St Albans Breakwater win first top grade game of the season in Round 2 of the T20 competition

After seven straight losses, a demoted GCA club’s first grade team has broken through with its first victory of the year.

A Thomson batter is bowled against Alexander Thomson in the Round 2 T20 match. Picture: Wes Cusworth.

A local cricket club has gone 6-0 to open the Geelong Cricket Association season while a fellow demoted outfit has broken through for its first.

Lara continued its unbeaten start to the 2024-25 season with a 20-run defeat of Murgheboluc in Round 2 of the Geelong Cricket Association’s T20 competition at King Lloyd Recreation Reserve on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, St Albans Breakwater scored its first top grade win of the summer after a final over victory against Guild St Mary’s.

The Supersaints, who were bowled out for just 39 by Bannockburn in Round 1 in late October, posted 8-122 in pursuit of 121 on their home deck.

St Albans Breakwater coach Mick Graham said it was just what the club needed after a mass exodus of players over the off-season and a demotion to GCA4.

“(A) good feeling for the boys and shows they are getting better each week,” Graham said.

St Albans’ first grade team had been winless after six rounds in GCA4.

Alexander Thomson celebrate a wicket against Thomson in Round 2 of the T20 competition. Picture: Wes Cusworth.

Meanwhile, the Cats are the only undefeated team in its pool, while North Geelong, Newtown & Chilwell and Torquay have also gone two from two in their respective divisions.

Brenden Miller top scored for Lara with an unbeaten 34 in their 7-134 (Jason Hewitt 30) and then rolled the Frogs for 112 (Jaymee Guy 3-13, Charlie Walsh 2-8).

The Cats are also 4-0 and on top of the GCA2 first grade ladder after six rounds.

The Magpies easily beat Highton seven wickets, with star bowler Tom Mathieson claiming 3-12 and new recruit Bailey Sykes 3-15 as the Magpies restricted Highton to 8-109 off 20 overs.

In reply, Ned Cooper (35) and Phil Visser (25 not out) guided North to a win with six overs to spare.

A Geelong City batter is clean bowled against Torquay. Picture: Wes Cusworth.

Newtown & Chilwell beat Grovedale by six wickets with more than 10 overs up its sleeve, St Joseph’s beat East Belmont (Amrit Chhina 72) by 30 runs and Bell Park got home comfortably by eight wickets over Leopold.

The Dragons’ Tassie recruit Sam Elliston-Buckley guided his team towards the finish line with 78 off 48 balls with support from Jamie Spiller (32) chasing Leopold’s 3-140 (Henry Hatswell 68 not out).

South Barwon beat St Peter’s by 31 runs, Torquay’s 4-147 was 46 runs too many for Geelong City while Bell Post Hill reached a target of 128 three wickets down and an over to spare against Geelong West.

Torquay's Damian O'Brien bowls against Geelong City in Round 2 of the T20 competition. Picture: Wes Cusworth

Thomson suffered its first loss in any format of first grade cricket this season, going down by seven runs to Alexander Thomson, while Meredith won its fourth game in a row with an 86-run victory over Lethbridge.

Modewarre chased down Corio’s 7-99 (Anthony Grace 24 off 11 rocks, Will Smith 3-18) with three balls to spare after Nat Matthews (23 not out) and Robert Proctor (22) top scored for the Warriors.

Thomson's Luke Wilcox hit a massive six against Alexander Thomson in Round 2 of the T20 competition. Picture: Wes Cusworth.

Little River (Reeben Chandran 45 not out, Dwight Faulkner 35 not out Saqib Ali 31, Nic Fairchild 23 and 2-21, Garry Bartlett 2-43) banked another victory, this time by 23 runs over Teesdale, while Bannockburn (Travis Weber 76 not out, James Cross 27 not out, Lachie Osborne 3-16) easily reeled in Waurn Ponds Deakin’s 6-108 without losing a wicket and 23 balls to spare.

And Newcomb & District (Brad Jones 101, Tyler O’Neill 65 not out, Daniel Harrison 6-19) absolutely destroyed the Shelford Bullants by 123 runs while Manifold Heights downed Marshall by 23 runs.

The Rams, Dinos, Redbacks and the Bulls all remain unbeaten after two rounds.

Originally published as St Albans Breakwater win first top grade game of the season in Round 2 of the T20 competition