While Moama got a convincing win over Barooga in round one of the Northern Region T20 Kookaburra Cup, Echuca was less fortunate, going down to Central Park-St Brendan’s.
Echuca’s first innings total of 7-133 from its 20 overs was chased down with relative ease by the Tigers, who managed the total in 14 overs.
The men in green wanted to get on the front foot after winning the toss and elected to bat first.
After a maiden opening over from Ramadan Yze, Echuca opener Curtis Townrow hit a boundary off Max Hopper in the second, but it was Hopper who had the last laugh, dismissing Townrow through a catch by Connor Hayes for four.
Kobyn James departed for a golden duck in the following over after trying to take on Yze, finding the hands of Sam Holland.
Opener Brendan Moyle and Charlie Hinks were able to stabilise the innings after a pair of early wickets, putting on 41 for the third wicket.
Moyle was next to go for 16 after looking to accelerate, with Mitchell Brett hanging on to a chance created by Rhiley Lau.
Aidan Young wasn’t going to get out wondering, hitting 11 off eight balls before also finding Brett in the field.
Echuca crossed the team century thanks in large part to Hinks, who raised the bat for his half century before a mix-up in the middle meant he was run out by Jarrod Wakeling for 52.
Lachlan Hogan looked in good touch throughout the later stages of the innings and partnered with both Easton and Rory Carlile who managed eight and seven, respectively.
Hogan finished the innings unbeaten on 24 from 22 balls with the Tigers needing 134 for victory.
Central Park-St Brendan’s got off to a flier, hitting 10 off the first over to make its intentions known.
Echuca got a breakthrough via Nathan Elliott’s bowling, with Kobyn James hanging on to a catch at Rhiley Lau’s expense, the opener leaving the crease on 15.
Fellow opener Tyler Larkin showed no signs of slowing town and found very few balls bowled by Echuca troubling.
Larkin and first drop Mitchell Brett put on a 53-run partnership before the latter was caught by Hinks off Aidan Young’s bowling for 13.
Jack McCarten was happy to turn the strike over and let Larkin score, this partnership producing 24 before the former was trapped lbw for 10 by Brendan Moyle.
Larkin and Nate Earl chased down the remaining runs in a timely fashion, reaching the required figure of 134 in the 14th over with Larkin the hero on 86 not out.
While it wasn’t to be for Echuca in its opening contest, Moama took care of business against Barooga, in albeit an unlikely manner.
The visiting Mowers won the toss and elected to bat first, with openers Michael Hill and Anthony McMahon providing a solid platform for their side.
Hill was first to go, being caught by Kale Watkins off Brendan Lewis’ bowling for 15 off 10 deliveries.
McMahon was also caught out not long after, this time edging behind to wicket-keeper Zach Dunn off Lachlan Sutton’s bowling, also scoring 15 off 10 balls.
Fraser Buchanan and Matt Saunders were the next batsmen at the crease, with the latter lasting just four balls before knicking off to Zach Dunn off Lewis’ bowling for three.
Lewis struck again just two balls later when he bowled Liam Stephens for a duck and was on a roll also claiming the prized scalp of Buchanan for 19 in the same way as Saunders.
The visitors were now in real trouble at 5-59 with the pressure on Moama’s B-grade call-ups.
Simon Porter and Luke Dinan were able to put on a few runs before they were both gone within three balls of each other, both succumbing to Flynn Griffiths for six and nine.
It only got worse for the Mowers as their last four batsmen combined for just 10 runs, leaving Moama all out for 80.
Captain Lewis starred with the ball, collecting 4-34, and Zach Dunn hung on to three catches behind the stumps.
Barooga would’ve fancied itself a shoo-in for victory with such a small score to chase, but it had no idea what it was in for.
It took just two overs for Moama to break the game open through Michael Hill, who knocked over Kale Watkins for four.
Luke Jarjoura and Caleb Goesch toiled for five overs until Matt Saunders claimed Dunn for one thanks to the safe hands of Hill.
Barooga was unable to find any consistency in its innings, with top-scorer Jarjoura trapped lbw by Hill in the following over for 10.
No other batsman cracked double figures for the home side, with wickets tumbling every over or two.
Murphy Stephens (2) and Lewis (3) were dismissed before the team scored more than 20 runs.
Caleb Goesch was the only point of resistance in Barooga’s middle order, tallying eight before he too was sent packing, being bowled by Moama young gun Geordie Teasdale.
Two more wickets fell in Teasdale’s over, however both of them were run-outs, with Flynn Griffiths departing for three and Hugh Sutton going for a golden duck.
Shockingly, Moama was all of a sudden in the driver’s seat of the match with Barooga at 8-34.
The last three batsmen contributed little, with Lachlan Sutton (2), Jake Poole (3) and Ethan Bovalina (1 not out) facing a total of 13 balls.
The home side was bowled out in disgrace for a dismal 40 runs, barely hitting half of Moama’s total, the Mowers miraculously winning the day thanks to a stellar bowling effort.