As has been the theme throughout this summer, the rain threatened to spoil last weekend’s cricket action, but the Yass District Cricket Association (YDCA) teams did not let that inhibit their cricket.
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This was particularly evident during the game at Dalton on Saturday afternoon, which featured the Dalton Dingos and the Gundaroo Goats.
Having lost the toss and been sent in to bat by Dalton, the Goats proceeded to lambast the Dingos’ bowlers to the tune of 263 runs from their 40 overs, while they only conceded four wickets in total.
The opening stand between Jason Vant (64) and Mark Graham (64) was the highlight of the innings, and it set a near-impervious platform from which the Goats continued to score at 6.5 runs per over.
After both openers fell, Mark Oliver (39) and Mitchell Callagher (50) continued the scoring trend, and by the time they were dismissed, the innings was nearly at an end and there was little Dalton could do to stifle the damage.
After Gundaroo’s phenomenal first innings effort, Dalton could not muster similar momentum, and thanks to a five wicket haul from Dave Drew, they collapsed to a near 200-run defeat.
“It was one of those days I think,” Gundaroo stalwart Sean Egan said.
“We managed to get our best side on the park.”
Although the victory is certainly a confidence boost for Gundaroo, Egan remains realistic and knows that the team lineup is unlikely to remain the same as the team approaches finals.
“I reckon if we backed it up next week maybe [it would be a bigger confidence boost], but it’s a one off at the moment,” he said.
"We probably won’t have the same side again for three weeks, [although] it was nice to get runs on the board."
Coming into the second innings, the Goats needed to bowl exceptionally well in order to dismiss Brent Poidevin, who has been the best batter in the district this season and is the lynchpin of Dalton's lineup.
"I think we bowled pretty well, pretty good lines," he said. "It’s always good to get a bloke who’s been averaging 90 [Poidevin] for two or three."
The Goats currently sit in fourth position with two rounds to play in the regular season. Maintaining their spot will be no easy task, as all of the top five teams have the potential to win the tournament.
This Saturday, Gundaroo will play the Yass Golf Club Piranhas at Gundaroo Oval, and victory in this match will go a long way toward securing a spot in the finals.
The match will begin from 12.30pm.