LJ Hooker League: Wrap, results, standouts from round seven

There must have been something in the air as a series of season records were broken during round seven of the LJ Hooker League.

Adam Fisher was strong for Lennox Head as the Pirates recorded the highest team total of the season so far.

After a season opening in which the bowlers have generally had the upper hand, it was the batters’ turn to shine during round seven of the LJ Hooker League.

A season record of 988 runs were scored in the first innings of matches on Saturday, with teams chalking up three of the top-four team totals so far in the 2024/25 campaign.

The highlight was out at Kingsford Smith Park where Lennox Head scored 284 in its clash against Tintenbar-East Ballina to record the highest team score of the season.

Jesse Williams was the star with 98 from 135 balls as five players got starts. Opener Adam Fisher kicked things off nicely with 40, number nine Robert Dorey piled on valuable lower-order runs with 40 of his own while Lucas Pevy (26) and Nick Asser (23) made contributions.

At Dave Burns Field, Goonellabah had its lower order thank for turning its fortunes around as it took on the Tweed Banora Colts.

Struggling at 7-47 after 31 overs, the Goonellabah bottom four remarkably piled on 168 runs between them to lift the team to 245 – the season’s third-highest total – before it was bowled out in the 76th over.

Number eight William Brown top scored with 68 from 97 balls, Damien Santin finished unbeaten on 48, Brady Toniello scored 34 and number 11 Josh Healy hit 18 off 17 balls late in the day.

And while much of the top and middle order struggled, opener Thomas Gregory played a crucial holding knock for his team, batting for 52 overs to keep the innings together before he was eventually dismissed for 43 from 148 balls.

Meanwhile at Seabreeze Sports Field, Pottsville smashed comfortably its highest total of the season as it was bowled out for 228 against Alstonville.

After the top order struggled, Harrison O’Brien and Nathan Wilson came to the rescue, hitting 68 and 47 respectively to set up an exciting second weekend in the contest.

Nathan Wilson helped Pottsville to its best team total of the season. Photo Marc Stapelberg / The Northern Star

Elsewhere, Cudgen showed why it is on top of the table by bucking the first innings trend as it bowled Murwillumbah out for just 123 at Rabjones Oval.

Pat Rosser ripped through the middle order with 6-47 from 18.2 overs before Cudgen flew past the Panthers’ total to finish play on 2-134 from 29 overs, with skipper Alec Williams unbeaten on 66 and Callum Gall on 49 not out.

Meanwhile Casino was another team to find it more difficult with the bat in round seven as it was bowled out for 108 in its clash with Marist Brothers at Oakes Oval.

Damien Vidler was the lone form of the resistance for the Cavaliers, scoring an unbeaten 50 from 71 balls as Brendan Mitchell and Harry Donelan took three wickets each for the Brothers.

In reply, Marist was within in touching distance of first innings points, finishing the day on 3-92, with Ashley Simes scoring 37 and Kevin Warid unbeaten on 31.

RUNS FLOW AROUND THE GROUNDS

While Murwillumbah and Casino struggled with the bat, the numbers paint a picture of how the batters elsewhere clicked into gear around the grounds in round seven.

In the five first-innings totals from Saturday, 988 runs were scored at an average of 197.6 per innings.

This was comfortably higher than the previous record for the season, when first innings teams scored 876 runs at an average of 175.2 in round four, and well beyond the first innings season average of just 141.

Three of the top-four highest team totals for the season were also recorded on Saturday, with Lennox Head’s 284 going to number, in front of Tweed Banora Colts’ round three score of 5d-251.

Goonellabah slid into third with its 245 while Pottsville came in fourth after scoring 228.