West Tamworth stand-in skipper Dave Mudaliar was heralding his bowlers’ efforts after they upset competition leaders Old Boys on Saturday to all but lock in a semi-final berth.
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The 19-run win pushed them almost 20 points clear of fourth with a round to play.
Mudaliar deserved as much of the praise after playing a starring role with the bat. His 48 from 53 at the top of the order helped Wests conjure 121 and give the bowlers something to bowl at.
Tom Scoble, Harrison Kelly, Dan Collinson and Brendon Reynolds then combined to rumble Old Boys for 102 and secure what Mudaliar thought was “a hard fought win on a tricky deck”.
The start was delayed and the game reduced to 36 overs a side after overnight rain on Friday night, which washed out the second grade one-day final.
After being sent in, Mudaliar felt they probably fell a bit short of what they were on target for.
When he departed they were 3-73 in the 19th over. But the innings tailed away after that with only Kelly (18) and Reynolds (10) making double figures.
“I thought we could have pushed on to 160 and be a bit more comfortable but 120 was still enough to get us in the game,” he said.
Getting Simon Norvill early helped their cause, Tom Scoble snaring the danger man in the third over.
“If Simon was still there at 20 overs it was game over,” Mudaliar said.
Opening up at the other end, Harrison Kelly removed Jack Richards the next over and Abel Carney in his second over to have Old Boys scrambling at 3-16.
“Our bowlers were fantastic, right on their game,” Mudaliar said.
“We just bowled really good lines.”
Kelly and Brendon Reynolds both finished with four wickets, Reynolds picking up the last three after Dan Collinson had got the crucial breakthrough of Old Boys skipper Ben Middlebrook in the third over after drinks.
They were still well in the game at 6-82, arguably even on top.
The reintroduction of Reynolds, after a fiery but unlucky spell from Scoble, set Old Boys’ run chase back further, the quick removing Mal Collier with his second ball.
First ball of his next over he bowled Brendan Chaffey. Four balls later Jamie Mitchell looped one square to Scoble to complete Old Boys’ demise.
Middlebrook was succinct in his assessment.
“We just didn’t bat well,” he said.
Mitch Swain was the shining light with 33 as they were bowled out in 29 overs.
Pat Bryant (2-22) was earlier the pick of the bowlers.