Noarlunga moved to the top of the Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA) ladder after a comprehensive innings and 92-run outright victory over Willunga yesterday. Noarlunga declared at 4/287 on day one with Willunga resuming at 7/72 on a hot and windy day two at Willunga Oval. The Willunga innings was wrapped up inside the first hour as Sean Williams took the last three wickets to bowl the Demons out for 91. Williams finished with career-best figures of 8/32 from 16.5 overs. Willunga were asked to follow-on with 58 overs left in the day and they were soon in trouble at 3/20 as Demons skipper Rory Hanson came to the crease. Hanson, who had top scored with 30 in the first innings, again was the mainstay for Willunga and he found a willing ally in Adam Penman (13). This pair batted to within eight overs of stumps before Jason Scarff got the vital breakthrough, removing Hanson for 42 (121 balls). Williams (4/26) and Scarff (2/12) claimed the last two wickets as the Shoes won with nine balls to spare. Williams finished with match figures of 12/58 from 30.5 overs. 

Yankalilla won their third game of the season after a comfortable eight-wicket victory at home against local rival Myponga-Sellicks. Yankalilla started day two in pursuit of Myponga-Sellicks’ handy total of 215, and the Tigers got off to a good start with Lachlan Whittlesea (15) and Aaron Smith adding 78 runs for the first wicket. Smith was then joined by ‘Yank’ skipper Luke Bartlett (34 not out) to put on 73 for the second wicket before Smith departed for a hard-hitting 94 from 84 balls (13 x 4’s, 2 x 6’s). Smith now has 200 runs at an average of 66.67 this season. It was left to Dougie Jones (41 not out off 34 balls) and Bartlett to knock off the target with 27 overs to spare. Vinnie Nizzola (2/64) was the sole wicket taker for the Mudlarks. 

McLaren Districts also won their third game of the season after an excellent bowling display saw them defeat Mt Compass by 94 runs at Burgess Oval yesterday. Mt Compass resumed at 1/31 in pursuit of the Crushers’ first innings of 185 and the game looked evenly poised. It wasn’t to be, as only one Mt Compass batsman, Aaron Dalitz (24 not out), reached 20 with the home side bowled out in the 41st over for just 91. Three Crushers bowlers took wickets with George Beard leading the way with 4/34 (17) and he was well supported by Roy Graham (3/30) and Stephen Nairn (2/19).

Reigning premier Encounter Bay moved into the top-six with a thrilling seven-run win against Goolwa yesterday. Goolwa resumed day two on 1/17 in pursuit of the Bays’ first innings of 147, and were soon in trouble as they slipped to 6/44. Josh Peach (15) and Max McCardle (39) stopped the rot with a 47-run stand for the seventh wicket. Just when the Magpies seemed back on track, three wickets fell to leave them at 9/91 and still 57 runs from victory. Last pair Kingsley Vincent and Nick Ralph (18 not out) held the Bays out for 23 overs, adding 49 runs for the last wicket, before coming up agonisingly short as Cam Litern (2/23) dismissed Vincent for 25 with Goolwa bowled out for 140. Other wicket takers for Encounter Bay were skipper Blake Bailey (4/38), Chris Butler (3/30) and Kieran Garrett (1/20). 

Port Elliot remained undefeated after their comfortable eight-wicket victory against Victor Harbor. Port Elliot started the day on 2/64, just 37 runs from first innings victory. The Bloods batted for just over 13 overs before declaring at 6/155, a lead of 55, with Jaspa Tonkin top scoring with 66 not out (89 balls). Mark Stringer (21) and Joel Harris (21) chipped in with handy contributions as Victor Harbor took their second turn at the crease with 56 overs left in the day. Luke Harding (32), Sachin Sharma (28) and Josh Boyko (22) ensured the Vipers batted out the day to finish on 5/94. Ben Martin (2/26) was the multiple wicket taker for Port Elliot.

Ladder (after round 4)

Noarlunga 28, Port Elliot 28, Goolwa 18, Yankalilla 18, McLaren Districts 18, Encounter Bay 12, Myponga-Sellicks 10, Mt Compass 0, Victor Harbor 0, Willunga 0.

Round 5 (home team named first - 2 day games)

Goolwa v Port Elliot

Encounter Bay v Myponga-Sellicks

McLaren Districts v Noarlunga

Mt Compass v Yankalilla 

Victor Harbor v Willunga