DARLEY v BALLARAT-REDAN
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OVERSEAS imports in Englishman Oliver Smith and Sri Lankan Sajith Rupasingha proved to be match-winners for Darley in the Ballarat Cricket Association firsts competition at Darley on Saturday.
Smith carved out 95 and Rupasingha took 4-35 as the Lions kept Ballarat-Redan at bay by 27 runs.
Sent in, Darley's 6-230 proved too much for the Two Swords, 203.
Smith took control at number three after the loss of skipper Matt Cape had Darley a shaky 3-44.
Smith, who capped his innings with eight boundaries, linked up with a revitalised Ryan Ali, 52 (5 fours), to give Ballarat-Redan plenty to think about by putting on 96.
Smith kept the momentum going before being the last man out.
Chris Egan and Simon Allan each picked up two wickets.
Ballarat-Redan's top order of Allister Edmends, 74 (10 fours), Jayden Hayes, 44, and Bobby Hind, 27, provided some impetus for the chase.
Edmends and Hind put on 53 and then Edmends andHayes added 96, but then the innings lost direction.
Darley snared 4-7 and ultimately 8-28.
Rupasingha sparked the collapse by having Hayes stumped.
He went on to get 4-35.
BROWN HILL v CORONET CITY
BROWN Hill made short work of Coronet City at the Western Oval and also beat the rain which swept across the region late in the afternoon.
The Bulls coasted past Coronet City's 91inside 14 overs with 10 wickets in hand.
Not even the absence of Brown Hill skipper and spearhead Shane Harwood helped Coronet City, which lasted just 35.3 overs.
Tom Bourke-Finn and Jason Knowles tore through the Coronet City top order to have the visitors 3-3.
Bourke Finn went on to claim 3-35 to take his season tally 12 after not playing in the firsts last season.
Ryan Knowles chipped in with 3-15 off 5.3 overs and Jason Knowles finished his day with 2-23.
Nathan Clarke, 14, and Matthew Stevens, 18 not out, provided some early respectability for Coronet City with a 35-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Then Stevens and Simon Hucker, 12, put on 25 late, but there was little else to cheer about in Coronet City's innings.
Jason Knowles, 49no (7 fours), and Jack James, 40 (5 fours), had little trouble reaching the target for the points.
WENDOUREE v NORTH BALLARAT
WENDOUREE produced a dominant display to defeat North Ballarat by nine wickets.
North Ballarat's 120 never looked enough as the Red Caps reached 1-121 in 21.5 overs at the Northern Oval.
Sam Peeters, 3-43, and Austen Prendergast, 4-25, did the bulk of the damage with the ball.
Brett Severino top scored for the Roosters with 36 (5 fours) batting at number 10.
Had it not been for Severino and Matt Cations, 15 not out, the day would have been even bleaker for North Ballarat.
They came together at 9-64 and spent 80 minutes providing Wendouree with some sort of chase.
It did not make a lot of difference in the end though.
Heath Pyke smacked seven fours and two sixes on the way to an unbeaten 60, while Liam Brady reached 37 not out (6 fours).
GOLDEN POINT v NAPOLEONS-SEBASTOPOL
RAIN had the last say at the Eastern Oval, with the weather forcing a draw.
Point was 4-107 in reply to the Naps-Sebas total of 9-169 with 21 overs remaining in the 50-over encounter when play ceased.
Opening batsman Dwayne Hiscock was still at the wicket on 42 and holding the key to Golden Point's prospects at the time.
Andrew Falkner, 29, and Hiscock started the run chase in good stead with a 45-run partnership.
Then Hiscock and Simon Ogilvie, 30, added 45 for the third wicket.
However, the match turned with the departure of Ogilvie.
Josh White, coming off a century, was out first ball but Naps-Sebas did not get a chance to fully capitalise on this though with play lasting only another 15 minutes.
Napoleons-Sebastopol had anything but a good start to the day, finding itself 2-2.
The revival then began via Nathan Doonan, 21 and Liam Rigby, 31, but at 6-100 it was still in trouble.
Luke Corden then stepped up.
He top scored with 59, combining with Jacob Eyers, 25, for an invaluable 59-run stand.
Andrew continued his fine form with the ball with 4-36 off his 10 overs.
This gives him 16 wickets in four rounds.
EAST BALLARAT v MT CLEAR
MT Clear took the honours in another relatively low-scoring match at East High.
East compiled 139 with an even batting display, but was then taken to the cleaners as the Mounties reached 3-140 in 28.3 overs.
All East's top and high middle order made starts, without anyone really go on with it.
Opener Jon Barnett top scored with 30 and Mitchell Walsh continued his bright start to the season with 20.
Rolling his arm over the first time this season, Matt Goonan collected a five-wicket haul for Mt Clear.
Goonan rarely gets trundle and this was his first time he has taken multiple wickets since 2011-12.
Shaun Coffey, 58, and Les Sandwith, 30, set up the win with a 98-run opening stand.
Goonan then contributed 23 not out.
Cameron Carter was East's only mulktiple wicket-taker with two.