Hasan Reday and Will Trower dug deep to drag the Tigers over the line in a nail-biting one-day run chase, hunting down Nathalia’s 8-146 to hand the reigning premier its third defeat of the season.
Zander Quinn’s 32 runs and lower order resistance from Scott Morris (28 not out) helped Nathalia to a reasonable total after stumbling to 6-114, with Trower (2-36) and Noah Sneddon (2-24) the pick of the bowlers for the Tigers.
However, it was a Nathalia legend in his 250th game that ensured Cobram’s run chase would be anything but straightforward.
Luke Quinn was central to proceedings in his milestone game, delivering a strangling nine-over spell of 3-7 that included the prized scalp of Shaun Downie for 43.
Downie and Trower had helped the Tigers to 1-64 before Luke Quinn struck, accounting for Downie, opposition skipper Jimmy Daniel and Jaxon Webb to turn the game on its head.
Lachie Wilkins and Morris then dove in on the action, claiming vital wickets to reduce the Tigers to 6-99, but Trower’s gritty defiance at the other end would prove pivotal.
Trower’s 32 runs came off 117 deliveries, his 39-over vigil coming to an end at the hands of Jason McKenna, whose two wickets in the 43rd over turned a seemingly cut and dry finish into a nervy crawl to victory for the Tigers.
Instead, Reday and Sebastian Pate held firm, confirming a two-wicket win for the second-place Tigers.
Meanwhile, Barooga’s status as A-grade pacesetters is intact for another week after breezing by Katunga by six wickets for a third consecutive Murray Valley Cricket Association victory.
The Hawks bowlers offered scant opportunities for the Swans batters to put them away in Saturday’s one-day clash at Katunga, employing a stifling line and length to bundle the Swans out for 139 and chase it comfortably with 15 overs and six wickets in hand.
Young seamer Kohen Haddrell’s eight overs ended with miserly figures of 3-8, while spinner Riley Gow’s three wickets late in the piece saw Katunga slump from 5-129 to all out within five overs.
Jules Cook (40 runs) and Jarred Bethell (39) stood tall with the bat for the Swans, and early with the ball the signs were positive for the home squad.
Hugh Duncan and Anthony Harris snared the important wickets of Barooga openers Lachlan Raggett and Murphy Stephens to leave the Hawks 2-16 early in the run chase.
However, Hawks gun Riyaad Henry is the league’s reigning Guthrie medallist for a reason.
After a wicket with the ball, the Barooga number three’s unbeaten 68 off 72 deliveries all but took the sting out of the game, and with Jamie Stanyer’s 29 and Haddrell chipping in 19, Barooga was unfazed as it passed Katunga’s score in the 29th over.
The Hawks are now 3-0 and still the A-grade ladder leaders.
At Deniliquin, the Rhinos batting lineup fired on all cylinders in a dominant 144-run trouncing of Tocumwal.
Lachlan Holloway (71), Melisha Deshapriya (70) and Griegan French (64) all raised the bat as Deni piled on 7-253, leaving the Bloods a mountain to climb at Memorial Oval.
Lachlan McDonald and Brandon Meloury each crafted patient stands of 37 and 22 runs respectively for Tocumwal, but a well-spread Rhinos bowling attack saw Charlie Hillier, Joice Mathew, Deshapriya and Holloway snare two wickets apiece to bundle the Bloods out for 109.
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