Thrash Talk: Prince Alfred Old Collegians confirm T20 dominance with Turf title

Is this old collegians side the most dominant Twenty20 local cricket team in Adelaide? Plus a remarkable double act between two opening bowlers in this week’s Thrash Talk local cricket wrap.

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• SA women’s star loving the challenge, banter of men’s cricket

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Here is what caught our eye at the weekend:

REDS RUN RIOT AT OVAL

Prince Alfred Old Collegians can lay serious claim to local Adelaide cricket’s most dominant Twenty20 outfit.

A phenomenal opening partnership between captain Jack Latchford and Keagan English drove the Reds to a convincing 49-run victory over Pooraka in the Adelaide Turf T20 division one grand final at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

A proud Prince Alfred OC with the Adelaide Turf T20 trophy at Adelaide Oval on Sunday. Picture: Matthew Kildea

In Turf – the highest regarded competition outside of grade cricket – PAOC have now won four T20 titles in the past 10 years with a total of seven grand final appearances.

Latchford put away 11 fours on his way to 79 from 67 balls while English belted 75 from 54 as the Reds cruised to 0/162 in 20 overs after the Bulls sent them into bat – a decision Pooraka would later regret.

In a blistering display, Latchford and English smashed 96 off the last 10 overs, including 39 off the final three.

Pooraka appeared poised to chase the score down at 0/46 with dangerous batsman Mark Hanson and Steven Marks at the crease.

But when skipper Latchford removed Marks and Tyler took the prized wicket of Hanson in quick succession, PAOC took complete control.

The Bulls, who have won the past three Turf two-day titles, made it to 9/113 but it was nowhere near enough as the Reds took an emphatic victory.

Posted by Prince Alfred Old Collegians Cricket Club on Saturday, 2 March 2019

It added to T20 premierships in 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2015/16.

PAOC also took out the SA Metropolitcan Cricket Associaition Cup in 2010/11 and 2017/18, as well as the state title in 2010/11.

If you know of a more dominant T20 club at a top local level in recent years, please let us know.

REMARKABLE DOUBLE ACT

We don’t think we’ve ever seen this before.

In Turf’s B3, Woodville Rechabites posted 7/305 on the back of Jacob Murchison’s 132 not out (18 fours, 2 sixes).

In reply, Woodville South imploded for 22, as Lee Henson snared 8/9 from eight overs.

During the follow-on the total plummeted to 9/28 before finally some resistance blew the score out to 75.

This time Thomas Telford took 8/29 to go with his first innings 2/10, while Henson grabbed 2/42.

That’s 10 wickets each, no other bowlers required and 200-plus runs change.

NEVER SAY NEVER

When you bat first in a one-day game and you’re 9/35, that’s game over, right?

Wrong.

In Para Districts LO2, that’s where Para Vista Lutheran found itself before a spirited last-wicket stand of 69 between Brenton Starke (32 not out) and Jason Jackowiak (27) resulted in a still below-par 104.

Alex May was the destroyer for Eyre Royals, taking 6/6 from eight overs.

He would have expected to end up on the winning side.

But Eyre collapsed for 90, making the earlier 10th-wicket partnership one of the fightbacks of the season.

DOUBLE THE FUN

In Adelaide & Suburban Section Eight, ICC Sharks set Morphett Vale a competitive 225. The Sharks did not count on Glenn Harris, who nearly got them all himself with 206 not out. He completely dominated the innings of 4/280, which came in just 37 overs.

RIGHT ROYALS PERFORMANCE

It was an outright routing in PDCA Grade Four, which began with Craigmore collapsing for 50 against Eyre Royals.

After a shaky start, Eyre posted 6/203, thanks mainly to Scot May with 102.

Craigmore fared worse second time around, making just 39, as Tobin Taylor took a remarkable 6/7 from 14 overs with 10 maidens.

Added to his first innings 3/11, Taylor ended with match figures of 9/18.

NO CHANCE

In ASCA Section Three, ICC Sharks could have expected to have had some chance with its 164. Morphettville Park’s Kym Woodward buried that idea with 102 not out and an easy win with 3/185.

In the same section, it was almost the same story.

Fitzroy clawed its way to 9/173, then Southern, led by Josh Paech with 101 (11 fours, one six), cruised by with 4/174.