Echuca’s mammoth opening partnership has powered the men in green’s return to the summit of Goulburn Murray Cricket’s McMahon Shield.
Top of the table is a familiar place for the three-time defending champion and, after dominating Moama in round five and defeating Kyabram Fire Brigade on Saturday, it seems like the side’s rightful home.
Echuca’s latest victim put up a valiant effort, but was ultimately undone 50 runs shy of the green machine’s enormous total with four overs remaining in the second innings.
Playing at Northern Oval at Kyabram, the visiting side won the toss and elected to bat on a run-friendly pitch.
That proved to be a wise decision.
To say the game was already over before a wicket had fallen would be a reduction of the match, but the partnership of Echuca’s openers Brendan Moyle and Kobyn James practically iced the game through 32 overs.
Spanning 196 balls, the pair put on a staggering 175-run opening stand to put Echuca well and truly in the driver’s seat.
Moyle was the more explosive of the two, blasting 96 runs in the same number of balls, including 12 fours and two maximums, before being caught by Tim Nelson four runs shy of an elusive century.
Meanwhile, James was the side’s anchor, carving out 75 runs from 100 balls before following Moyle off the ground after being caught by Jackson Barnett eight runs later.
With 10 overs remaining and eight wickets in hand, Echuca’s batters knew that their job was to score as many runs as possible to add to their substantial total.
With an excellent platform already set, the men in green went after it, with mixed results.
James Grixti managed 14 before finding Nelson’s safe pair of hands, while Aidan Young notched 13 before being bowled by Tom Owen two overs later.
Lachlan Hogan fared the worst out of the Echuca’s batters, being trapped lbw for three runs by Owen as the bowler struck twice in quick succession.
Charlie Hinks looked promising, but his innings was cut short on nine after a mix-up between the wickets resulting in a run-out courtesy of Robert Salter.
Salter also claimed the final wickets of the innings, this time as a bowler beating Anthony Dennis, all ends up for 15.
Echuca ended its innings at 7-248, with the Flames needing to fire up with the bat to win the game.
It’s safe to say Fire Brigade didn’t get off to the same emphatic start Echuca did, with openers Brett Andison and Miller Griffiths only able to summon 33 before Griffith was dismissed lbw at the hands of in-form paceman Nathan Elliott.
Andison was sent packing the following over, being caught by Lachlan Hogan off captain Simon Maddox’s bowling for 18.
At 2-33, the Flames had some work to do if they were to get anywhere close to Echuca’s total and, to be fair, they gave it a good shot.
First-drop Bohden Learmonth mounted 19 before he was trapped in front by Hinks.
Shannon Fleming looked dangerous at number four, but a lapse in concentration meant he left the crease on 29 with Anthony Dennis bowling him through the gate on the stroke of the team 100.
Much like Fleming, Kaine Herbert seemed threatening, but he too couldn’t cash in on a solid start before Hinks trapped him in front as well, sending him off for 28.
A game-defining partnership isn’t always found at the top of the order.
Sometimes it comes from a defiant attitude lower down and the Flames found it in numbers six and seven, Cohan Hooper and captain Salter.
The pair added 70 runs to the total, getting the Flames to 190 before Young took a nice catch off his own bowling to dismiss Hooper for 24.
Salter followed Hooper three balls later thanks to tidy work in the field by Brendan Moyle, leaving the crease and virtually ending Fire Brigade’s hopes on 47.
With the odds stacked against it, Fire Brigade fell 50 runs short in a valiant effort, but it was simply outclassed by a side honing in on four shields in a row.
Meanwhile, Rochester was handed its first loss of the season by Moama by order of a five-wicket defeat.
The Tigers were bowled for 127 before the Mowers chased down the target in the 32nd over, with young jet Archie Teasdale (39 not out) bringing the hosts home.
Tongala’s tough season continued as it suffered its fifth defeat on the spin, the Blues suffering an agonising shortfall against Leitchville-Gunbower.
The combine posted 7-159 before it was Tongala’s turn to bat and the home side got within five runs of its first victory before the final wicket fell.
In the round’s other game, Bamawm-Lockington stormed to a seven-wicket win against Nondies Cohuna, led by a stunning unbeaten knock of 72 by Regis Chakabva.