Last season’s beaten grand finalists Headlands Pies made a huge statement in the second game of the Bundaberg Cricket T20 Aussie Bundy Big Bash season opening double-header at Salter Oval on Saturday.
The Pies scored a crushing nine-wicket victory over reigning champions Searle’s RV Centre Vikings with opener Brendan Handley leading them home with seven overs to spare with a classy unbeaten 54.
Batting first, the Vikings were bundled out for a paltry 98, with only three players reaching double-figures as Pies openers Paul Jagger and spinner Chris Duff claimed three wickets each.
The Pies lost foundation player Simon Kelly in their run chase, but it was just an aberration as they charged home from there.
In the early match on the program, Takalvan’s Taipans held on to beat Betta Heat by four runs after posting 7-159, then restricting their opponents to 3-155.
In the Tallon-Giles Division 2 T30 competition, Waves clinched a final berth at the expense of Norths with a hard-fought three-wicket victory over Norths, with long-serving Division 1 champion Luke Owen producing a dynamic double of 3-23 and an unconquered 68 in his season comeback after recovering from a serious illness which kept him in intensive care for eight days.
They will meet East Bundy in the decider after the Magpies finished the preliminary rounds unbeaten, scraping a two-wicket victory over Brothers for whom spinner Dylan Heycox claimed 4-8 to ensure a tense finish after they had been fired out for just 94.
Junior fixtures also got under way for the season on Saturday and Sam Stuchbery racked up a classy unbeaten 104 to star as Waves thrashed Hervey Bay Colts by 94 runs in under-16.
RUGBY
Waves Falcons drew first blood in their Rugby Bundaberg Elders Insurance Spring Cup third round showdown with two-times defending champions Fraser Coast at Jubilee Park on Saturday, kicking a penalty, but while they continued to compete strongly throughout, the Mariners again proved too good, winning 26-3 to continue their perfect start to the season.
Then, hosts West Barbarians laid claim to the title as the best of the four Bundaberg sides in the competition, making it two wins to start their campaign, outmuscling East Bundaberg Pythons 17-0 with a double to rugged hooker Aloisia Sebualala.
Barbarians coach Gary Maroney named Iski Pongi, No. 9 Andrew Filo in his first game of the season, and goal kicking fullback Matt Collier as their best on the day, but he was disappointed that they never added to their account after a “good opening 30 minutes, scoring three tries”.
“Unfortunately, poor discipline by both teams then spoiled a good game,” Gary said.
Barbarians will get a true gauge of where they are at when they clash with the Mariners at Brothers Sports Club this Saturday afternoon.
It was business as usual for the Mariners last Saturday, repeatedly having answers for all that the much improved Falcons could throw at them.
Electrifying fly-half Filipe Koroibola had another field day, scoring three of their four tries, and also converting three of them.
SOFTBALL
Brothers United Firesticks started their quest for a hat-trick of A Grade Ladies titles in the renamed Coral Coast/Hervey Bay Softball Associations League with a well-executed 9-2 victory over arch-rivals Waves Tsunamis in their Local Derby first round clash at Brothers Sports Club on Saturday.
In A Grade Men, reigning title holders Terrors were put to the sword by Misfits 18-2, while 2020-21 minor premiers United Heat went down to the newly combined Maryborough-Wests team 7-4.
Here are all the scores:
CRICKET BUNDABERG
AUSSIE BUNDABERG BIG BASH
Round 1:
TAKALVAN’S TAIPANS 7/159 (Mitchell Waters 41, Eric Petersen 36no, Ryan Norton 2/19, Ben Davey 2/40) d BETTA HEAT 3/155 (Scott Irwin 68no, Kori Pope 28).
HEADLANDS PIES 1/102 (Brendan Handley 54no) d SEARLE’S RV CENTRE VIKINGS 98 (Lennon Childs 34, Ned Jenner 28no, Paul Jagger 3/13, Chris Duff 3/15, Hayden Pope 2/16).
TALLON-GILES DIVISION 2 T30
Round 3:
The Waves 7/139 (Luke Owen 68no, Matthew Parker 2/18, Josh Winen 2/22, Damian O’Neall 2/23) d Norths 8/135(cc) (Blyton Pendergast 78, Logan Woodward 26no, Vince Differ 3/9, Luke Owen 3/23).
East Bundy Magpies 8/95 (Jesse Richardson 30, Dylan Heycox 4/8, Jackson Rehbein 2/18) d Brothers 94 (Jackson Rehbein 27, Lewis Williams 2/6, Martin Green 2/11, Troy Cross 2/24, Ben Davey 2/25).
TALLON-GILES DIVISION 3 T30
Round 3:
YMCA 4/103 (Lex Webster 56, Jack Rowan 2/7) d Isis 102 (Josh Manitzky 33, Russell Baker 3/5, Richmond Felstead 2/15).
The Waves 7/171 (Jayden Larsen 38, Ryan Maclean 30, Roderick Jensen 2/22, John Richardson 2/32) d East Bundy Magpies 167 (Roderick Jensen 51, Nathan Finlay 48, Will Barrett 32, T Coates 4/25, Chris Munro 3/27, Ryan Maclean 2/38).
Norths 6/174 (Shaun Pinney 68, Craig Fritz 31no, Andrew Weeks 2/32, Oliver Boge 2/32) d Brothers 9/171(cc) (Andrew Weeks 48, Neil Trebbin 27, Craig Fritz 3/13, Shaun Pinney 2/15).
JUNIOR CRICKET 3 UNDER-16
The Waves 2/246(cc) (Sam Stuchbery 104no, Lucy Hamilton 78no) d Hervey Bay Colts 6/152(cc) (B Loveridge 57no, F Ignatenko 29, Lucy Hamilton 3/6).
Maryborough 5/192(cc) (L Nitschinsk 88, B Jones 32, C Farrell 27, Cooper Rehbein 2/39) d Isis 6/175(cc) (Jayden Santacaterina 63, Cooper Rehbein 28).
Brothers Pumas 8/195 (Beau Marshman 37, Oliver Boge 33, Lachlan Heycox 2/15, Ronan Fritz 2/23) d YMCA/Norths Marauders 8/111(cc) (Lachlan Heycox 38, Patrick Marshman 3/31, Beau Marshman 2/14).
JUNIOR CRICKET 3 UNDER-14
The Waves 5/227(cc) (Tahj Coates 62no, Nicholas Delacy 54, Levi Faint 36) d Isis/Brothers Mustangs 116 (11 wickets) (Charlie Steele 35, Jye Young 3/17, Alex Stuchbery 2/5).
Hervey Bay Colts 5/157 (B Kratzmann 41, R Folker 29, B Kington 25no) d Maryborough 9/152(cc) (C Barr 3/22, N Meyer 3/23).
North Bundy Power 3/214(cc) (Jack Tyers 51no, Oliver Wendt 47no, Riley Pimm 28, Cameron Manski 28no) d Norths Choppers 7/113(cc) (Marcus Crawford 29no, Brayden Jenner 2/8, Zach Hamel 2/9).
JUNIOR CRICKET 2
YMCA 5/143(cc) (Atlas Felstead 53no, Archie Webster 44no, Zach Honor 2/8) d Brothers 8/131 (James Baker 2/13, Lawson Baker 2/18).
Norths Avengers 2/98 (Jack Juster 27no) d The Waves 56 (Thomas Dwyer 2/12, Samson Juster 2/14).
Norths SEI Strikers 7/208(cc) (Beau Donnison 54, Rune Needer 37no, Charles Higgins 2/20) d Isis 118 (Zak Onoprienko 36, Vasav Parshuramkar 2/8, Zayde Kitching 2/12).
RUGBY BUNDABERG
Elders Insurance Spring Cup Round 3:
FRASER COAST MARINERS 26 (Filipe Koroibola 3, Jaiden Davies tries; Filipe Koroibola 3 conversions) d WAVES FALCONS 3 (penalty).
WEST BARBARIANS 17 (Aloisia Sebualala 2, Ifereimi Vosagaga tries; Mathew Collier conversion) d EAST BUNDABERG PYTHONS 0.
SOFTBALL CORAL COAST/HERVEY BAY
Round 1:
A GRADE LADIES
BROTHERS UNITED FIRESTICKS 9 d WAVES TSUNAMIS 2.
A GRADE MEN
MARYBOROUGH WEST 7 d BROTHERS UNITED HEAT 4; MISFITS 18 d TERRORS 2.
B GRADE LADIES
TERRORS BLUE 18 d MISFITS 6; WAVES TIDAL WAVES 12 d WESTERN SUBURBS COUGARS 3; BROTHERS UNITED INFERNO 12 d WESTERN SUBURBS PANTHERS 2; BARGARA BANDITS 17 d WAVES BREAKERS 10.
B GRADE MEN
UNITED FLAME 16 d WAVES CUTTERS 6; UNITED IGNITE 12 d WAVES CRUISERS 4; WESTERN SUBURBS LYNX 9 d BARGARA BULLS 3.
UNDER-16
BROTHERS UNITED TNT 17 d BARGARA BRONCS 2; WAVES WAVERIDERS 13 d WESTERN SUBURBS LIONS 7.
UNDER-14
BROTHERS UNITED BLAZE 12 d BARGARA BANDICOOTS 2; WAVES RIPTIDES 19 d WESTERN SUBURBS PANTHERS 4.
UNDER-12
BROTHERS UNITED SPARKS 15 d BARGARA BEARS 4; WAVES MARINERS 4 d WESTERN SUBURBS JAGUARS 4.
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