Sport

Moama kicks further clear after South win

By Matthew Kappos

Dec 14, 2025

Anthony McMahon took 2-31 in another dominant win for Moama, the Mowers sweeping aside another title contender in their 9-0 start. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW

Moama now has a huge buffer at the top of the McMahon Shield standings, after slaying another of its top contenders in round 10 of Goulburn Murray Cricket.

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Echuca South had edged its way into second the previous weekend, eclipsing Bamawm-Lockington United on quotient, and with the Lions on the bye at the weekend, the Swans had the opportunity to cement that spot and earn the precious scalp of the unbeaten leader.

However, there’s a reason the Mowers ran the table in the first half of the season and Moama’s quality was on display again at Echuca South Recreation Reserve.

South was sent in to bat on its home wicket and was feeling the pressure early, losing Jayden Rosin with the score at six runs.

Ben Eade followed after a battler’s 11, bringing two of the Swans' star men, Asantha Singappuli and Rathika Rajakumara, together at the crease.

Singappuli made a good start, but couldn’t go on with it, nicking off for 24, but captain Rajakumara found a willing partner in Clayton Watson.

The stand for the fourth wicket was the best of the innings and the duo added 56 runs, bringing the total past the 100 mark before Billy Gallagher found the skipper’s edge, Rajakumara gone for 33.

Watson hung around and was approaching 50, but with partners falling at the other end, he eventually misfired off Matt Saunders’ bowling for South to decline to 7-139.

With wickets and overs running out, Shaun Haffenden made a valuable cameo late, his run-a-ball 18 getting the Swans to 165 all out, the innings ending only three balls short of the 50 overs.

Apart from the important wicket of Watson, Saunders also helped clear out the tail, finishing with game-best figures of 4-30.

Anthony McMahon (2-31) was the only other man to take more than one, Rhys Drennan, Clay McGregor and Gallagher snagging one each.

While it has shown all-round quality through an unbeaten first half of the year, Moama has particularly stood out with bat in hand, and a chase of 166 for victory looked well within the Mowers’ capabilities.

There was plenty of action to start proceedings, as Fraser Buchanan found the boundary on his first delivery, but departed the following ball, giving South some hope and having Moama 1-8 early.

The wicket of the dangerous McMahon came to AK Gunathilika, keeping the match in the balance, but a partnership between Joel Murphy and Kobyn James would secure the game for the Mowers.

Murphy would bring up a half-century in a 96-run partnership, eventually departing for 64, while James would go on to raise the bat late in the innings, finishing 56 not out as the Mowers iced the game in the 37th over, three wickets down.

Seven bowlers tried their hand for South, only Ben Walker, Gunathilaka and Rajakumara rewarded with wickets.

Moama is three wins clear at the top of the ladder, ahead of BLU and South, but the Lions do hold a game in hand as the first side to take the bye after the halfway mark.

In the final action before Christmas, the Mowers will face Echuca at Moon Oval at Rochester and South will once again be on home turf, taking on Rochester.