Rochester has delivered a shock result in the second round of the McMahon Shield, comfortably chasing down the total set by reigning premier Echuca to claim a four-wicket win.
Playing at home, Rochy won the toss and elected to bowl, but it was Echuca that made the faster of the two starts.
Curtis Townrow blasted 33 off 23 balls before he fell to Sean Williams, who claimed Brendan Moyle (10) shortly after to have Echuca 2-48 and bring Rochester back into the contest.
Matthew Hinks (30) and Kobyn James (25) steadied for the reigning premier, but a mini collapse saw it lose four wickets for just six runs to sit 7-117.
Late contributions from Charlie Hinks (21) and Simon Maddox (22 not out) helped Echuca post a total of 8-169, with Adam Ward (3-21) and Sean Williams (2-15) instrumental in Rochester’s attack with the ball.
With 170 set for victory, the in-form Williams, who posted 112 against Tongala in round one, strode out to open alongside Joel Bunce, although it was a shaky start for the home side.
Bunce departed for just one run, and while Williams (23) and captain Dylan Cuttriss (28) were able to dig in and keep the scoreboard ticking over, they were both dismissed with Rochester sitting on 62 runs, leaving the side three down.
And when Charlie Hinks dismissed Ward (9) to have the home side in trouble at 4-71, it looked as though Echuca was beginning to get on top of the contest.
But Jesse Cuttriss put paid to that with a swashbuckling 46 runs off 47 deliveries, combining well with coach Jake Wright (26 off 20) to ensure Rochester would make it two from two to open the season.
Charlie Hinks was the pick of Echuca’s bowlers, claiming 3-29, while Aidan Young took 1-27 from his seven overs.
While many may not have expected the result, the win will not have come as a shock to first-year Rochester coach Jake Wright, who predicted before the season that his side would be a contender.
“We’ll definitely be trying to push for finals, definitely,” Wright said prior to round one.
“When we have our full side in, I think we are probably the strongest in the league. That’s just if everyone plays in that one week.”
Echuca will have the chance to bounce back next week when it faces Tongala at Victoria Park, while Rochester will make the trip out to Cohuna to take on Nondies-Cohuna.