The Hills Cricket Association (HCA) season resumed on Saturday and the competition has really evened up after some pivotal games during round 10 action. Kangarilla have moved up to second place on the HCA ladder following a nail-biting one wicket victory over Stirling at Kangarilla Oval. In a game dominated by the bowlers, Kangarilla got home with three balls to spare with number 11 batsman Jack Evans hitting the winning runs. Earlier Stirling batted first and posted 138 before they were bowled out in the 40th over. The Eagles were in all sorts of strife as they slumped to 4/11 with Ryan Grimmond (4/17) and Ben Evans (3/22) doing the early damage before Myles Collins (24) and Peter Fryer (30) added an invaluable 49 runs for the fifth wicket. Coming in at number eight, Jacob Gonzalez gave the innings some much needed impetus with a hard hitting 43 from just 27 balls (4 x 4’s, 2 x 6’s). Stirling started well with the ball to reduce the home side to 5/68 at the drinks break with Fryer (3/14) and Chris Shaw (2/34) sharing the wickets. Brodie May (18) joined 17 year-old Lachlan Knight to add 31 runs for the sixth wicket as the game tightened up. Grimmond came in and made a handy 19 from 15 balls before being dismissed in the 39th over. Three runs were needed off the final over and scores were level when Knight was run out for an important 35 from 79 balls. This left the equation of one run needed from four balls for Kangarilla to bank the win and Jack Evans duly delivered. 

“I’m very happy to get the win,” said Kangarilla skipper Che Martinsen. “We started very well with the ball with Ryan Grimmond and Ben Evans bowling excellently. They consolidated but we were able to take regular wickets and we were confident that we could get the runs but we had to bat well. We struggled in the first 20 overs but managed to hang in there and we had a really important partnership between Brodie May and Lachlan Knight. Lachlan really held us together and he was able to get us over the line in the end for a really important win with some tough matches coming up in the next month.”

Meadows moved up to third spot on the HCA ladder following their 52-run victory over Flagstaff Hill at Meadows Oval, their third win in a row. The home side batted first and posted a very competitive score of 8/183 from their 40 overs. The total was set up by a 67-run third wicket stand between Haydn Reid (59 from 94 balls) and Kris Dawe (34 from 39 balls). Luke Tonkin (19) and Anthony Hughes (18 not out) also made handy contributions. Jack Walton (3/51), James Patterson (2/20) and Max Renfrey (2/42) were the multiple wicket takers for the Falcons. Flagstaff Hill got themselves into a strong position with Matthew Adams (42), in just his third 'A' grade game, and Oliver Styles (35) putting on 73 runs for the third wicket as the score reached 2/96. From that moment on however it was the Kris ‘George’ Dawe show as the experienced spinner took career-best figures of 6/17 (6). It was Dawe’s sixth five-wicket haul for the Bulldogs. Skipper Rohan Reid chipped in with 2/19 as ‘Flaggies’ lost their last eight wickets for just 35 runs to be bowled out for 131 in the 36th over.

Uraidla won their third game of the season after defeating Scott Creek Ironbank (SCIB) by five wickets to keep their slight finals chances alive in 2020/21. The Demons chased down SCIB’s total of 8/144 with 9.2 overs to spare. Alex Heptinstall was the hero for Uraidla as he made his highest score for the season with a hard hitting 72 from just 69 balls (11 x 4’s, 1 x 6). Skipper Michael Parker (26) and Ryan Hunter (17 not out) also made solid contributions while Daniel Desengo, in his first game for the season, snared 3/13 from his eight over spell for SCIB. Earlier Scott Creek Ironbank won the toss and decided to bat at the picturesque Uraidla Oval and were soon in strife at 2/4 with Thomas Bassett (2/26) taking both wickets. A 54-run stand between teenager Zane Lewis (31) and Darcy Campbell (30) put SCIB back in the game before the visitors slipped to 7/101 due to some fine bowling from Simon Parker who finished with 4/31 (7). Desengo (30 not out) and Ben McGowan (19) added some late runs but it wasn’t enough to secure their side a maiden win for the season. 

Mount Lofty moved inside the top four with a gritty two wicket win over ladder leader Aldgate at Heathfield oval. Aldgate batted first and their innings never really got going with Jack Woollard (24 from 40 balls) the only batsman to pass 20. Adam Carthew (2/13) and Aaron Smith (2/33) were the multiple wicket takers for the Redcaps while veteran Dave Bennett bowled a miserly spell to finish with 1/12 (8). Three run outs didn’t help Aldgate’s cause as they were bowled out in the 39th over for 111. Mount Lofty started well with Josh Healey (19) and James Kittel-Neill (11) adding 31 for the first wicket before veteran Perry Edwards entered the attack. Edwards (3/19) dismissed the two openers and then Brad Hutton (4) as the Redcaps were all of a sudden under pressure at 3/39. Two more quick wickets and it was 'game on' with the home side at 5/52. The Redcaps needed a partnership as Dylan Dunbar joined Carthew at the crease. This pair added 50 runs for the sixth wicket to get their side within sight of victory before Dunbar fell for 14. Woollard (4/27) grabbed three quick wickets to keep the Gaters in the hunt for a miraculous victory but it was Carthew who was there at the end with a match winning 40 not out from 65 balls (3 x 4’s) to see his side over the line with an over to spare.

Ladder (after round 10)

Aldgate 33, Kangarilla 33, Meadows 30, Mount Lofty 30, Flagstaff Hill 27, Uraidla 18, Stirling 15, Scott Creek Ironbank 6.

Round 11 fixtures (16/1/21) (home team named first)

Meadows v Mt Lofty

Aldgate v Kangarilla

Uraidla v Stirling

Scott Creek Ironbank v Flagstaff Hill