Noarlunga won their third game of the season after defeating Port Elliot by 63 runs during round five action in the Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA) at Port Elliot on Saturday. Noarlunga posted a competitive 8/193 on day one and they started day two well with Port Elliot opener Hayden Gordge run out without scoring in the first over. Scott Hannam joined veteran opening batsman Andy Hayden to add 21 runs for the second wicket before Hannam was dismissed for 15 (46 balls). Regular wickets continued to fall with Andy Hayden playing a sheet-anchor role before being dismissed for a top-scoring 37 from 155 balls. The game was all but over as the home side slipped to 9/95 before Harry Grenfell slapped a quickfire 25 not out from 30 balls in a 35-run last wicket stand with Simon Donaldson (9). The Bloods were finally dismissed for 130 in the 61st over. Anthony Burgess (3/22), Matty Ray (3/28) and Ben Stewart-Tonkin (2/40) were the multiple wicket takers for the Shoes.

Encounter Bay won their second game on the trot with a tight 13-run home win against McLaren Districts. The visitors began day two on 2/27 in pursuit of the Bays’ first innings of 150 and they were soon 3/39 after Lachlan Cooper (0) was removed by Blake Bailey (2/46). Cooper’s dismissal brought the Crushers skipper Stephen Nairn to the crease and he partnered with Luke Goodieson in a crucial 42-run stand for the fourth wicket as their team reached 3/81, and into a winning position. The dismissal of Nairn (20) and then Goodieson, who top scored with 54 from 108 balls (8 x 4’s), led to a collapse with only Bodie Wilson (23) showing any resistance in the lower order as the Crushers were dismissed for 137. Veteran Sam Hoffmann was the pick of the Bays bowlers with the fine figures of 4/15 from 15 overs. 

Willunga continued their undefeated start to the season with a convincing victory over Goolwa at Willunga Oval. The Demons had already banked first innings points on day one as they resumed day two with a lead of 75 runs on 4/146. They batted on for another 11 overs, adding 56 runs, before declaring with a lead of 131 runs at 7/202. Joel Docking (51), Rhys Allard (45) and Simon Roberts (35) were the leading run scorers for Willunga, while James Lawrence (3/36) and Jesse Consalvo (2/31) were the leading wicket takers for Goolwa. There were still 59 overs left in the day's play as Goolwa set about avoiding a second consecutive outright defeat. The Magpies were in all sorts of trouble again in their second dig as they lost six wickets with more than 30 overs left in the game and Willunga would’ve been very confident of taking the maximum points. Goolwa skipper Jayden Crees (23 not out) and dogged opener Luke Giddings (7 not out) had other ideas as they battled it out and staved off the outright defeat in a gutsy rearguard action. Luke Goldner captured 3/14 from 13 overs, while Roberts made it eight wickets for the match with 3/16 from a marathon 23 overs. 

The ‘A’ grade competition will break now for Christmas/New Year and will resume with a round of one-day matches on Saturday 8 January 2022.

Round 6 fixtures (home team named first/one-day games)

Willunga v Port Elliot

McLaren Districts v Noarlunga

Goolwa v Encounter Bay

Ladder (after round 5)

Willunga 30, Noarlunga 21, Encounter Bay 16, Goolwa 15, Port Elliot 12, McLaren Districts 0.