Echuca’s captain continued his incredible season with an unbeaten 117 runs off 154 deliveries, ultimately guiding his side to a five-wicket win at Victoria Park.
Day two of the clash between Echuca and Moama saw the home side needing 212 for victory after Will Devlin’s stoic 80 not-out the week prior, but it was catastrophe early at the top of the order.
Moama’s Clay McGregor struck early, rattling Echuca opener Brendan Moyle’s stumps on the second ball of the day, before captain Jack Russell sent Kobyn James back to the sheds just one over later.
Reeling early at 2-3, Curtis Townrow and Charlie Hinks joined forces to craft a steadying 59-run partnership until Kirk Teasdale brought an end to Townrow’s innings.
Beard joined Hinks at the crease and put on a 44-run partnership for the third wicket before Hinks’ 84-ball vigil came to an end on 26 runs.
Simon Maddox was caught LBW to Russell’s bowling, leaving Echuca teetering at 5-117.
But it was Archer Carlisle (23) in his McMahon Shield debut who partnered Beard to the end, batting for 112 deliveries in his 98-run stand with his centurion skipper.
Echuca passed Moama’s total in the 68th over. Russell claimed figures of 3-36 off his 17 overs.
At Cooma Reserve, the Two Blues blew open the race for finals with an outright victory over Echuca South.
Cooma blitzed the Swans’ batting line-up for just 35 runs on day one, and after securing first-innings points, batted on before skipper Jacob Kelly declared at 4-124 in pursuit of maximum points.
South’s batters all had promising starts, with Ben Eade, Cam McMullan, and Aaron Carver all making 14 runs each.
But from 2-40, South conceded 6-44, limping over the required 89 runs before being bowled out for 100. Brad Power (3-15) was the pick of Cooma’s bowling attack.
Needing just 12 runs for the outright victory, Cooma chased it down in just three overs, leaving it in sight of the top four.
Remarkably, they sit fifth with a 2-5 win-loss record, but boast a superior amount of premiership points over Fire Brigade, Leitchville-Gunbower, and Nondies Cohuna with 42 after the outright win.
Meanwhile, Fire Brigade continued its hunt for a finals spot with its second win on the trot, staving off a spirited L-G by 30 runs in a high-scoring round 10 encounter.
Chasing 250 for victory, L-G batters Scott Lucas (43) and Kurt Brereton’s (31) 80-run partnership built on a solid opening stand from skipper Tyler Jones and Liam Keath.
James Keath (42) weathered a late collapse, but with 90 runs to reel in off the final nine overs, there was simply too much to do for L-G.
Flames bowler Jack Donnell (2-43) and skipper Brenton Campbell (2-11) walked with best figures for Kyabram.
Rochester was forced to settle for first-innings points after a defiant Bamawm Lockington dug in with the bat at Windridge Oval.
Sandun Ranathunga chalked up a second-innings half-century after his side was bowled out for 74 in the first, posting a watchful 74 off 161 deliveries before falling to Fraser Cleary.
Cleary claimed best figures of 3-20, but Dylan Cuttriss bowled exceptionally off his nine overs with figures of 2-3, with eight of those overs maidens.
BLU finished up 6-138 after 61 overs at the crease.
A one-day catch-up round was played on Sunday, February 13, with a wrap-up of results, finals ramifications and best players to come in Wednesday’s Riverine Herald.
McMahon Shield ladder after round 10
1. Echuca, 7-1
2. Rochester, 7-1
3. BLU, 5-4
4. Moama, 4-4
5. Cooma, 2-5
6. Kyabram Fire Brigade, 3-4
7. Leitchville-Gunbower, 3-3
8. Nondies Cohuna, 3-4
9. Echuca South, 0-8
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