Wanderers in 22-run win

In game five in the longer form of the Nor West Crane Hire Port Hedland Cricket Association’s season, the undefeated Wanderers cricket club hosted the dynamic, second-placed Port Hedland cricket club.

As befits a top-of-the-table clash, the game offered plenty of highlights in a high-scoring match, as Wanderers kept their perfect season intact with a 22-run win.

Wanderers skipper Joshua Standen won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first in the twilight conditions at Kevin Scott Oval.

Openers Wayne Stokes and Michael Mobilia set the tone for “the green machine” with an 82-run stand, broken when Stokes lofted an Arron Hamilton delivery to the safe hands of Jarrad O’Dea at deep mid wicket, one run shy of his half century.

Chris Wichura joined Mobilia and together the pair added a further 67 runs before Hamilton removed Wichura with the old “straight ball on the stumps trick”.

From 2/149, the Port bowlers gradually took control, with O’Dea ripping out Michael Jones (6), Joel Agland for a first-ball duck, and Chaz Roberts (10) — all out with the Kookaburra rattling the middle stump each time.

The Wanderers finished their 35- overs at 9/228 with Michael Mobilia unbeaten on 80, his third score in six matches over the 80 mark this season.

Hamilton and O’Dea each finished with three wickets, with Jarrad Ams chipping in with two.

The Port reply was equally solid as Chris Briody (38) and captain Glenn Robertson (57) matched the Wanderers opening stand of 82 before Briody was well caught by David Thomason running back from mid to take a diving catch on the 30m circle off the bowling of Standen.

The Wanderers skipper quickly removed Kobus Wessels and Hamilton to have Port 3/85.

Nathan Smith, batting at five, smashed a rapid half century from just 25 balls before he mistimed another big hit off Thomason, only to have the ball land in the safe hands of Roberts with the score at 147.

Three wickets fell for less than 20 runs in the middle of the innings, including the vital wicket of Robertson.

A desperate rearguard action by O’Dea and Sam Mason was killed off just 30 runs shy of the target when Mason was brilliantly caught by Thomason off his own bowling in the penultimate over.

In the Twenty20 game on Friday, Mines kept their finals intentions alive with a 40-run win over winless South Hedland. Paul Huckle led all scorers with an unbeaten 44 for Mines, while Julian Wilmott removed the dangerous top order pair of Taurean Williams and Troy Morrissey, finishing with 2/19 from his four overs.

Souths skipper Shoaib Khan and keeper Yogesh Patel were the only batsmen able to press the Mines bowlers in the chase, ultimately falling short in the last over.