Opener Max Briant hit five fours and a six in scoring 40 runs from 26 balls, and first-drop Like Fisher hit four fours in his 33 (retired) off 30 balls. Fisher is a fine back-foot player.
Leg-spinner David Gray (2-11 off two overs) had Briant caught by Hurlstone at long-off, and Broncos wicketkeeper Te-Reimana Gray held a great catch off the bowling of seamer Sam Briant (1-13 off two) to dismiss the dangerous Marshall (15 from 14, batting at No.4).
Cohen Loffler (1-6 off two) bowled at good pace and with discipline.
The pace of the game never slowed. Broncos’ Year 7 opener George Gillies hit four boundaries in his innings of 26 (retired) off 30 balls, and Marshall held an incredible reflex catch at short cover to remove the in-form Loffler for eight off Fisher’s bowling.
Gillies and Sam Briant (29 from 27 balls, from No.4) shared an 87-run partnership for the third wicket.
Nathan Trowell’s 20 off 17 balls included a straight drive for four and a flat six down the ground. His innings gave the Broncos a tremendous lift when they most needed it.
Although CricHQ says Theo Mackay never faced a ball, his game-awareness to run through on a wide delivery and get Te-Reimana Gray the strike — with five to win off the last ball — ensured a grandstand finish. Gray supplied that by hitting the last ball for six over mid-wicket.
“I thought we had it,” said Marshall who, though disappointed at the result, felt the match was a tremendous contest.
Hurlstone said it was the best game the Broncos had played in so far.
“We had to keep making bowling changes to restrict their scoring and managed to get Max and Blake, their two big hitters, out. That was important for us.
“George, Sam and Nathan changed the game for us with their batting. The rate required got up to 10 an over at one stage. It was intense.”
Comfortable — the Bollywood Stars did nothing dramatic in their five-wicket win against the Auto Tyre Eagles yesterday; they didn’t need to. They won with five overs to spare, having chased the Eagles’ 93-4 down on the back of two good innings.
Opener Liam Spring hit six boundaries in his 38 runs from 27 balls, and second-drop Liam Barbier scored 20 not out off 18.
The Stars had lost two wickets for five runs when Spring and Barbier came together two balls into the third over. Their 61-run stand for the third wicket was pivotal.
Peter Reynolds (1-3 off one over), Dylan O’Rourke (1-7 off one) and Noah Torrance-Cribb (1-9 off one) took wickets for the Eagles.
In the Eagles’ innings, DJ Penfold made 18 off 25 balls from No.3, and No.4 Angus Baker scores 15 off 29 balls.
Seamer Grace Levy, bowling second-change for the Stars, took 2-14 off two overs. Kayley Knight also bowled well, conceding only eight runs in three overs.
Although 15 overs might have been considered a slog-fest before the season began, the first four rounds in the junior T15 league have produced batsmanship and a fair fielding standard. In parts, it is superb.
