Meadows won their fifth consecutive game to consolidate second position on the Hills Cricket Association (HCA) ladder following a tough four-wicket victory against Kangarilla during round 12 action at Meadows oval on Saturday. Kangarilla skipper Che Martinsen won the toss and decided to bat first but the visitors were soon in trouble with their top three batsmen in Cole Davy (10), Steve Featherstone (4) and Matthew Bertelsmeier (10) all dismissed by Thomas Bevan-Giles to see ‘Kangies’ struggling at 3/29. Bevan-Giles finished with the excellent figures of 3/19 (8), his best figures of the season. Wickets continued to fall steadily until Kangarilla were 9/83 as Kris Dawe (4/15) and Callan Blackwell (2/30) cut a swathe through the visitors middle and lower order. Ben Evans (22 from 30 balls) and brother Jack Evans (19 from 19 balls) tried to add some respectability to the total as the score reached 110 before ‘Kangies’ were bowled out in the 39th over. Meadows' run chase started in disastrous fashion with Luke Tonkin (4), Haydn Reid (5) and Kris Dawe (0) all back in the pavilion with the score at 3/12. All three batsmen were dismissed by Martinsen who finished with the fine figures of 3/23 (8). Max Buckley (11) joined his captain Rohan Reid in a 30-run stand for the fourth wicket but when Buckley and then Josh Teakle (6) were dismissed, the game was evenly poised with the Bulldogs at 5/58, still needing 53 runs for victory. Veteran Chad Dawe showed his experience as he combined with Reid to add a match-winning 51 runs for the sixth wicket with Dawe making his highest score of the season with 34 from 45 balls. Reid saw it home for his side with a patient and important 41 not out off 92 balls with the winning runs coming in the 36th over. Ben Evans was the other multiple wicket taker for Kangarilla with 3/32 from his eight over spell. 

Uraidla kept their finals hopes alive with a comprehensive six-wicket away victory over Flagstaff Hill. The home side got off to a good start as openers Matt Emes (16) and Max Renfrey (12) added 31 for the first wicket. From that moment on however it was all Uraidla as they took 10/49 to roll ‘Flaggies’ for just 80 in the 33rd over. Stephen Wheatland (16 not out) and Lachlan Tosh (11) were the only other batsmen to reach double figures. Fresh from a winning Meyer Shield weekend with the Hills combination, Renzo Gaetan snared career best figures of 5/15 (8). This was the third five-wicket haul for Gaetan in his ‘A’ grade career with the Demons. Gaetan was well supported by Ben Ratcliffe (2/14) and opening bowler George Bond (2/15). An opening partnership of 45 between Alex Heptinstall (33) and Ben Sheppard (20 not out) set Uraidla up for their fourth win of the season with the winning runs being knocked off in the 29th over. Renfrey was the pick of the Falcons bowlers with figures of 2/19 (8). 

Aldgate opening batsman Mitch Thomas scored his second century of the 2020/21 season to help his side to a convincing 94-run win over arch rival Stirling at Aldgate oval. Thomas is having a career-best season with 351 runs at an average of 51.14. The home side were in plenty of trouble early in their innings as they slipped to 3/24 in the 12th over thanks to some good bowling from Kosta Sinodinos who took 4/41 from eight overs, his best figures for the Eagles. Liam Winskill (17) joined Thomas in a 29-run stand before the key partnership of the innings was forged between Luke Smet and Thomas. This pair added 99 runs from 15 overs before Smet was dismissed for 33 from 40 balls (3 x 4’s, 2 x 6’s). Thomas went on to register 112 from 117 balls (14 x 4’s, 3 x 6’s) before being dismissed off the final ball of the innings with Aldgate’s score at 8/201. Chris Shaw (2/31) was the Eagles other multiple wicket taker. Stirling were never in the hunt during their run chase with Sinodinos (30) the only player to pass 20 runs as the visitors were dismissed for 107 in the 31st over. Aldgate skipper Jake Turnbull was the star with the ball as he took 5/18 from 5.2 overs. In the process, Turnbull brought up his 100th ‘A’ grade wicket for Aldgate in just his fourth season with the club. 

Mount Lofty moved back inside the top four with a convincing 127-run victory over bottom side Scott Creek Ironbank (SCIB) at Cherry Gardens. The Redcaps batted first with Josh Healey and James Kittel-Neill adding 65 for the first wicket before Kittel-Neill was dismissed for 22 (49 balls). Healey then combined with his skipper, Jordan Neis-Beer, for a 75-run second wicket stand before Healey went for 74 from 81 balls (9 x 4’s and 3 x 6’s). Neis-Beer went on to make 48 from 51 balls, while Adam Carthew (25 from 24 balls) and Darren Jones (32 from 13 balls) helped lift the final total to 9/240. Five Scott Creek Ironbank bowlers took wickets with Nathan Abbott leading the way with 3/37 (7). SCIB never gave the run chase a shake as they finished on 4/113 from their 40 overs. Conor Lidstone (25) and Jarrod Thompson (23 not out) were the leading lights for the home side with the bat, while veteran Redcaps bowler Dave Bennett bowled a miserly eight over spell to finish with 1/12. 

Ladder (after round 12)

Aldgate 45, Meadows 42, Mount Lofty 36, Flagstaff Hill 33, Kangarilla 33, Uraidla 24, Stirling 21, Scott Creek Ironbank 6.

Round 13 fixtures (6/2/21) (home team named first)

Scott Creek Ironbank v Meadows

Aldgate v Flagstaff Hill 

Mt Lofty v Stirling

Kangarilla v Uraidla