Tongala secures maximum points over Flames

By Matthew Kappos

Feb 11, 2024

Driven: Rory Knight’s 55 helped Tongala as the side built an unassailable lead over Kyabram Fire Brigade. Photo: Aidan Briggs Photo by Aidan Briggs

Tongala has built on a strong day one performance to record an even more dominant day two and score a rare outright win over Kyabram Fire Brigade in round 13 of the McMahon Shield.

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The result is made even more noteworthy when you consider the two Goulburn Murray Cricket clubs’ respective forms this season, with Kyabram entering the round in equal fourth, and Tongala having scored just a single win all season.

The match resumed with Tongala at 1-8 after securing a first innings lead of 21 on day one.

Things started poorly for Tonny as it found itself reduced to 4-18 in short order, before captain Alex Williams joined opener Rory Knight at the crease.

The two put on 56 for the fifth wicket, reviving Tongala’s hopes and allowing the side to reach 130, establishing a lead of 151.

Knight (55) and Williams (28) were the best of the batsmen for Tongala, with Keegan Miller (24) providing some lower order resistance.

Robert Salter took seven wickets on the day to finish with an outstanding 8-41, edging Echuca South’s Mitchell Stephens, who also had an eight-wicket innings this round, for competition-best figures.

With 152 runs required and not much time left in the game, the Flames required a near-perfect batting performance to score an outright victory.

Instead, it was Tongala who put in an impressive innings, bowling Fire Brigade out in just 18.1 overs for only 71 runs to score maximum points for the round.

Darin Ohlesn (3-14), Lachlan Caldwell (3-25), Rory Knight (2-14) and Alex Williams (2-18) shared the wickets as Tonny scored an unlikely victory.

Robert Salter (41) put in a starring performance in a well-beaten side, adding to his eight-wicket innings, nine for the match, by top-scoring for his side in both innings (first innings 15).

Fire Brigade would have moved into the top four had it gained points from this game, but instead falls to sixth, with an enthralling showdown against ladder-leaders Moama, who has been shaky in recent weeks, to come in the final round.

This result won’t have any impact on Tongala’s finals chances, but moves them above Cooma into eighth place, ahead of a trip to Cooma Recreation Reserve in round 14.