Last season’s Douglas Cup finalists now lead the standings in the John Gallop Cup one-day competition heading into Christmas, as Zac Keogh and Nic Broes respectively steered Weston Creek Molonglo and Queanbeyan to big wins, while the Tuggeranong bowlers had a field day at Kippax to round out 2023.
Only Weston Creek Molonglo’s no result from earlier this month separates them and the Bluebags atop the Gallop Cup table after five rounds of one day cricket this season.
Up at Keith Tournier Memorial Oval in Ainslie, Keogh was at the wicket early with WCM 1/1 against North Canberra Gungahlin, but got in early and found similar support along the way.
Keogh finished with 118 from 129 balls with five 4s and five 6s, as the ‘Creek set a very handy total of 9/242 from their 50 overs.
Djali Bloomfield and Norman Vanua ripped through the Norths top order, and the Eagles had the same problem of losing wickets in clumps, eventually bowled out for 134 in 35 overs.
At Kingston, Broes enjoyed healthy partnerships throughout his 130-ball innings of 115, as Queanbeyan amassed 5/283 from their 50 overs against Eastlake after winning the toss and batting first.
The Bluebags bowlers were keen for their moment, too, striking early and often. After taking the first wicket with just one on the board, the Queanbeyan attack ripping the Demons middle order apart, taking 6-12 to leave Eastlake in massive trouble that they never recovered from.
Spinners Kai Brunker and Zac Beverage finished three wickets each as Eastlake were bowled out for 106 in the 40th over.
Out at Kippax, ‘carnage’ is the word best used to describe the flood of Ginninderra wickets to fall, as Tuggeranong first took 5-17 to remove the Tigers’ middle order and then took the last four wickets for none as they rolled the home side for just 88 in 36 overs.
Spin to win, the experience of the Tuggeranong attack would have said, as Shane Devoy and Janith Samaratunga both took three wickets, and opening bat Vusi Sibanda chipped in with two wickets as well.
Carnage was the best word for the run chase, too, with Sibanda and Zac Maron facing just 48 balls between them as Tuggeranong romped to a ten-wicket win in just 7.4 overs. Sibanda crunched eight 4s and four 6s on his way to 63no from just 27 balls.
And ANU enjoyed a big win as well, to round out for the final weekend of cricket for 2023, though their tail had to wag pretty hard to get over Western Districts at Jamison.
After finding themselves 6/42, skipper Dan Leerdam (80) found support from Felix Bennett and then John Allen to add 62 for the seventh wicket and 96 for the eighth, to push the Students onto a much more respectable 9/220 from their 50 overs.
David Waters finished with the figures for the Lions, taking 6-40 from his ten overs.
Wests found themselves in a very similar spot as two of the other three teams chasing down totals over the weekend, slumping to 4/48 initially, and losing another 4-23 in their lower order before ultimately falling 98 runs short, bowled out for 122 in the 41st over.
Gallop Cup table after five rounds:
- Weston Creek Molonglo 17
- Queanbeyan 15
- Tuggeranong 14
- ANU 13
- Western Districts 13
- North Canberra Gungahlin 7
- Eastlake 6
- Ginninderra 4.
Premier Cricket returns in 2024 on Saturday, 13 January.
Article by Brett McKay