Swans sail past Nondies

The hosts won the toss and elected to bowl, sending the Swans in to get runs on the board early.

That proved to be a stroke of genius, as openers Ben Eade (1) and Jayden Rosin (7) were out cheaply.

From there the game was quickly taken away from Nondies.

Asantha Singappuli was his usual mercurial self, scoring a run-a-ball 49 with seven boundaries and a maximum to course correct his side.

Captain Rathika Rajakumara was the focal point of the innings for Echuca South, going close to a century with 95 off 125 balls.

Clayton Watson went along with Rajakumara with a well-timed half-century, finishing the innings unbeaten on 53 alongside Sachin Peiris (7 not out).

The Swans ended with a strong total of 5-239 from their 50 overs.

The second innings didn’t go the distance as Nondies had some starts, but struggled to produce meaningful partnerships.

While opener Matthew Robinson got off to a good start, Matt Oddie could only manage a single from 11 deliveries before he was beaten all ends up by AK Gunathilaka.

Captain Zeb Ellwood’s innings was short-lived as he was trapped lbw for a duck, with Gunathilaka nabbing his second wicket.

Broden Wishart proved to be the stone in the stream for Nondies, holding firm as Robinson (28), Rhys Behrens (2), Rhys Thrum (4), Kyeran Ellery (14) and Jack Pollock (3) came and went around him.

When Wishart’s number was finally called, he had tallied a defiant 40 off 81 deliveries, with three fours and two sixes.

Callum Neil went hard in the tail, keeping Nondies in it with 32 off 41 deliveries before he was bowled by Ben Eade.

Neil’s departure brought an end to the innings as Nondies was bowled out for 140 in 42.3 overs, exactly 100 short of victory.

Gunathilaka was the pick of the Swans’ bowlers, finishing with 4-26, while Singappuli and Peiris took two apiece.

Echuca South will look ahead to a big match-up in round 14 against defending champion and cross-town rival Echuca, while Nondies will have an uphill battle against Rochester.