Both our mens 1st and 2nd grade teams recorded solid victories over the Sunshine Coast to get their respective seasons off to a positive start.
Our 2019/20 premiership winning 1st grade made the trek north to maroochydore looking to continue their red hot 50 over form from last season. Wests were sent in on tacky wicket and lost the in form Brendan Smith in the first over caught behind for 4. Number 3 Sam Truloff and opener Isaiah Snell went about the rebuild sharing a 96 run stand, until Truloff was caught at cover off the bowling of spinner Sam Gardiner for brisk 65 off 68 balls leaving the score at 2 for 101. The evergreen Steve Paulsen then joined Snell at the crease and created a partnership off 44 until Snell chopped on for a gritty 51 off the bowling of seamer Ash Renouf. Paulsen (48) and small contributions from the middle to lower order along with some lusty hitting from skipper Paddy Dooley (20 off 11) late in the innings to get to a very competitive 8 – 259.
Wests then set about defending the total and opening bowlers Aiden Watterson and Blake Edwards put the brakes on the scorchers early with an early wicket to Edwards caught by keeper Snell leaving sunny coast 1-3. More tight bowling from both bowlers kept the run rate well under the required rate which led to more wickets with middle orders batters Mahaffey (6 from 36) and Maher (21 from 33) all going cheaply. Kobe Griggs was then run out to leave the scorchers 4-91. Spinners Dooley, Paulsen and debutant Zac Beveridge all took one wicket, with quicks Watterson (2), Edwards (1) and allrounder McGiffin (1) all added to with wickets column. Watterson was the pick of the bowlers with 2 – 33 from his 10 overs.
Angus Lovell (77 from 101) and keeper John Turnball (54 from 38) were the main contributors for the scorchers to have them finish 8 for 214 from 50 overs.
2nd grade got off to a fantastic start with a 12 runs win over the scorchers at GMP. The dogs made 5 for 236 with stalwart Pat Collins scoring a superb 105 from 147 balls to anchor the innings and shared a 119 run partnership with Sam Dennien 65 from 67. The bowlers then held their nerve with Darcy Murphy (1), skipper Nick Vellacott (2), Sean Seaward (1) and spinner Luke Penn (2) all taking wickets. Vellacott was the pick with 7 overs 2 for 22 to get wests over the line to complete a great weekend for the club!
Next round we play norths with 1st grade at GMP and 2nd grade away at Norths!
