Meadows posted a very competitive first day total of 242 against Mount Lofty at Meadows Oval as round four action in the Hills Cricket Association (HCA) got underway on Saturday. Meadows batted first and got off to a good start with Luke Tonkin (47) and Haydn Reid (33) adding 80 for the first wicket. Mount Lofty hit back hard as the home side suffered a mini collapse of 4/27, including the key wickets of skipper Brad Dawe (0) and Rohan Reid (4), to see the match evenly poised with the Bulldogs 4/107. Matt Pethick was doing a fine job and he was joined by Max Buckley and this pair set about putting the innings back on track with a fifth wicket stand of 68 before Pethick was dismissed for 44. Buckley carried on to his highest ‘A’ grade score of 80 (5 x 4’s, 5 x 6’s) as the home side were dismissed in the 70th over. Making his ‘A’ grade debut for Mount Lofty, Xavier Leigh was the standout with the ball taking 5/78 from a marathon 22 overs. Opening bowler Adam Carthew also put in a sizeable stint at the bowling crease to take 3/77 from a whopping 26 overs. 

Aldgate and Stirling are locked in a tight contest after an even first day at Aldgate Oval. The visitors won the toss and sent the Gaters in to bat and it was a tough grind for the home side as they finished the day at 7/199. Josh Callaghan (25) and Jake Turnbull (21) made promising starts in the top order but failed to capitalise and at 4/77, the game was evenly poised. Frank Clements (48) and Declan Gray (44 n.o.) put on an important partnership of 43 runs for the fifth wicket and Gray continued his patient knock when debutant Luke Smet came to the crease. This pair added 72 off 14 overs for the seventh wicket before Smet was dismissed off the last ball of the innings for 41. Veteran spinner Pete Fryer bowled a huge spell of 28 overs and took 4/76 while there were also wickets to Ben Zampa (1/3), Jack Pick (1/19) and Jacob Kemp (1/24).

The clash at Kangarilla Oval between Kangarilla and Flagstaff Hill is also evenly poised after the home side compiled 200 with Flagstaff Hill 1/14 in reply at stumps on day one. Kangarilla won the toss and batted first and they were off to a flyer with Jono Makai (84) and Brodie May (14) putting on 77 for the first wicket. The pressure on the Falcons bowlers didn’t let up as Makai was joined by Matthew Bertelsmeier (40) and this pair added 53 for the second wicket before Makai was dismissed. Makai’s knock was his highest for Kangarilla and included 8 x 4’s and 2 x 6’s as the score raced to 2/142 at Tea. Flagstaff Hill used the Tea break to gather themselves and they came out firing taking the last eight wickets for just 44 runs. Jack Walton was the star for the Falcons with his first ‘A’ grade five-wicket haul as he finished with 5/33 (12). He was ably supported by the ever reliable Jacob Lemon who snared 3/54 (19.3). The Falcons were left to bat seven overs at the end of the day as they finished at 1/14 with Ross Mummery (4) dismissed by Ben Evans (1/5).

The round wraps up with day two action getting underway from 1.00pm this Saturday.