FOR the third time in as many games to start the season Kingower captain Braydon Welsh has plundered a century in the Upper Loddon Cricket Association.
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However, this time his effort wasn’t enough to get his side over the line as Wedderburn continued its winning start on Saturday.
After it was sent in, Kingower crunched 3-204 off its 35 overs, with Welsh batting through the innings to finish unbeaten on 120.
The opener also made 120 against Boort-Yando last week and 115 against Arnold in round one, with his season tally already at 355 runs.
As he did the previous week, Welsh’s opening partner, Ben Rose (50), also made a half-century, with the pair putting on 111 for the first wicket.
In reply, Wedderburn needed the last pair of Jesse Matthews and Dale Kleehammer to get over the line.
Wedderburn still required 14 for victory when No.11 Kleehammer joined No.9 Matthews at the crease with the score 9-191.
In a tense finish to the game Matthews and Kleehammer were able to add the required 14 for the win – and then some – as Wedderburn replied with 9-212, with the innings earlier featuring 59 from opener Bradley Holt.
• Like Wedderburn, Inglewood is also unbeaten after defeating Arnold.
Inglewood restricted Arnold to 8-138 after it won the toss and bowled first.
The best of the batsmen for the Redbacks was Phil Scholes (49).
The Redbacks gave themselves a shot of defending their total when they had Inglewood 6-105 in reply.
But skipper Robert Stranger (39) and Anthony Noonan (19) guided Inglewood over the line and to a final tally of 8-144 as it beat the team that knocked it out in last season’s semi-final.
• Newbridge proved too strong for Serpentine to win its first game of the season.
Invited to bat first, Newbridge compiled 7-163, which featured another fine knock from Taz Fitzallen.
Having made scores of 73 and 56 in the first two rounds, Fitzallen passed 50 again with an innings of 67 before he was the first of four scalps for Serpentine’s Ted Eason (4-23).
Newbridge’s successful defence of its tally was superbly led by Tristan Bayliss, who bagged 5-21 off 6.2 overs as Serpentine was all out for 111 to lose by 52 runs.
Serpentine was under pressure from the outset in its run-chase when it fell to 4-25 early.
• Boort Yando (8-113) defeated Bridgewater (7-96) by 17 runs, keeping the former power Bulls winless and on the bottom of the ladder.
• Ladder – Inglewood (18), Wedderburn (18), Kingower (12), Boort-Yando (12), Newbridge (6), Arnold (6), Serpentine (0), Bridgewater (0).
NORTHERN UNITED
There were no games played in round two of the Northern United Cricket Association’s Twenty20 competition on Saturday due to washouts.
The season-proper gets under way next Saturday.
• Round one games – Heathcote v Raywood, Bagshot v Colbinabbin, Dingee v Calivil, Elmore v Goornong.
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