Sports News
Is Harwood about to burst the Souths/Westlawn bubble?
Is Harwood about to burst the Souths/Westlawn bubble?
By Tim Howard
The hour of reckoning has arrived for the leading two teams of the Clarence River Cricket Association first grade competition.
South Services/Westlawn have ridden their luck hard to the top of the table, but will be tested when they meet premiers Harwood, who have been clinical in dismantling all three opponents so far this season.
In the only play in first grade on Saturday, Tucabia fought off Harwood’s bid for outright points with the assistance of a late start, stubborn batting and a benign playing surface.
Resuming at 7/27 chasing 344 for a win, Tucabia had no chance result and resorted to the stonewalling to avoid an outright loss.
Wet weather made the ground unsuitable for play immediately and Tucabia’s batters dug in.
Led by the most stubborn of efforts from Derek Woods who batted for around 40 of those overs for 9no, Tucabia slowed the game to a crawl.
When they were dismissed for 47, gathered from 47.5 overs, there was time for just 15 overs in the second innings.
Woods kept the pads on and crawled to 8 before he fell lbw to leg spinner Jacob McMahon, who had earlier snared his second five-wicket haul for the season with the sensational figures of 5/4 from 13.5 overs.
Harwood’s opponents on Saturday, Souths/Westlawn have enjoyed outrageous good fortune so far.
In round 1 they were 8/62 chasing Lawrence’s total of 162 when rain stopped play, forcing a draw.
Next game they collapsed for 80 chasing Coutts Crossing’s 112, then pulled out a second innings miracle to get outright points.
Their bowlers routed Coutts for 31 and they staggered to 5/64 to get the chocolates.
Last game was Souths/Westlawn’s most convincing effort, dismissing GDSC Easts for 74 and racing to 5/152 at stumps.
But their luck still held as midweek storms washed limited Harwood to a first innings win and washed out Lawrence and Coutts Crossing.
Harwood has needed no such luck.
Veteran seamer Nathan Blanch beats the edge when Souths and Harwood met a little over a year ago. On Saturday they clash as the top two teams in the competition for season 2024-25.
They amassed 8d/254 against Coutts in round 1 and were two wickets away from an outright when time ran out.
In game two it was nearly the same story, but this time they cracked 300 in their first innings despite a top order slump.
On the face of it, Harwood go into Saturday’s game at the neutral venue of Ulmarra Showground as unbackable favourites.
Their first drop Coby Tabor has scored two centuries in three games and Harwood has another centurion in Troy Turner.
Ace all rounder and skipper Ben McMahon has chipped in with runs and wickets, showing enough form to suggest a big one is not far away.
And brother Jacob has been devastating with his leg breaks, snaring 17 wickets including a match winning 7/15 against Coutts.
Will the sharp point of Harwood’s bowling and batting burst the Souths/Westlawn bubble?
On paper you would say Harwood have too many big guns, but that analysis ignores the importance of self-belief and momentum.
While luck has helped them, Souths/Westlawn have established some momentum.
They turned a lucky escape into outright points in game two and there was a ruthless feel to the way they crushed Easts after bowling them out cheaply in the first innings.
With opening bowler Adrian Boyd back on the paddock and Nathan Blanch and Dylan Cleaver in the bowling attack, they can be dangerous if things go their way.
Souths/Westlawn’s batting is notoriously brittle and it often feels like the fall of a key wicket can start an avalanche.
They’ve escaped punishment so far this season, but Harwood is unlikely to be as generous.
In other games Lawrence takes on Easts at Lower Fisher Turf hoping their luck returns.
After missing out against Souths/Westlawn in game one, they smacked Tucabia by nearly 100 runs in game 2.
But last weekend’s rain robbed them of solid shot at first innings points against Coutts.
At Ellem Oval Tucabia and Coutts have a chance to regroup after mixed starts to the season.
Tucabia started with a win against Easts but have been shaky ever since.
Coutts are winless, but were close against Souths and have put together a few good sessions with bat and ball, without being consistent.
Tucabia must erase the trauma of the last game against Harwood when their bowlers and batters were brutally exposed.
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