four.
Liam Pilcher (5-77 off 12.1 overs) was the leading wicket-taker for the Crows.
The Crows went to stumps at 1-27, with Des Gilmore (24) the batsman out.
• For the second game in a row, Axe Creek has conceded more than 400 runs after winning the toss and sending the opposition in.
Sedgwick capitalised on the invitation to bat first at Club Court, plundering 7-445 off its 75 overs.
The previous round, United made 7-435 against the Cowboys after also being sent into bat.
Four players made half-centuries for the Rams - Matt Dwyer (71), Andrew Hewitt (70 n.o.), evergreen Scott McKenzie (65 n.o.) and captain Rick Ladson (59).
Sedgwick at one stage lost 3-12 during its innings, falling from 0-129 to 3-141, but that was the only period of joy for the Cowboys.
The Rams have now scored 800 runs for loss of 12 wickets their past two games after making 7-355 against Golden Gully last round.
Nick Skeen (2-85) and Graham Gamble (2-97) were the multiple wicket-takers in what was another long day in the field for the Cowboys.
• Twin tons to Ken Bell and Dion Prange guided West Bendigo to 4-315 against Maiden Gully on the weekend the club celebrated its 30th anniversary in the EVCA.
Veteran Bell blasted his second century of the season in making an unbeaten 148 at Maiden Gully.
It’s not the first time Bell has dominated Maiden Gully.
He scored 159 n.o. against the Gully in 2008-09, and 155 n.o. against them in 2009-10.
Opener Prange scored 105, with he and Bell taking control after the Redbacks had suffered the early losses of Boe Bish (9) and Travis O’Connell (9).
Rob Brown (2-24) was the only multiple wicket-taker for Maiden Gully.
• Mandurang will have to bat well to maintain its unbeaten record after the Golden Gully tail wagged.
The Cobras had been under pressure at 7-134 at Pearce Reserve, but dug in to reach 9-270.
Nathan Hamblin led the revival, scoring an unbeaten 71 batting at No.9, with support coming from Ben Lemmens (29) and Seb Olle (18 n.o.).
Earlier, Jeremy Rogerson scored 50 for the Cobras, who twice suffered a flurry of wickets during their innings.
They lost 3-18 early to go from 0-12 to 3-30, and later 4-28 to fall from 3-106 to 7-134.
Mark Roberts (3-73) was the leading wicket-taker for the Rangas, who also had Michael Healy (2-71) and Paul Martin (2-30) pick up two each.
• Emu Creek has a score of 215 to defend against Marong at Marong Links Oval.
Brad Rowe (34) and Daniel Chamberlain (17) got the Emus away to a solid start with a 57-run stand for the opening wicket.
But after captain Chamberlain was dismissed, the Emus struggled to build partnerships, with only one stand above 30 for the rest of the innings.
Justin Hancock was the best of the Emu Creek batsmen with his knock of 40, while in his first game for his new club, ex-Golden Gully all-rounder Cameron Moore made 12.
Jayden Laubsch (3-18) was the pick of the bowlers for the Panthers, who for the first time since round one will be chasing a target.
Nic Burns (2-30) and Adam Brown (2-26) claimed two wickets each for the Panthers.