Mark Cosgrove fell just short of 100, but it was enough for Northern Districts to get its first One Day Cup win of the season
Most batsmen would be gutted to be dismissed two runs short of a century, but not Mark Cosgrove. The Northern Districts captain tells why in this week’s SACA grade cricket wrap.
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Grade cricket’s One Day Cup semi-finals are set, but is the two-day top four already locked away as well?
Check out all the action from a bumper round of action with The Messenger’s reports from every match.
KENSINGTON 5/333 WOODVILLE 148
Reigning premier Kensington has sent a warning shot to the rest of the Adelaide grade cricket competition, smashing Woodville by 185 runs at the weekend.
The Browns posted a mammoth 5/333 at Parkinson Oval, underpinned by Josh Doyle’s 99, Sam Williams (73 not out) and John Dalton (59).
Enjoying his team’s third win on the bounce, the 23-year-old Dalton said his personal plan was to get back into the Redbacks team through sheer weight of centuries.
With two already posted this year, over successive rounds, Dalton is keen to play his first Redbacks game since March 2017.
“Four or five hundreds you can’t really ignore,” Dalton said, who combines cricket with landscaping work.
“I’m sitting in a comfortable spot with my batting average (523 runs at 65.38).
“(I have) full focus on cricket and training and trying to get back into that state team.”
He says there is no rivalry with fellow Brown Henry Hunt, who is currently opening for the Redbacks in four-day cricket.
“We’re very good mates, there’s no rivalry there,” he said.
“It’s part and parcel of the game, whoever is getting runs will get that spot.
“We just feed off each other as players.”
Dalton, who played the off-season with Vauxhall Mallards in the UK, thrives on non-stop cricket.
“It just helps not having a break,” he said.
“I try to play as much as I can.”
The Browns locked in a One Day Cup semi-final appearance this Sunday, while also pulling 35 points clear of fifth-placed Tea Tree Gully on the two day ladder.
Woodville is eighth on the table in the long form.
Low-order batsman Luke Francesca (47) topscored for the Peckers, while Aaron Summers (2/66) was best with the ball.
PORT ADELAIDE 7/196 NORTHERN DISTRICTS 5/197
Northern Districts captain/coach Mark Cosgrove believes his side has made strides of progress this season after finally breaking its duck in the final minor round of the One Day Cup.
It was Cosgrove himself who led the charge with a brilliant knock, before he was caught out on 98, as the Jets chased down Port’s 7/196 to finish on 5/197 with 10 balls to spare.
Northern had not won a 50-over game this season going into the sixth and final round.
Cosgrove said it was good to finish the one-day format with a victory while also grabbing two day points.
And the former Redback was not concerned about falling agonisingly short of a third ton for the season.
“We’ve been playing good two-day cricket, but our one-day stuff has let us down a little bit,” Cosgrove said.
“It was a real team effort to be fair, everyone did their job, bowled well, fielded well and it was just a clinical batting performance.
“To get the win is better than getting a hundred.
“We got the win so it doesn’t matter, if we had have lost I probably would have been pretty disappointed.”
ADELAIDE 3/237 WEST TORRENS 6/233
Adelaide booked a home semi-final in the One Day Cup with a nailbiting win away to West Torrens on Saturday.
Already top of the 50-over competition coming into the final minor round, which also counted for two-day points, the Buffaloes saw off a late charge from the Eagles to win by four runs at Henley Grange Memorial Oval.
Patrick Page was the hero on Saturday, carving 129 as his side posted 3/237 batting first.
Skipper Cam Valente added a very handy unbeaten 77 from 83 balls.
Spencer Johnson (1/51), Tim Oakley (1/54) and Josh Dascombe (1/46) were the hosts’ sole wicket-takers.
But the hosts proved up to the task and Eagles captain Daniel Drew almost led his side to victory with his 97 before he was bowled by Valente.
The Buffalos restricted West Torrens to 6/233 to hold on for victory.
Erik Carrington (40) was next best with the bat for the Eagles, while Dascombe (37) Bailey Capel (31) and Dan Cooke (13 not out) were the only others to hit double figures.
EAST TORRENS 5/273 TEA TREE GULLY 7/270
East Torrens dealt Tea Tree Gully’s bid for silverware a significant blow when it prevailed by three runs in an important clash between local rivals at Pertaringa Oval.
The Reds booked a semi-final spot in the One Day Cup with the victory, while the Bulls missed the four and are 35 points adrift of the top four in the two-day competition.
TTG Captain/coach Matt Weaver hit eight sixes and nine fours on his way to 106 off 96 balls as the Bulls posted 7/270.
The Reds, led by 89 from Jake Lehmann and 87 by skipper Michael Cranmer, were up to the challenge and made it to 7/273 with five deliveries remaining.
Ian Cockbain chipped in with 51 from 48 balls for Torrens, while Tom Lace (seven) and Ryan King (four) finished unbeaten at the crease for the winning runs.
STURT 5/251 GLENELG 8/252
Twin tons were not enough for Sturt on Saturday as Glenelg kept its finals hopes alive with a slim victory.
A quickfire 73 from 63 balls by Redback Chadd Sayers and 63 from Danny Irvine helped the Seahorses (8/252) to surpass Sturt’s 5/251 with just four balls to spare at Glenelg Oval.
Earlier, Blues captain Brad Davis (113) and Tom Kelly (100) combined for a 205-run partnership for the third wicket.
Glenelg finished with three wins and two losses in the one-day competition to miss the finals.
And the Seahorses have a tough task to make the four in the two-day format, two wins outside of the finals spots with four rounds to play.
Sturt meanwhile is battling in 10th on the two-day ladder.
ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY 7/257 SOUTHERN DISTRICT 178
Southern District has a mountain to climb in the last four rounds after its finals aspirations were dealt a blow by Adelaide University on Saturday.
A top-order collapse and a meek effort from the tail were the catalysts as the Stingrays were bowled out for 178 in response to the Blacks’ 7/257 at Bice Oval.
The result, which counted for both one and two-day points, left Southern in sixth place but trailing fourth side Kensington by 35 points.
Although the Browns have their bye this weekend, the Stingrays cannot afford to miss a beat with four two-day rounds to play.
Southern began well on Saturday when it had the Blacks at 1/12 and then 2/20 thanks to early wickets from Huw Stone.
But Blacks captain Ben Wakim (91) and Campbell Vadlja (45) set in for an 80-run third-wicket partnership.
Wakim and Kyle Brazell (53) then put on another 97 between them and Uni were in control.
Stone finished with 4/60 in the standout bowling performance while Lewis Hatchett took 2/43.
Things went pear-shaped quickly for Southern in response.
The top four – skipper Josh Barrett, Joe Burslem, Brendan McCormack and Ben Cox – all fell for five runs or less.
Ben Twohig then steadied the ship with a fighting 62 and Matt Sugg battled to 46.
But the Stingrays’ tail did not wag as they finished 79 runs short.
BLACKS BREAK THEIR T20 DUCK
Adelaide University finally claimed grade cricket’s Twenty20 title after beating reigning premier East Torrens at Karen Rolton Oval on Sunday.
The Blacks had featured in three Twenty20 grand finals (2012/13, 2015/16, 2017/18) but lost each one to Tea Tree Gully.
And now it was finally Uni’s turn to taste success after their 6/167 proved too much for East Torrens’ 5/150.
FULL STORY: BROTHERS STEER UNI TO T20 CROWN
WOMEN’S WRAP
The runs keep coming at Sturt with another Blue making a big score in women’s first grade on Saturday.
Following Alex Price’s career-best 146 last week, it was Annie O’Neil’s turn this time as she carved 90 of Sturt’s 9/187 against ladder-leaders Kensington at Parkinson Oval.
Price would not be outdone however, and made her impact with the ball instead.
The Adelaide Strikers all-rounder snared 5/12 and Brooke Harris took 3/19 as the Blues rolled the Browns for just 67.
At Salisbury Oval, Northern Districts was set 160 for victory by West Torrens before reaching 7/161 on the back of 46 from opener Mary Waldron.
Kensington remained top of the ladder, despite the loss, West Torrens is second followed by the Jets and Sturt, while Southern District has the bye and is at the foot of the table.
THIS WEEK
Saturday, January 25
■ Adelaide v Prospect – Glandore Oval
■ Adelaide University v West Torrens – University Oval
■ East Torrens v Southern District – Campbelltown Memorial Oval
■ Sturt v Tea Tree Gully – Price Memorial Oval
■ Port Adelaide v Glenelg – Port Adelaide Reserve
■ Woodville v Northern Districts – Woodville Oval
■ Kensington – bye