Life’s easy when it’s breezy.
That’s how Nagambie captain Mark Nolan would’ve felt after using a strong headwind to demolish Numurkah’s order in the first of a two-day Haisman Shield clash on Saturday.
Nolan took six scalps ― his first sextuple since January 2019 ― alongside fellow opening quick Mitch Winter-Irving (2-34) to see the Blues slump to 113 all out.
The Lakers then ticked off 49 runs for the loss of two batters in the following innings, putting Nolan and his Nagambie mates in the driving seat.
“I thought it was clearly our best bowling performance of the year,” Nolan said.
“Mitch and myself haven’t been bowling that well at the start of games, which has hurt us a bit, and yesterday we bowled really well in partnership.
“It was a really strong wind, one of the strongest ones we’ve probably played in ... and we took wickets with the new ball which is always key.”
Numurkah won the toss and chose to bat ― a decision that proved fatal 11 overs in.
Though Nolan admitted he would’ve elected for the stick if the coin flipped his way, he wouldn’t have minded how things turned out after a devastating new-ball display had the Blues at 5-13.
Imports James Du Toit went for one, Raguvaran Aravinthan managed two, both bound by Nolan’s spell, while Winter-Irving removed the prized scalp of young gun Riley Dawson for a sole run.
Taking wickets was like shelling peas for Nolan and, thankfully for Numurkah, resistance arrived ― albeit in a fleeting wave.
Captain Tim Arnel and Liam Gledhill forged a crucial partnership in the middle to avoid the score becoming an embarrassment, but once both were gone for 15 and 53 respectively, the jig was up.
“We saw at the end; once the ball was 20-25 overs old there wasn’t much there and it was hard to get wickets,” Nolan said.
“They put on a partnership which was always going to happen, they’re a good team, but to break that partnership in the middle was key which helped get them out for 110.
THE GAME SO FAR
Numurkah 113 (Liam Gledhill 53, Tim Arnel 15, Mark Nolan 6-27) v Nagambie 2-49 (Mitch Winter-Irving 16 not out, Ben Tarran nine not out, Tim Arnel 1-14)
“We got Tim out first and Liam just after which was really handy ― we couldn’t get the last few wickets straight away which was a bit annoying.
“But if we said we’d bowl them out for 110 we would’ve taken that at the start of the day.”
The Lakers got off to a shaky start with James Auld walking for a duck and later Luke Nolan for 12, but Ben Tarran (nine not out) and Winter-Irving (16 not out) planted their feet and pushed Nagambie back out to a position of ascendancy.
With only 65 to get with eight in the shed, Nolan remains confident his side is a firm favourite to leave with the chocolates this Saturday.
“It would’ve been nice to be one down max after 20 odd overs, but 2-50 isn’t too bad,” Nolan said.
“Sixty-odd runs to get with eight wickets, we should be able to get it done I hope.”