In the fifth over of the Jarvis Delahey Crushers’ innings on Sunday English import Ethan Brookes swung into action. Literally.
He hit Alistair McCann for four, four, four, two and six in the space of six deliveries and from there, the Crushers cruised to the highest Goulburn Valley Bush Bash score on record and a comfortable round one win over the SRP Mud Dogs.
Brookes was the catalyst for the score, hitting 63 off 29 deliveries, including eight boundaries and four sixes, with fellow opener Andrew Poppa putting on 86 for the first wicket in seven-and-a-bit overs, with devastating use of the ramp shot.
Poppa spent most of the opening stand as the second fiddle, turning the strike over to Brookes’ devastating hitting, but once he holed out to long-on he and number three Henry Cullen kept motoring.
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Steaming in: Mud Dogs' Joe Cooke during the opening GVBBL clash. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 2 of 14
On the turn: The Crushers’ Henry Cullen turns to go for a second. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 3 of 14
Send it long: The Crushers' Ethan Brookes made a scintillating 63. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 4 of 14
Whippet: Mud Dogs' Rylea Jones bowling from the grandstand end. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 5 of 14
Good dig: Andrew Poppa hits one to the rope. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 6 of 14
Top scorer: Ethan Brookes Photo by Aydin PayneImage 7 of 14
Ramped up: Crushers' Ethan Brookes after playing a ramp during his innings. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 8 of 14
Happy skipper: Crushers’ skipper Dwain Vidler. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 9 of 14
Hitting out: Daniel Clohesy Photo by Aydin PayneImage 10 of 14
Spinning in: The Mud Dogs' Alistair McCann Photo by Aydin PayneImage 11 of 14
Safe hands: Mud Dogs’ Andrew Chalkley helds onto a catch. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 12 of 14
Back to his mark: Crushers’ Mitch Cleeland. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 13 of 14
Six runs: Umpire Manzour Ali signals a six. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 14 of 14
Howzat? Mud Dogs’ Nick Gladman. Photo by Aydin PayneBy the time Cullen and Poppa were dismissed within an over of each other, the score was 135 in the 13th over.
The Mud Dogs rallied, with Andrew Chalkley and Echuca’s Rylea Jones bowling well, taking the wickets of Cullen and Poppa respectively.
Marquee Joe Cooke took 3-2 in the final over, giving the DJ at Deakin Reserve enough time to blast the entirety of Thirsty Merc’s In The Summertime as batters walked on and off.
But the damage was done, 193 runs were on the board and the Mud Dogs had their backs against the wall.
Daniel Clohesy gave it a crack, the Mud Dogs’ number three whacking an entertaining 38 off 22.
Shepparton East teammates Lachie Keady and Dwain Vidler teamed up to see the back of Joe Cooke, who shared a 55-run stand with Clohesy, and when Clohesy was dismissed from a ripping one-handed caught and bowled from Vidler, the result seemed a formality.
Keady and his frosted tips claimed two more victims on his way to 3-37 off three, while Mitch Cleeland chimed in for two wickets of his own.
Skipper Vidler said he was happy with the win, lauding English import Brookes.
“It always helps when the top order fires and put nearly 200 on the board,” he said.
“Brooksey came out and hit them really well and Poppa was a bit the same, so when you get off to a start like you did, it sets it up really well for everyone behind to be a bit freer.
“You can tell (Brookes) is a class cricketer and in a country cricket squad, he’s a class bat and he proved it today.”
Vidler also praised the Crushers’ bowling attack, singling out Keady’s three-wicket haul.
“I thought everyone bowled well. We had a few to defend so asked blokes to bowl to a plan and all the bowlers, everyone got a wicket and did their jobs and Keads did really well at the end,” Vidler said.