LJ Hooker League: Tintenbar-East Ballina upset Marist Brothers in round six

This LJ Hooker League season is shaping up as its most exciting in recent years as an almighty mid-table logjam forms and teams jockey for positions.

Tintenbar-East Ballina pulled off the upset of the season after defeating Marist Brothers. Picture: supplied

It might only be six rounds into the season but the current LJ Hooker League campaign is looming as one of the most exciting in recent history as teams vying for finals spots form an almighty mid-table logjam.

While Cudgen and Marist Brothers have been the two outstanding teams of the season so far, sitting ahead on 39 and 36 points, respectively, below them is a group of four sides – Tweed Banora Colts, Casino Cavaliers, Goonellabah Workers Sports and Tintenbar-East Ballina – equal on 27 competition points.

Just behind this group is Lennox Head on 24 points, while Alstonville is also within touching distance on 21.

This means that just one win potentially separates eighth from third on the ladder.

And while the tight ladder is to some degree down to the even nature of the competition, it also comes on the back of some good luck and bad luck when it comes to the weather.

For example, Tintenbar surged up the ladder following its impressive 29-run DLS win over the previously undefeated Marist Brothers on Saturday in what was the only game of the weekend to generate a result.

On the other side of the ledger, Lennox Head could be left feeling somewhat aggrieved after rain prevented a result in its clash with Alstonville.

Having bowled their rivals out for 112, the Pirates were cruising at 1-42 and looked well on track to chase down the runs before play was abandoned due to the rain.

While Marist Brothers and Tintenbar have played five games out of six this season, the likes of the Tweed Colts, Casino, Goonellabah and Alstonville have only managed three, in some cases robbing teams of a likely win and on others saving them from a likely loss.

Given the close nature of the competition, each game is set to carry plenty of importance as the season approaches the halfway mark.

Indeed when it comes to the ladder, this weekend features some potentially influential clashes, highlighted by the third-versus-fifth match-up between the Colts and Goonellabah at Dave Burns Field and the local derby at Kingsford Smith Park that sees sixth-placed Tintenbar take on seventh-placed Lennox Head.

Casino is well placed in the top four. Picture: supplied

Elsewhere, Marist Brothers and Casino will face off in a top-four blockbuster and winless Murwillumbah host undefeated Cudgen.

Meanwhile, although the team is slightly off the pace in eighth, Alstonville has a golden chance to try and surge up the ladder when it lines up against Pottsville, which is yet to register a win.

As the old adage goes, it’s all to play for!

TINTENBAR PULLS OFF UPSET OF THE SEASON

Tintenbar-East Ballina has pulled off the upset of the LJ Hooker League season so far after defeating defending premiers Marist Brothers by 29 runs via the DLS method during a rain-affected round six clash at Oakes Oval.

In what was the only game to be completed over the course the weekend, some enterprising batting from Tintenbar and a late collapse that saw Marist lose 5-3 in just 13 balls was enough to hand the previously undefeated champions their first loss of the season.

“It was definitely good to get the win and beat them with the bat because they’ve got a pretty handy bowling attack. Our batting just came together,” said Tintenbar captain Abe Crawford.

“It’s always good to get a win against the team on top of the table, especially because they won the comp last year,” he added.

After being sent into bat, opener Crawford set the tone with by belting three fours and two sixes as he top scored with 43 from just 28 balls.

Abe Crawford top scored with 43 from 28 balls.

And while the rain interrupted play and saw the game reduced from a 37-over a piece contest to 25 per team, Nathan Hoey (39 not out) and Kai Dalli (27) made strong contributions to ensure that Tintenbar finished with a competitive total of 5-137 from 25.3 overs.

The application of the DLS system made the total look even more attractive for the away team as Marist was set a target of 164 from 25 overs.

Although a solid 44 from young opener Joe Parsons got the home side off to a strong start in its chase, six wickets in four overs – including 5-3 in just 13 balls – snuffed out any chance of victory as The Brothers were bowled out for 135 from 24.3 overs.

“We just knew we had to try and stop boundaries. Our bowlers bowled really well, they kept things tight and didn’t really let them get away,” said Crawford.

“Joe Parsons batted well but we knew that it was still a big total to chase, they needed six and a half an over for 25 overs.”

With Marist requiring 71 runs from the last seven and a half overs with seven wickets in hand, some sharp fielding and the run out of young gun Cooper Williams started the collapse.

Kai Dalli then took wickets in back-to-back balls, which was followed up in the very next over by another two dismissals in consecutive deliveries from off-spinner Will Elphick, who finished with the impressive figures of 3-21 from four overs.

Debutant James Buchanan then completed the four-over blitz by claiming the wicket of Andrew Munroe to reduce Marist to 9-105 and effectively put the game to bed.

“They were still there and we knew they had some big hitters to come. But our spinners kept taking wickets in the middle order – it was good,” said Crawford.

“Will Elphick, our off-spinner, came back on and just spun one, it got a leading edge and took a caught and bowled. Next ball there was a stumping and then we took a couple of good catches on the boundary.”

And although the flurry of wickets at the end sealed the match, the skipper was most pleased with his team’s efforts with the willow, with 5-137 from 25 overs remarkably Tintenbar’s best innings total so far this season in all formats.

“We looked a lot better with the bat, which is good,” said Crawford.

“We’ve had no dramas with our bowling effort and having that younger team definitely makes it easier in the field because they’re so energetic. Their want to be there is a little higher than sometimes when you’ve got a few older fellas.

“It’s actually a lot more enjoyable playing this year, compared to the last few years when it dragged on a little bit.”

In a round otherwise full of washouts, the victory proved to be crucial for Tintenbar, who moved to a record of three wins, two losses and one washout.

And while the team is in sixth on the ladder, it moved into a four-team logjam on 27 points that includes third-placed Tweed Banora Colts, Casino and Goonellabah Workers Sports.

“It was definitely a good win to get because we had a couple of blokes away this week,” said Crawford. “It was good to get a few points up on everyone else.”

The victory breathes some fire into the race for the top four, with Tintenbar taking on Lennox Head in a two-day local derby before facing off with Goonellabah before the festive break.

“It’s a big three weeks before Christmas, for sure. It we can sneak in another two wins it’d be awesome,” said Crawford.

Elsewhere, Lennox Head can probably feel most aggrieved at the conditions after rain prevented a result in its clash with Alstonville.

After bowling its rivals out for 112 inside 35 overs, thanks to three-wicket hauls from Robert Dorey and Nick Asser, the Pirates were well on track for victory at 1-42 before rain stopped play in the 12th over.

At Dave Burns Field the Colts only managed to face 6.4 overs against Pottsville, blasting their way to 0-49, while the Casino Cavaliers were on 2-55 from 18 overs against Cudgen before play was abandoned.

Meanwhile there was no action between Murwillumbah and Goonellabah at Rabjones Oval.