Max Bryant ton keeps Gold Coast’s finals hopes alive but another man could shape their top-four push
Another blistering Max Bryant century has kept Gold Coast’s Queensland Premier Cricket finals hopes alive but wicketkeeper Lewin Maladay believes another teammate could yet shape their top-four push.
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ANOTHER blistering Max Bryant century has kept Gold Coast’s Queensland Premier Cricket finals hopes alive but wicketkeeper Lewin Maladay believes rising quick Xavier Bartlett could yet be the man to shape their top-four push.
Knowing defeat would all but end their two-day playoff aspirations, the Dolphins overcame a precarious day-two starting position of 4-80 to chase down Toombul’s 237 with three wickets to spare on Saturday.
Their final total of 331 came largely courtesy of a 60-ball knock of 108 from Bryant, who was fresh off making 102 for the Cricket Australia XI against England Lions at Metricon Stadium last Sunday.
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The 20-year-old, who later watched as Maladay blasted 73 from 31 balls, lit up Ken Mackay Oval with 15 fours and five sixes en route to his third ton of the season.
Bryant’s return for the Dolphins came alongside fellow representative pair Matt Kuhnemann and Bartlett, who took 1-22 as Toombul reached 2-75 in their second innings.
Bartlett, 21, has taken 24 wickets at 24.83 in a season highlighted by two Sheffield Shield games for Queensland late last year.
Still more than 10 points adrift of fourth-placed Norths, Gold Coast must now beat Wests (away) and Sandgate-Redcliffe (home) in their last two fixtures and hope other results also go their way.
And Maladay says Bartlett could have a big say.
“Someone who’s done an amazing job for us is Xavier Bartlett. He’s just a level above,” Maladay said of the former Australian under-19 representative.
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“You see Max Bryant come back and smash a hundred from 55 balls but Xavier is doing a fantastic job for us up front with the Dukes (ball). Keeping to him is a challenge in itself because the ball moves so late.
“It was a bit of an interesting game. Last week we started really well with the ball and then slipped away a little bit and let them put a defendable total on the board.
“(But it was a) new week this week and came in fortunately with Max and Kuhney and Xavier, which obviously strengthened our team up. Max just continued his form from that CA game … some unbelievable hitting from him.
“He was hitting sixes over into the train station. It was a pretty magical innings to watch.”
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The Dolphins’ first grade women now need just one win from their last two games to seal the Katherine Raymont Shield’s one-day minor premiership after today’s battle with Wests was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
Holding a 12-point lead at the top of the table, they have a bye next weekend before hosting Ipswich-Logan (February 23) and Sandgate-Redcliffe (March 1) in their final fixtures.
SCOREBOARD
Toombul 237, 2-75 (Nathan Lyons 5-64) def. by Gold Coast 331 (Max Bryant 108)
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