Encounter Bay pulled off a thrilling one-run win against reigning premier Willunga during round seven action at Encounter Bay in the Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA) on Saturday. It was Willunga’s first loss since October 2019. The Bays won the toss and decided to bat first and were in early strife with both openers dismissed and the score on 2/23. Veteran Sam Hoffmann was joined at the crease by skipper Blake Bailey and this pair set about resurrecting the innings through an excellent 94-run stand for the third wicket. Bailey finished with 29, while Hoffmann continued on to top score with 61. Cam Lintern added 14 not out as the home side finished with a competitive 6/141 from their 40 overs. Tye McIvor (2/27) was the only multiple wicket taker for Willunga, while Daniel Hockham bowled a miserly spell of 0/11 from his eight overs. Willunga lost their in-form skipper Luke Harding (6) early before Joel Docking (31) paired up with Paul Roberts to add 61 for the second wicket. Luke Goldner (19) and Scott Brown (15) made useful contributions, while Roberts went on to top score with 50 (88 balls) before being run out as the Demons came up agonisingly short at 6/140. Bailey continued his good day with 2/22 (8) and he was well supported by Shane Hastings (1/18) and Hoffmann (1/19), while there were two run outs.

Noarlunga consolidated their spot in the top-two with a comfortable eight-wicket win against Goolwa at Old Noarlunga on Saturday. Stand-in skipper Anthony Burgess won the toss for the home side and sent the Magpies in. Jesse Consalvo got Goolwa off to a good start with a hard-hitting 36 from 45 balls. Luke Giddings was anchoring the innings well and was involved in handy partnerships worth 30 runs (with Consalvo) and 37 (with Dean Vickery) as he finished with 53 not out (89 balls). Goolwa ended up with 7/142 from their 40 overs. Matty Ray (2/20), Ben Stewart Tonkin (2/22) and Peter Lamz (2/24) led the way with the ball for the Shoes. Noarlunga lost opening batsman Jeff Colo for 12 which brought Burgess to the crease to join Mason Parry. This pair added 55 for the second wicket before Parry was removed for 15. Matthew Spaan was the next batsman in for the Shoes and he and Burgess steadily set about chasing down the target. They achieved this in the 37th over through an unbroken 76-run union for the third wicket. Burgess top scored with 69 not out (84 balls), while Spaan finished with 31 not out (59 balls). Andy Evans (1/24) and Tyron Rigney (1/24) were the wicket takers for Goolwa.

Port Elliot won their third game of the season to keep in touch with the top-four following their four-wicket win at home against McLaren Districts. The visitors batted first and battled their way to 7/131 from their 40 overs. The innings was set up by a 61-run stand between Luke Goodieson (51) and skipper Stephen Nairn (21) for the third wicket. Teenager Finn Hayden (2/17) and Tyson Somerfield (2/24) were the multiple wicket takers, while veteran Simon Donaldson bowled a miserly eight-over spell to finish with 1/8. The Bloods had many contributors throughout their innings with the key partnership being between the father/son duo of Andy (22) and Finn Hayden (25). This pair added 46 runs for the third wicket. Three wickets fell on the ‘devils number’ of 87 to give the Crushers a ‘sniff’ of victory as Michael Genockey (4/19), in his first game since the 2015/16 season, claimed a hattrick spread over two overs. 45 runs were needed from the final 10 overs as Nigel Mack (11 not out) joined Scott Hannam at the crease. Hannam hit a quickfire 22 (18 balls) and Somerfield (14 not out) finished the game in style with three consecutive boundaries in the 36th over. Nairn (2/21) was the other wicket taker for the Crushers. 

The competition will break next weekend for the annual Meyer Shield competition with the season to resume on Saturday 29 January.

Ladder (after round 7)

Noarlunga 33, Willunga 30*, Encounter Bay 22, Goolwa 21, Port Elliot 18*, McLaren Districts 0.

*Willunga and Port Elliot have a game in hand

Round 8 fixture* (home team named first/one-day games)

Noarlunga v Port Elliot

McLaren Districts v Encounter Bay

Goolwa v Willunga

*Saturday 29 January