Echuca South players celebrate a wicket in their John McMahon Shield game against Tongala.
We are one round into the new cricket season, but the tables are already turning from last year.
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Well, table singular, and it’s in the John McMahon Shield.
Two sides which shared only four wins between them last season — Tongala and Nondies-Cohuna — produced shocks.
Tongala defeated Echuca South — a semi-finalist last season — by 35 runs.
Juan Jibi Sam celebrates one of his three wickets.
One could look to a squad bolstered by returning players as reason for Tongala’s improvement.
But on Saturday, it was a Blues veteran who stepped up.
In a patient innings, opener Jayden Tucker made 78 off 146 balls — the prologue to a bowling display led by three wickets each for Hudson Kellett and Lachlan Caldwell.
The game
Tongala 7-193 (Jayden Tucker 78, Braith Northausen 43 not out, Juan Jibi Sam 3-37) d Echuca South 158 (Sachin Peiris 41, Hudson Kellett 3-19, Lachlan Caldwell 3-37)
Meanwhile, Nondies finally ended their winless streak — which was at 30 matches.
And they did enough to get over the line.
Leitchville-Gunbower bowled them out for 122, with batting certainly not the reason Nondies won.
It was their bowling, with delivery after delivery ripping through the Leitchville order — only vice-captain Simon Tatt, on 47 not out, having a respectable innings.
Nondies, led by Louis Johnson’s 3-18 figures, dismissed seven batters for five runs or fewer — three of them ducks — to see Leitchville all out at 107.
The game
Nondies-Cohuna 122 (Ryder van der Zande 31, Jye Keath 3-15, James Keath 3-15) d Leitchville-Gunbower 107 (Simon Tatt 47 not out, Louis Johnson 3-18, Anton Kopec 2-18)
Elsewhere, it was an all-you-can-hit buffet for batters Regis Chakabva and Joel Felmingham against Echuca at Bamawm Recreation Reserve.
The Bamawm Lockington United duo combined for a whopping 160 runs — a large portion of the 245 total.
Echuca’s chase started well — led by Easton Carlile’s 45 — but eventually slowed right down.
The Lions had the required wickets with two overs spare as Echuca made 199.
The game
Bamawm Lockington United 8-245 (Regis Chakabva 85, Joel Felmingham 75, Charlie Hinks 4-38) d Echuca 199 (Easton Carlile 45, Charlie Hinks 38, Jeremy Felmingham 3-38)
18°C