Harvey Benger fall to Colts pressure

Harvey Benger Cricket Club second grade faced Colts Cricket Club in Harvey on the weekend.

Colts won the crucial toss and elected to bat first in the hot conditions.

Unfortunately, Harvey-Benger did not make the most of a couple of early chances and Colts opening batsmen, Jaysen Miguel and Tim Stewart, raced to 71 off the first 13 overs before Stewart (49) miss-timed time a pull shot to Matthew Chave off the bowling of Alex Verrall.

Tyson Italiano bowled a tidy five over spell for nine runs, that included the wicket of Jake Michell as Colts reached 2-102 after 25 overs.

Harvey-Benger bowlers toiled away as Colts’ batsmen worked the ball into the gaps, running hard between the wickets and pressuring the home side in the field.

Miguel was eventually stumped by David O’Shaugh-nessy off the bowling of Scott Fowler for a well-constructed 93 with the score at 5-206.

Colts ended their 50 over innings on 7-248.

In reply, Harvey-Benger got off to a good start, racing to 79 off the first 12 overs before Anton Fimmano was caught at mid wicket off the bowling of Miguel for eight.

Aaron Jovanovic was then out LBW for three off the bowling of Rory Binnie, leaving Harvey-Benger needing 150 runs with eight wickets in hand.

Haydn Jones was then stumped for 80 after missing a leg side wide, leaving the home side at 3-117 off 23 overs.

Two balls after Jones was dismissed, Chave then hit a full toss to mid wicket and was caught for six.

With the home side losing regular wickets and the required run rate increasing, Harvey-Benger batsmen succumbed to the pressure from the Colts bowlers, losing their remaining five wickets for 23 runs, all out for 179.

Harvey Benger second grade have the bye this weekend.

Harvey Benger fourth grade had a huge 112 run win over Burekup, thanks to a century to club veteran Darren Bozanich.

Harvey Benger won the toss and elected to bat first but their innings did not start well with opener Jarod Maughan run out for 18. Zack Fimmano and Bozanich then posted a 143-run second-wicket partnership before Fimmano was caught for 49.

Bozanich continued to punish the Burekup bowlers, scoring 127 off 84 balls, which included 18 fours and four sixes.

Adrian Kirk finished the Harvey-Benger innings off strongly, scoring 45 off 26 balls, leaving Burekup chasing a total of 261 off 40 overs.

In reply, the Burekup batsmen were restricted by tight bowling, led by Murray Italiano (2/10 off 8), Dave Cooper (1 for 26 off 8), Jarod Maughan (1 for 29 off 8) and Adrian Kirk (2 for 14 off 5).

Burekup ended their innings at 9-149 off 40 overs. Fourth grade plays Colts in Harvey this Saturday.