Port Elliot has moved inside the top four for the first time since October after winning their fourth game in a row with a tight two-wicket win over a gallant Mount Compass outfit at Burgess Oval in round nine of the Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA). Mount Compass posted a competitive day one total of 9/173 and when Port Elliot slipped to 7/98, a massive upset looked on the cards. Colby Whitbourne (44) was the only top order batsman to get going for the Bloods so it was left to the lower order to get the job done. The Bloods badly needed a partnership and veteran Simon Donaldson and teenager Harrison Grenfell, in just his fourth ‘A’ grade game, came together to add an all important 58 runs for the eight wicket before Grenfell was dismissed for 27. Donaldson continued on to finish 41 not out with assistance from Markus Consalvo (4 not out) as the winning runs were scored in the 41st over. Aaron Dalitz was the star with the ball for Mount Compass taking 6/50 (19), his second five-wicket haul of the season.Myponga won their first game of the season with a thrilling nine-run victory over McLaren Districts at McLaren Vale. Myponga made 7/180 on day one and got off to an excellent start with the ball on day two as only Daniel Bruce (29) could pass 20 for the McLaren Districts top order. A late order revival from Ryan McCurrach (33) and Zac Hodges (28) gave the home side some hope but ultimately they were bowled out in the 68th over for 171. Myponga shared the wickets around with Mitchell Farquhar (3/30), James Patterson (3/45), Vincent Nizzola (2/31) and Ryan Haverty (2/38) doing all the damage.Willunga consolidated top spot on the GSCA ladder with their eighth consecutive victory, this time by 42 runs over Encounter Bay at Willunga Oval. The home side made 220 on day one and got off to an excellent start with the ball on day two as Encounter Bay slipped to 3/48. Skipper Cam Lintern (45) then joined Sam Hoffmann (56) in a 43-run fourth wicket stand to get the visitors back in the game. Lintern was then joined by Sam Overall (37) and this pair added 54 for the fifth wicket to give Encounter Bay a real sniff at upsetting the top team. Unfortunately once Lintern was dismissed the last six wickets fell for just 33 runs as Encounter Bay were bowled out for 178 in the 66th over. Once again Simon Roberts was the star with the ball for the Demons as he snared 5/35 from 17 overs, his second five-wicket haul of the season.Goolwa leapfrogged Noarlunga into second position on the GSCA ladder with a grinding three-wicket win over the Shoes at Goolwa Oval. Goolwa resumed day two at 0/9 in pursuit of Noarlunga’s day one total of 105 and they appeared to be cruising to victory as Luke Giddings (34) and Shaun Burger (28) added 48 for the second wicket to reach 1/61 and victory was within sight. The Magpies then suffered a mini collapse losing 4/7 to be in danger at 5/68 before Fred Nissen steadied the ship with 18 not out to get the home side over the line in the 62nd over. Noarlunga skipper Jason Scarff put in a marathon bowling effort to take 5/45 from 27.4 overs.The competition takes a break over the long weekend for the annual Meyer Shield competition to be hosted by the Murray Towns Cricket Association. Round 10 (1/2/20 & 8/2/20) fixtures are two-day matches (home team named first).....Noarlunga v McLaren DistrictsMyponga v GoolwaPort Elliot v WillungaEncounter Bay v Mount Compass

Stirling has won their third game in a row after a comprehensive seven-wicket victory at Bridgewater as round nine concluded in the Hills Cricket Association (HCA). Stirling resumed day two at 1/0 in pursuit of Bridgewater’s first innings of 138 as Kosta Sinodinos and Myles Collins set about blunting the home side's attack. This pair added 40 for the second wicket before Collins was run out for 14. Sinodinos was joined by skipper Jack Pick as the Eagles methodically closed in on the target with an 83-run third wicket partnership before Sinodinos was dismissed for a fine 58 (111 balls). Pick continued on to finish on 41 not out as the target was reached in the 53rd over. Adam Eckermann was the standout bowler for the Raiders with the figures of 2/21 from 12 overs.Mount Lofty has also won their third game in a row and moved inside the top four for the first time this season. The Redcaps resumed at 1/19 in pursuit of Flagstaff Hill’s sub-par first innings total of 71 and lost two early wickets at Heathfield Oval to be 3/19 and the Falcons were in with a bit of a sniff. James Kittel-Neill joined skipper Jordan Neis-Beer and these two set about slowly resurrecting the innings. There were no further dramas for Mount Lofty as they added 89 for the fourth wicket with Neis-Beer scoring 48 and Kittel-Neill 47 as the home side pushed on before declaring their innings closed at 6/148, an overall lead of 77 runs. Jack Walton (2/7) and Kyle Petty (2/35) were the multiple wicket takers for Flagstaff Hill. There were still 30 overs left in the game as Lofty pushed for the outright victory but the Falcons defended stoutly to finish on 1/19 when stumps were drawn early.Aldgate has won consecutive games for the first time since last years finals series after a nail biting 11-run victory at Kangarilla. Aldgate were on top early dismissing dangerous openers Steve Featherstone and Jono Makai to have the home side in trouble at 2/40. Matthew Bertelsmeier and Brodie May (24) then put on an excellent 66-run partnership for the third wicket and Kangarilla looked in good shape at 2/106. May and Ben Ryan were dismissed shortly after the tea adjournment and when Bertelsmeier went for a fine 73, Kangarilla were in trouble at 5/145. Skipper Che Martinsen remained the big hope for Kangies but when he was dismissed for 26, Aldgate closed in on the win as the Gaters took the last 5/39 (including three run-outs) to bowl the home side out in the 69th over for 216. Frank Clements backed up his 66 with the bat to take 4/61 from 21 overs and he was well supported by Matty Hansen with 2/37.Meadows had the bye.The competition takes a break over the Australia Day long weekend for the annual Meyer Shield competition to be hosted by the Murray Towns Cricket Association. Round 10 (1/2/20 & 8/2/20) fixtures are two-day matches (home team named first).....Stirling v MeadowsMt Lofty v KangarillaFlagstaff Hill v BridgewaterAldgate has the bye

Southern Districts’ finals hopes took a hit after they lost their round nine SACA Premier Cricket match against Adelaide University at Bice Oval on Saturday. The home side won the toss and sent University in and the move paid early dividends as Huw Stone removed dangermen Will Bosisto and Sam Kerber as the visitors slumped to 2/20. Skipper Ben Wakim (91) was the backbone of the innings and he was well supported by Kyle Brazell (53) and Campbell Vadlja (45). Some late innings hitting from Daniel Kerber (38 off 17 balls) lifted Uni to a very good total of 7/257 after their 50 overs. Stone finished with 4/60 (10) with Lewis Hatchett (2/43) the other multiple wicket waker.The Stingrays’ reply began in disastrous fashion as they were reduced to 4/23 with Ben Ellis (3/24) and Nick Winter (2/30) cutting a swathe through the top order. Ben Twohig and Sunam Gautam (11) tried hard to resurrect the innings with a 34-run partnership before Twohig was joined by Matthew Sugg and this pair gave the Stingrays some hope as they added 78 runs for the sixth wicket before Twohig was dismissed for 62, his highest score. Sugg continued on to make 46 but when he was dismissed, the game was as good as over with the Stingrays bowled out in the 42nd over for 178 to lose by 79 runs. Bailey Wightman (4/37) was the leading wicket taker for Adelaide University.

Onkaparinga Tennis Association - SeniorRound 11 resultsWoodchester 16 - 108 defeated Kangarilla 0 - 0Strathalbyn 13 - 101 defeated Clarendon 3 - 51John Wesley 11 - 87 defeated Macclesfield 5 - 63Premiership table (after Round 11)Strathalbyn 154John Wesley 141Macclesfield 136Clarendon 103Woodchester 87Kangarilla 39Round 12 fixtures (18/1/20)Clarendon v John WesleyKangarilla v StrathalbynMacclesfield v WoodchesterGreat Southern Tennis Association - Division 1Round 11 resultsPort Elliot 8 - 11 - 77 defeated Victor Harbor 1 - 2 - 35Goolwa 7 - 9 - 72 defeated The Valleys 2 - 3 - 45Premiership table (after Round 11)Port Elliot 87Goolwa 86The Valleys 50Victor Harbor 41Round 12 fixtures (17/1/20)Victor Harbor v GoolwaPort Elliot v The Valleys

Southern Districts’ first grade has moved up to sixth spot on the SACA Premier Cricket ladder after a convincing eight-wicket win over Prospect in round eight action at Bice Oval. Prospect won the toss and chose to bat and were set for a competitive total as they reached 2/106 thanks mostly to Lachie Blunden (48) and Ross Richardson (42) putting on 64 runs for the third wicket. The Stingrays were keeping it tight and the visitors felt the pressure as they lost their last eight wickets for just 36 runs to be bowled out for 142. In his first ‘A’ grade game for the season, Jake Marshall snared 4/34 (10). Ben Twohig (2/23) and Lewis Hatchett (2/27) were the other multiple wicket takers. The Stingrays were untroubled in chasing down the small target, knocking off the winning runs in the 31st over. Skipper Josh Barrett (59 not out) and Brendan McCormack (51) added 88 for the second wicket to set up the victory.In other games, Southern Districts second grade defeated Prospect by six wickets, the third grade went down by eight wickets while the fourths also went down, losing to Prospect at Broadview Oval by 22 runs.

Dave Wescombe has led Woodside to a massive 163-run victory over Wistow at Woodside Oval during round 11 action in the Alexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association (AEHCA). Wescombe smashed 132 from just 78 balls (15 x 4’s, 5 x 6’s) as the Warriors amassed 4/324 from their 45 overs. In the process, Wescombe became the first Woodside player to register 10,000 senior runs. He has won 10 ‘A’ grade batting trophies, four ‘A’ grade bowling trophies, 12 Woodside ‘Cricketer of the Year’ awards and is an ‘A’ grade premiership player. Brad Collins (82 not out from 59 balls) and Will Worthington (56 from 83 balls) added to the pain for Wistow. The visitors were never in the hunt to chase down the massive total as they batted out their overs to finish on 7/161. Charlie McDonough (2/17) and Jeremy Druwitt (2/40) were the chief wicket takers for Woodside.Strathalbyn consolidated top spot on the AEHCA ladder with a convincing six-wicket victory over Bremer-Callington at Strathalbyn Oval. The visitors won the toss and chose to bat first but were in early trouble at 3/35. Dave Westrych (29) steadied the ship for the Cobras before skipper Johnny Fitzgerald (71) and Nathan Fitzgerald (30) came together to put on 86 runs for the fifth wicket to lift Bremer-Callington to a good position at 4/147. Unfortunately once these two were dismissed, the Cobras fell away badly to lose their last 6/23 to be bowled out in the 44th over for 170. Matt Abbott (3/16) was the standout bowler for the Stallions. Abbott has now taken 19 wickets at the frugal average of just 9.26 this season. Strathalbyn started their run chase well with ‘keeper-batsman Luke Cousins (35) and Nathan Pelle adding 49 for the first wicket before skipper Mark Abbott (29) and Pelle put on 86 for the second wicket to put the home side in sight of victory. Pelle (75 not out from 93 balls) continued on to register his first half century of the season as he saw his side to victory in the 36th over. Bremer-Callington’s Nathan Fitzgerald continued a good day for the brothers as he snared 2/35 from eight overs.Lobethal leap-frogged reigning premier Langhorne Creek into third spot after a sixth consecutive victory, this time by six wickets at Langhorne Creek. Lobethal sent the home side in to bat and it proved to be a masterstroke as the Creeks fell to a disastrous position at 6/35. Troy Blackwell (34 not out) tried to put some respectability back into the Tigers total as they were bowled out for just 97 in the 31st over. Matt Martin continued his good season with the ball as he took 3/22 from his nine overs. Martin now has 16 wickets in 2019/20. James Elliott (2/15) and Mitch Weeks (2/19) provided solid support to Martin. The run chase began badly for Lobethal with skipper Ben Matthews removed first ball but Weeks (45), Daniel Norsworthy (26) and Lachlan Bates (17 not out) steadied the ship as the ‘Northern Tigers’ cruised home in the 21st over. Blackwell continued his good day with 3/21 for Langhorne Creek.Hahndorf consolidated second spot with a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Mount Barker at Hahndorf Oval. The visitors batted first but could only muster a score of 110 before being bowled out in the 44th over. Only Simon Turk (23) and Deklan Porter (23) passed 20 for the Kookaburras. All six Magpies bowlers got amongst the wickets with Michael Shanahan taking 4/16, his best ‘A’ grade figures. It was a very comfortable run chase for Hahndorf as the runs were knocked off in the 20th over with Greg Hassold (40 not out) and Graydon Brand (35 not out) leading the way.Round 12 (18/1/20) fixtures (home sides named first)…..Woodside v HahndorfMount Barker v StrathalbynWistow v Langhorne CreekBremer-Callington v NairneLobethal has the bye

Mount Lofty are on track to record a third straight win in the Hills Cricket Association (HCA) after dominating day one of their round nine clash with Flagstaff Hill at Heathfield Oval. Flagstaff Hill won the toss and decided to bat first but only Will Goulding (16) and Matt Emes (15) could reach double figures as the Falcons were bowled out for just 71 in the 52nd over. Xavier Leigh (3/9) and Adam Carthew (3/12) bowled excellent spells for the Redcaps with good support from Peter Giannes (2/13) and James Kittel-Neill (1/11). Mount Lofty had 15 overs to negotiate until stumps and lost Dylan Dunbar (4) to the bowling of Jacob Lemon (1/8) before Nick Justice (11 not out) and Jordan Neis-Beer (4 not out) saw the home side to 1/19 at stumps.Stirling are also in a good position to win their third consecutive game after dismissing Bridgewater for 138 on day one of their clash at Bridgewater Oval. Raiders Skipper Jackson Hooper (43), veteran Dylan Wiles (34) and Anthony Jennings (20) were the mainstays of the Bridgewater innings. Pete Fryer starred with the ball for Stirling as he collected his first ‘A’ grade five-wicket haul for the Eagles with the fine figures of 5/36 from a marathon 25.1 overs. Teenage opening bowler Myles Collins chipped in with 2/43 (14). The Eagles were left with just one over to survive before stumps and Adam Eckermann provided Bridgewater with the perfect start as he removed the dangerous Daniel Gonzalez first ball as the Eagles finished the day at 1/0.Reigning premier Aldgate produced a solid day one batting effort at Kangarilla as they posted 7/227 from their 70 overs. It was slow going in the first session as the Gaters reached 1/56 from 35 overs at Tea with Mitch Thomas (18) the only batsman dismissed. The run rate picked up after the break with Frank Clements (66), Josh Callaghan (52), Liam Winskill (37 not out) and Jake Turnbull (25) leading the way. Kangarilla skipper Che Martinsen was the pick of the home team's bowlers with 3/45 from 20 overs with Troy Martinsen providing good support with 2/31 (13).

Goolwa have put themselves in a great position to move up to second position on the Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA) ladder after day one of their clash with reigning premier Noarlunga at Goolwa Oval. Noarlunga won the toss and batted first and it was tough going as the Shoes struggled to get any momentum during their innings before being bowled out for just 105 in the 63rd over. Skipper Jason Scarff (34) was the only Noarlunga batsman to pass 20. Five Goolwa bowlers took wickets with Andrew Evans (3/20), Thomas Carter (2/9) and Josh Jones (2/17) the multiple wicket takers. The Magpies finished day one on 0/9 after surviving a testing seven overs at the end of the day.Mount Compass has given themselves a chance at a second win of the 2019/20 season after posting a competitive day one total of 9/173 at Burgess Oval against Port Elliot. Mount Compass were in early trouble at 3/45 with Sheldon Burgess (23) doing well at the top of the order. Bryce Garrard backed up his half century from last week by scoring an important 41 but when he was dismissed, the Bulls collapsed to be 8/96 and another poor total looked likely. Enter Matt Loots who made a very impressive 54 not out and together with Josh Dalitz, added 33 for the ninth wicket before combining with Cameron Usher (13 not out) to frustrate the Port Elliot bowlers with an unbroken stand of 44 runs for the 10th wicket. Simon Donaldson was clearly the pick of the Bloods bowlers taking 4/21 from a marathon 18 overs. Donaldson has had an excellent season in his return to Port Elliot with 16 wickets at an average of 10.63.Myponga had their best day since being promoted to ‘A’ grade ranks this season as they made a very competitive day one score of 7/180 against McLaren Districts at McLaren Vale. The total was set up by an excellent 88-run second wicket stand between Sean Haverty (28) and Ryan Haverty (73). It was Ryan Haverty’s highest ‘A’ grade score for Myponga. David Smith toiled manfully for McLaren Districts taking 4/35 from 20 overs. Smith has now taken 17 wickets for the season and sits in equal third spot on the GSCA wicket takers list.Top side Willunga are in a good position to notch their eighth consecutive victory after making 220 on day one of their clash against Encounter Bay at Willunga Oval. The total was set up by three 50+ run partnerships starting with the opening pair of George Catsiavas (23) and Luke Harding (56) who put on 56 for the first wicket. Harding was then joined by Scott Brown (13) in a 50-run union for the second wicket. A mini collapse then occurred as the Demons slipped to 6/143 before Simon Roberts (45) and Dane McPhail (21) added an important 50-run seventh wicket stand before the home side were dismissed in the 68th over. Dillon Burns claimed his third career five-wicket haul for Encounter Bay, finishing with 5/61 from 21 overs. He was ably supported by Chris Butler (3/53) and Daniel Zrim (2/44).

Fleurieu & Districts have won the SACA Under 14 Country Cup for a second year running after a 23-run victory over Eyre Peninsula yesterday in the Grand Final at Nuriootpa Oval. Due to the hot weather, the match was reduced to a Twenty20 contest. Fleurieu & Districts got off to a good start through Tanner King (16) and Charlie Morbey (11) who added 27 for the first wicket. The innings faltered after that as Fleurieu were reduced to 9/64 with only Riley Tonkin (15) offering any resistance. Rilee Endersby (19 not out) then batted very sensibly in partnership with Harley Barker (3 not out) to add an invaluable 22 runs for the last wicket to lift the score to 9/86 from 20 overs. Hugh Redden finished with 3/19 for Eyre Peninsula. Eyre Peninsula were in early trouble as they slipped to 4/19 with Morbey (2/5) doing the early damage for Fleurieu. Ezra Foster (18) tried hard but the Fleurieu & Districts fielding and bowling was just too tight as they were bowled out for just 63 in the 20th over. Endersby continued his great day to snare 4/12 from his four overs.After losing their first round match to South East, the Fleurieu boys bounced back hard to defeat Mid North and Murray Districts to finish top of their pool by just .06%! Aldgate’s Charlie Morbey led the run tally for Fleurieu with 72 runs at an average of 18.00. Mount Compass’ Rilee Endersby had a brilliant carnival to lead all bowlers with 13 wickets at an unbelievable average of just 2.54!Congratulations to all the players, volunteers and to the coach, Peter Leedham. It’s been a successful season so far for Fleurieu & Districts with the Under 16 Country Cup title won back in December.

Great Southern Tennis AssociationGreat Southern Tennis competition resumes tonight from the Christmas/New Year break with bottom team Victor Harbor hosting top of the ladder Port Elliot while The Valleys travel to Goolwa.Premiership table (after Round 10)Port Elliot 76Goolwa 76The Valleys 48Victor Harbor 40Onkaparinga Tennis AssociationAfter a four week hiatus, Onkaparinga Tennis competition gets back underway tomorrow. The match of the round sees John Wesley host Macclesfield, Clarendon travel to top of the ladder Strathalbyn while Woodchester take on Kangarilla at Woodchester.Premiership table (after Round 10)Strathalbyn 137Macclesfield 131John Wesley 126Clarendon 100Woodchester 67Kangarilla 39

Hills Cricket Association (HCA) action gets back underway this weekend with round nine games starting on Saturday. The ‘Match of the Round’ sees reigning premier Aldgate travel to face fourth placed Kangarilla. Kangarilla got off to a great start in 2019/20 winning three of their first four games, including a big win over Aldgate in round two, but they have lost their past three matches. Aldgate currently sit third on the ladder with a 4-3 win/loss record but have yet to win consecutive games.In other games, Bridgewater host second placed Stirling while Mount Lofty take on Flagstaff Hill at Heathfield in search of their third win in a row. Undefeated ladder leader Meadows have an extended break as they have the bye in round nine.Premiership Table (After Round 8)Meadows 42Stirling 30Aldgate 24Kangarilla 18------------------------------Mt Lofty 15Bridgewater 12Flagstaff Hill 3

After a three week hiatus, competition resumes in the Alexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association (AEHCA) this Saturday with round 11 throwing up some intriguing match-ups. The 'Match of the Round' sees reigning premier Langhorne Creek hosting the much improved Lobethal in a battle of the Tigers. Langhorne Creek will be buoyed by their Twenty20 title victory last Saturday and they currently sit in third spot on the AEHCA ladder. Lobethal had a slow start to their 2019/20 campaign, not registering their first victory until round five, but have been undefeated ever since to sit inside the top four. It’s a tough one to pick but I’ll go for the home side, Langhorne Creek.In other games, second placed Hahndorf host Mount Barker, Woodside will hope to move back into the top four as they take on Wistow at home while Strathalbyn will be looking to consolidate top spot as they host Bremer-Callington. Nairne will have to cool their heels for another week as they have the bye.Premiership Table (After Round 10)Strathalbyn 32Hahndorf 30Langhorne Creek 24Lobethal 22------------------------------Woodside 18Nairne 18Bremer-Callington   8Mount Barker   8Wistow   0

McLaren Districts has pulled off one of the upsets of the season with a stirring 25-run win at home over Encounter Bay in round eight action of the Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA). McLaren Districts entered the clash with just two wins for the season, against the bottom two sides in Myponga and Mount Compass, while on the flipside, Encounter Bay had only dropped two games for 2019/20 and were firmly ensconced in the top four. The home side won the toss and decided to bat first with Antony Natale (41), Dylan Howie (38) and Daniel Bruce (31) putting the Crushers in a strong position at 2/100. A collapse of 9/21 saw the home side limp to the end of their 40 overs at 9/132. Skipper Cam Lintern bowled a superb spell for the visitors taking 3/9 from his eight overs. Dillon Burns (2/27) and Sam Hoffmann (2/34) were the other multiple wicket takers. Encounter Bay got off to a solid start with an opening partnership of 25 but only Dennis Rice (20) could reach 20 as no fewer than five batsmen were dismissed in their ‘teens’. The visitors were eventually bowled out for just 107 in the 34th over. Four of the five bowlers used by McLaren Districts claimed wickets with Cameron Hockey (3/9), Ryan McCurrach (3/28), Bodie Wilson (2/21) and David Smith (2/22) leading the way.Reigning premier Noarlunga moved up to second position on the GSCA ladder with a comprehensive 122-run win over Mount Compass at Old Noarlunga. Skipper Jason Scarff won the toss for the Shoes and had no hesitation in batting first. It was all Noarlunga from the start as Scarff and Anthony Burgess combined for a whopping 183-run opening stand. Scarff (70) made his third half century of the season while Burgess continued on to register his second century of the season before being dismissed for 120. Burgess is the leading batsman in the GSCA this season with 395 runs at an average of 79.00. Noarlunga finished up with an excellent score of 5/223. Josh Dalitz toiled hard for Mount Compass to take 4/36 from his eight overs. In reply, Mount Compass were never in the hunt as they were bowled out for 101 in the 30th over. Bryce Garrard was a shining light for the Bulls as he made a fine 51, his highest score of the season. Jamie Keers was the star for Noarlunga taking career best figures of 6/19 from seven overs. It was Keers’ first game since March 2018.In the match of the round, competition leader Willunga ground out a tough 52-run away victory over Goolwa to keep top spot as Goolwa slipped down to third. Willunga batted first and were in early trouble at 4/39. The Demons desperately needed a partnership and they got one through Simon Roberts (35) and Jake Austin (13) which was worth 40 runs for the fifth wicket before another collapse of 3/3 saw Willunga sit at a precarious 7/82.  Enter Corey McIvor who whacked 35 not out from just 24 balls and along with support from Dane McPhail (12), saw the Demons to a competitive total of 9/139 at the end of their 40 overs. James Lawrence (2/19), Shaun Burger (2/26) and Jake Ashton-Place (2/27) were the pick of the Magpies bowlers. The target of 139 was always going to be difficult for Goolwa against a strong Willunga attack and so it proved as the Magpies could only manage a meagre total of 87 before being bowled out in the 36th over. Burger (22), Josh Jones (19) and Fred Nissen (10) were the only batsmen to make double figures. Five Willunga bowlers took wickets with amazingly only Simon Roberts (0/21) not getting in on the act. Roberts is actually the leading wicket taker in GSCA ranks with 25 wickets at an average of just 7.36. On Saturday however the bowling spoils went to Tye McIvor (3/22), Luke Harding (2/2) and Luke Goldner (2/16).Port Elliot has won their third consecutive game after a comfortable eight-wicket win over Myponga at Myponga Oval. The win keeps the Bloods’ finals hopes well and truly alive as they sit in fifth position with four rounds to go. The home side batted first and struggled their way to the 40th over before being bowled out for just 78 with only Drew Boulden (28), in his first game of the season, reaching double figures. Port Elliot’s bowlers shared the spoils with Simon Donaldson (2/5), Ben Martin (2/17) and Jesse Consalvo (2/19) the multiple wicket takers. The Bloods wasted no time chasing down the small target as the winning runs were hit in the 18th over. Consalvo was the star with the bat as he notched his second half century of the season, finishing on 59 not out.Round 9 (11/1/20 & 18/11/20) fixtures (home team named first)Goolwa v NoarlungaMcLaren Districts v MypongaWillunga v Encounter BayMount Compass v Port Elliot

Southern Districts' ‘A’ grade had an excellent weekend with a pair of victories in the SACA Premier Cricket Twenty20 competition. On Saturday, West Torrens visited Bice Oval and were restricted to just 9/92 from their 20 overs. Erik Carrington (31) and Bailey Capel (22) were the only Eagles batsmen to pass 20. Shaun Tanner (3/15) and Sunam Gautam (2/21) were the multiple wicket takers for the Stingrays while Lewis Hatchett (1/10 from 4 overs) bowled a frugal spell. The home side were untroubled in the run chase bringing up the winning runs in the 14th over to notch a comprehensive eight-wicket win. Brendan McCormack (34 not out), Josh Barrett (28) and Ben Cox (21 not out) all got amongst the runs for the Stingrays.Sunday saw the Stingrays venture to Woodville Oval to take on the Peckers. The home side won the toss and got themselves in a good position at 1/57 before a dramatic collapse saw them bowled out for 107 in the 20th over. Ben Turley (31) and Daniel Mylius (23) added 44 for the second wicket but that was all Woodville had to cheer about as the last nine wickets fell for just 50 runs. Ben Twohig (3/17), Hatchett (3/22) and Tanner (2/21) were the chief destroyers for Southern Districts. It was a solid run chase from the Stingrays as they knocked off the runs for the loss of five wickets with 16 balls to spare. McCormack again top scored with 32 and he was ably supported by Joe Burslem (20) and Twohig (18 not out). Harry Thoman (3/17) was the pick of Woodville’s bowlers.The pair of wins sees Southern Districts move up to fifth position on the Twenty20 ladder. The Twenty20 competition continues Friday evening (10 January) with Southern Districts hosting East Torrens at Bice Oval with the game set to start at 4.55pm.

Langhorne Creek has won the Alexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association (AEHCA) Twenty20 title after a 34-run victory over Nairne in the Grand Final on Saturday at Langhorne Creek Oval. The home side won the toss and decided to bat first and Ben Warren got his side off to a flying start with 21 from 12 balls. However, when he was run-out, quick wickets fell to leave the Tigers in strife at 4/49. Brayden Frost joined Matt Tonkin in what was an innings defining partnership worth 53 runs for the fifth wicket. Tonkin went on to top score with 44 from 43 balls while Frost finished on 31 from 32 balls. Langhorne Creek completed their 20 overs with a very competitive score of 8/141. Jacob Sadler (3/26) was the pick of the bowlers for the Razorbacks.Nairne’s run chase started poorly as they fell to 2/13 in the third over with Troy Blackwell (2/29) claiming both wickets. Richard Boscence (28) and Shane Kenney (23) slowly worked their side back into the game with a 49-run partnership for the third wicket. Warren (2/21) claimed the big wicket of Boscence and then Brodie O’Dea came on and cleaned up Nairne with the last eight wickets falling for just 45 runs as the Razorbacks were bowled out for 107 in the 20th over. O’Dea finished with the incredible figures of 5/16 from four overs.So Langhorne Creek continue their Twenty20 dominance in the AEHCA with an amazing fifth title in six seasons. The ‘A’ grade competition resumes on Saturday with Hahndorf hosting Mount Barker, Wistow travel to Woodside, competition leader Strathalbyn host Bremer-Callington and Langhorne Creek face off against an improving Lobethal side at Langhorne Creek. Nairne has the bye.

Willunga has consolidated top spot on the Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA) ladder with a 45-run victory over Noarlunga at Willunga Oval in the Grand Final rematch from last season. The Demons batted first and compiled a healthy 7/182 from their 40 overs. The total was set up by an excellent opening partnership between Leigh Harding (44) and George Catsiavas (39) who added 79 for the first wicket. Michael Barry (21) then put on 34 with Harding as the home side reached 1/113. There was a mini collapse of 4/26 before Luke Goldner scored 40 not out from 41 balls (3 x 4’s, 2 x 6’s) to lift the total to 7/182. Anthony Burgess (2/20), Jason Scarff (2/40) and Matthew Ray (2/41) were the multiple wicket takers for the Shoes. Noarlunga started well with Burgess (28) and Scarff (25) adding 52 for the first wicket but once this pair was removed, the Shoes struggled for any momentum as they were bowled out in the 39th over for 137. Dylan Kay (2/16), Barry (2/20) and Tye McIvor (2/38) led the way with the ball for Willunga who have now won six games in a row.Goolwa moved into second spot on the GSCA ladder with a comfortable 73-run win over Encounter Bay at Goolwa Oval. The Magpies batted first and they started very well with an opening partnership of 83 between Josh Jones and Ian Giddings (37). Once Giddings was dismissed, Andrew Evans (26) joined Jones as this pair added a further 37 runs for the second wicket as the Magpies reached 1/120. Jones continued on to post his maiden ‘A’ grade half century before being dismissed for a valuable 67 as Goolwa finished their 40 overs on 7/179. Chris Butler was the standout bowler for Encounter Bay finishing with 2/23 from his eight overs. Encounter Bay started the run chase in excellent fashion with Dennis Rice (35) and Jason Parry (32) putting on 66 for the first wicket but once this pair departed, the visitors collapsed to be rolled for just 106 from 33 overs. Evans continued his good day by snaring 4/9 (8), his best figures of the season. He was well supported by Jake Ashton-Place who also claimed season best figures of 3/10 (8). Fred Nissen also chipped in with 2/7 as the Magpies banked their third win on the trot.Port Elliot won consecutive games for the first time this season with a 40-run home win over McLaren Districts in a game dominated by the bowlers. McLaren Districts were right on top early as Port Elliot slipped to 3/26 before an excellent salvage effort from Hayden Gordge (41) and Joel Harris (41) got the Bloods back in the game. This pair added 77 for the fourth wicket but a major collapse ensued with the Bloods losing 7/18 to be bowled out in the 40th over for just 121. David Smith (4/21) claimed his best figures for the Crushers with good support from Bodie Wilson (3/20). McLaren Districts were in all sorts of trouble in the run chase as they slipped to 6/21 before Jason Ifould (19) and Ryan McCurrach (16) gave the visitors some hope with a 38-run union for the seventh wicket but it wasn’t to be as they were bowled out for 81 in the 36th over. Ben Martin (3/6) and Ben Griffiths (2/12) did the early damage for the Bloods and then skipper Jesse Consalvo (3/8) finished off the job as Port Elliot moved within a win of the top four.There was cause for celebration at Mount Compass as the Bulls won their first game for the season after defeating Myponga by 40 runs at Myponga Oval. The day didn’t start well for Mount Compass as they were sent in and were soon in trouble at 3/12. Skipper Paul Barrett steadied the ship, top scoring with 38 and he was well supported by Craig Mathew with 21 as the Bulls recovered somewhat before being bowled out for 117 in the 40th over. James Patterson (3/20) and Ryan Haverty (3/35) did the damage for Myponga with the ball. Myponga were also in search of their first win of the season after coming up from ‘B’ grade last season but their run chase got off to a poor start as they fell to 2/8 early in the innings. Brad Hill (18) and Trent Ormsby (16) added 28 for the third wicket to get their side back in the game but ultimately they fell for just 77 in the 35th over. All six Mount Compass bowlers took wickets with Matt Loots cleaning up the tail with 3/5.  Round 8 (4/1/20) fixtures are 40-overs per side one-dayers (home team named first)Noarlunga v Mt CompassGoolwa v WillungaMcLaren Districts v Encounter BayMyponga v Port Elliot

Stirling has consolidated second spot on the Hills Cricket Association (HCA) ladder after a convincing six-wicket victory at Flagstaff Hill on Saturday. The home side batted first and struggled their way to a total of 114 before being bowled out in the 40th over. Skipper Kyle Petty (25) was the only Falcons batsman in the top six to reach double figures as his side found themselves in a precarious position at 6/46. Veteran Mick Taylor combined with Tharun Rameshbabu (18) for the best partnership of the innings as they added 29 for the seventh wicket. Taylor was the last batsman dismissed for a valuable 43. Pete Fryer (3/16), skipper Jack Pick (3/19) and Daniel Parfitt (2/21) were the chief destroyers for the Eagles. Stirling’s run chase began badly with Jacob Kemp (1) and Pick (0) both removed by Petty (2/19) as Stirling were reeling at 2/6. Classy opener Daniel Gonzalez was joined by Kosta Sinodinos (19) and this pair pair got the Eagles back on track through a 43-run third wicket stand. Teenager Fergus Southon joined Gonzalez in another important partnership worth 56 runs before Southon was run out for 19. Gonzalez batted through the innings to finish on 63 not out from 95 balls (5 x 4’s) as the winning runs were knocked off in the 30th over.Aldgate have moved up to third spot on the HCA ladder with a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Bridgewater at Aldgate Oval. The visitors won the toss and decided to bat first and got off to a great start as Luke Hoyle (35) and Justin Summerill (15) added 48 for the first wicket in just 12 overs. That was where the good news ended for the Raiders as Aldgate skipper Jake Turnbull (3/12), Harry Morbey (3/15) and Frank Clements (2/12) ripped through the Raiders' batting lineup as they were bowled out for just 88 in the 35th over. Aldgate started the run chase in steady fashion with Hoyle and Anthony Jennings keeping it tight while Summerill removed opener Josh Callaghan (5) with the score on 19. Mitch Thomas was batting well as he was joined by Turnbull and these two added 71 for the second wicket as the runs were knocked off in the 26th over. Thomas finished on 58 not out (5 x 4’s, 3 x 6’s) with Turnbull 22 not out.Meadows remain undefeated at Christmas following a 71-run victory at Kangarilla in the southern derby. Meadows won the toss and decided to bat first with the ever reliable pair of Luke Tonkin and Haydn Reid at the crease. Tonkin was the dominant partner as he made a quickfire 60 with the opening partnership yielding 81 runs. Tonkin now has 324 runs for the season to be the leading run scorer in the HCA. Reid (50) continued on to post his third half century of the campaign. Handy contributions from skipper Brad Dawe (26) and Max Buckley (22) saw the Bulldogs to a very competitive total of 5/203 after their 40 overs. Fast bowler Steve Featherstone (2/34) and Jack Evans (2/46) were the multiple wicket takers for the home team. Kangarilla were never really in the run chase with Featherstone (27), Matthew Bertelsmeier (25) and Cole Davy (24) all getting promising starts but not going on to the big score needed to chase down a target over 200. Troy Martinsen had some fun at the end making 36 not out, his highest score but ultimately the home side could only muster 7/132 in their 40 overs. Rohan Reid (3/28) was the pick of the Meadows bowlers with Tom Bevan-Giles, Anthony Hughes and Callan Blackwell all claiming a wicket each.Mount Lofty had the bye.Round 9 (11/1/20 & 18/1/20) fixtures are two-day matches (home team named first)Kangarilla v AldgateBridgewater v StirlingMt Lofty v Flagstaff HillMeadows has the bye

It was a mixed day for Southern Districts’ women with the first grade going down to a strong Northern Districts outfit while the second grade won their third consecutive match after a strong performance against Kensington. The first grade hosted Northern Districts at Bice Oval and after winning the toss, the visitors compiled a very competitive total of 8/185 from their 50 overs. The innings was underpinned by a fine knock of 79 from Tegan McPharlin. McPharlin faced 129 balls and hit seven boundaries in her 155-minute vigil. No other Jets batter made more than 20 with Extras (30) being the second highest score. Ella Wilson was the pick of the bowlers for the Stingrays as she claimed 3/33 from her 10 over spell. The run chase never really got going for the Stingrays with only skipper Jess O’Reilly (44) and Kelly Armstrong (11) making double figures. Again Extras (22) were second top score. Southern Districts eventually finished on 9/108 in the 43rd over with playing coach Hannah Sampson absent and unable to bat. Young gun Darcie Brown snared 3/16 (10) for the Jets with support from opening bowling partner Samanta Betts who took 2/17 (10).The second grade moved into second position on the ladder with a fighting four-wicket victory over Kensington at Ford Oval. Southern Districts won the toss and sent the home side in to bat and it proved a good decision as both openers were dismissed cheaply with the score at 2/19. Ruby Smith (38) and Emma Hartigan (26) then got together to put on 62 for the third wicket to lift the Browns to 2/81 before a late flurry of wickets saw Kensington restricted to 8/123 from their 40 overs. Keely Stone continued her excellent season taking 2/24 (8) and she was ably supported by skipper Jessica Modistach with 2/36 (8). The Stingrays started their run chase well with Keely Stone (33) and Rachael Greenshields (27 not out) adding 55 runs for the second wicket to see the visitors in great shape at 1/69. The game turned in Kensington’s favour with five quick wickets falling as the Stingrays all of a sudden found themselves in trouble at 6/84. Greenshields was doing a great job anchoring the innings and she was joined by debutant Georgie Smith who smashed 25 not out from just 20 balls as Southern Districts won with 10 overs to spare after an unbroken partnership of 40.The competition breaks now for Christmas and New Year with the first grade resuming against West Torrens on the 5th of January and the second grade not back until the 19th of January against Northern Districts.

Southern Districts won their first game of the SACA Premier Cricket Twenty20 Cup with victory over Prospect by five wickets on Saturday at Prospect Oval. Prospect won the toss and elected to bat first and got themselves into a reasonable position at 2/62 with solid contributions from Ross Richardson (22) and Izaac Boylan (21) before a collapse of 6/27 left the home side in disarray at 8/89. Some late order fireworks from Krutarth Suthar (23 from 7 balls) helped Prospect to 8/114 after their 20 overs. Ben Twohig (3/12) bowled a superb spell for the Stingrays and he was well supported by Huw Stone (2/31). Sunam Gautam (1/11) and Shaun Tanner (1/13) both bowled very tight spells to restrict the Pirates. The Stingrays run chase got off to an excellent start with skipper Josh Barrett whacking 29 from just 15 balls but once Barrett was dismissed, Southern Districts lost quick wickets to be in some trouble at 4/57 before Twohig (30 not out from 22 balls) and Gautam (26 from 27) regained control as the Stingrays knocked off the runs in the 16th over.In other games, the second grade won by eight wickets, the third grade went down in a tight game by 12 runs while the fourth grade had a convincing 54-run win.